ONE of BBC’s most acclaimed dramas that was partly filmed near Appleton Thorn returns to our screens next month.

Series four of Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders, starring Cillian Murphy, starts on BBC Two on Wednesday, November 15, at 9pm.

Arley Hall has been used as a prominent location for the gritty series, about a 1920s Birmingham criminal gang, since the third series last year.

The stately home doubled as gangster Tommy Shelby’s home, Arrow House, to show he was working his way up in the criminal world. Arley’s transformation included bespoke portraits, 1920s furniture and an interior repaint to give the hall a masculine feel more befitting of Tommy’s character.

Lord and Lady Ashbrook’s home was again used for the new episodes but the story will see Tommy leaving his country retreat to return to Small Heath after series three’s explosive finale.

Two years after Tommy (Cillian Murphy) made a deal which saw his family imprisoned he remains unforgiven and estranged from the rest of the Shelbys.

But when he receives the ‘Black-Hand’ symbol from the Mafia, Tommy needs to reunite his family in order to survive.

The Black-Hand is like a kiss of death meaning the Mafia will not stop until they have tracked you down and killed you.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight said: “They’re facing an enemy that is more lethal than any enemies they’ve faced so far and it’s going to take every ounce of ingenuity, strength and guile to keep everybody alive.

The big threat in question is Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody) who is seeking vengeance for the killing of his father in series three.

So to protect his clan, Tommy seeks out some extra muscle in Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen), a dangerous gypsy with little regard for the rules who he may well regret working with.

Steven, who wrote David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises, added: “Aberama is the nuclear option for the family. He’s the guy you bring out when you need a job doing. Tommy needs to add that extra bit of muscle to the Peaky ranks when he comes up against Luca Changretta and his gang.

“We learn that the Gold and Shelby families fell out a while ago so there is an unspoken tension surrounding their arrival.

“But Aberama and his son Bonnie are brought in to serve a purpose, to protect the survival of the Peaky Blinders and the Shelby family.

“I wrote the character of Luca with Adrien Brody in mind because he has that dark presence about him which really encapsulates the level of threat that the Peaky Blinders are facing.”

Arley Hall is likely to feature in the opening episodes of series four before Tommy returns to Small Heath. Other shooting locations included Birmingham, Liverpool, Bradford and Manchester while the old Granada Studios was the cast and crew’s main base.

Helen McCrory, who plays Polly, said: “Steve writes these great set pieces for us each series.

“To have all these different design elements all brought together in one scene creates something very special. This year we’ve had big set pieces, returning to Tommy’s palatial house and Charlie’s Yard, but with fewer people where it’s been interesting to play those more private scenes in these large public locations.”

Packy Lee, who plays Johnny Dogs, added: “We loved Arley Hall last year and we were filming there again this year which was lovely.

“I also loved Birmingham and I think the Black Country Living Museum is an amazing place to film in.”

Kate Phillips portrays Linda whose relationship with Arthur Shelby is tested in this series.

She said: “Tommy’s house, Arrow House, which is shot at Arley Hall and has a completely different atmosphere about it this time around. Costume, design and props all come together to create such a great atmosphere for us to film in.”

Julie Anne Horan, art director, added: “If you look closely you’ll be able to see the huge amount of work that goes into some of the tiniest details such as the rum and gin bottle labels, ticket stubs, and passports that the cast handle.

“The period details are important. Cigarette packets and match boxes help to create that authentic world. It also helps the actors to believe the world they’re in. There are lots of photographs that we have to work on also, which includes organising photo shoots and ageing the photographs to that period.”

Steven Knight has said to expect a more heavily armed series than the last one – and an exploration of the changing dynamic between Tommy and Polly, the matriarch of the Shelby family.

Cillian said: “Most pressing is the fact that the whole family are going to get annihilated if they don’t come together. Tommy’s plan is to get the family back to the mean streets of Birmingham in order to protect them and close ranks.

“That’s the practical way of dealing with the situation. Emotionally, the family have to try and put the recent past behind them and find a way of reconnecting, particularly with what has happened between Tommy and Polly.

“Tommy, for all intents and purposes, betrayed his family at the end of series three. Unbeknown to his family it was more of a tactical move for Tommy that needed to happen as part of his master plan. For Polly, it hits her badly. Polly is still the only person that Tommy trusts completely in the family but at this point all the trust has been broken and has to be rebuilt. It’s wonderful to play opposite Helen as always in these scenes.”

Peaky Blinders series four starts on Wednesday, November 15, at 9pm