Channel 4’s new four part ‘Urban’ drama centres on London’s hard-hitting streets. Enlisting cast such as former So Solid Crew member and budding actor Ashley Walters as well as Grime artists Kano and Scorcher, the producers have sought to make the show as authentic and gritty as possible. The drama explores the complex sub-cultures of low level drug dealing and gang activity in the nations capital, and in the first episode we were given lessons in drug smuggling techniques and hierarchical structure.
In its first episode Top Boy seemed to fit in as a successor to previous ‘Urban’ themed productions such as Kidulthood and Rolling with the Nines, which are often deemed as inaccurate. Top Boy definitely for me ticked boxes in regard to an aspect of the Black British experience, however in the first episode I felt it was almost too ‘real.’ I quickly became uninterested in the show, nothing about the storyline or characters grabbed me. Though far from being ‘street’ or a gang member, I felt I had seen it all before and to be honest I spent most of my time reading people’s Twitter commentary’s rather than the show itself.
The second night I did not even tune into the show but instead reluctantly watched on 4oD later on…and am I glad I did! I have put the series slow start down to the producers seeking to establish the show as being an authentic portrayal of inner city life by including as much detail as possible, before embarking on the meat of the storyline.
The drama quickly made up for the slow start of the first installment, as the plot seemed to twist and turn unpredictably from the outset. We were left reeling from the tense altercations and interactions on screen, which effectively narrated how quick hostilities can spiral out of control. Episode 3 of the series promises to be stirring as we were left shocked by the events at the end of the last show.
Let’s hope it lives up to the anticipation! Tune in tonight 10pm on Channel 4 and we will be back for more thoughts on the show.
