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Drug dealers. Gangsters. Neighborhood crews of guys obsessed with establishing their spot at the top of the totem pole. If you thought this was a description of the plot of The Wire or The Corner, you’re mistaken. This story doesn’t take place in Baltimore, or even Los Angeles, or Atlanta, or New York. It’s unfolding in London, England.
Top Boy is a British television crime drama that aired on the UK’s Channel 4 beginning in 2011. The show followed Dushane and Sully, two London youths from the fictional Summerhouse housing estate in East London who were hell-bent on running the drug trade in their neighborhood. The show was loved by critics and fans alike, but ended abruptly after just two seasons of production. The original seasons were picked up by Netflix and the show gathered a new fanbase in the states over the last couple years.
One of those fans is Drake, who posted about his interest in the show way back in 2014 and pushed to bring the show back into production. In a November interview with The Hollywood Reporter, it was announced that the show is coming back as a Netflix series in 2019.
In the interview, Drake says that he was initially struck by the way the show portrayed London as one part magnificent, one part plagued. “And that human element drew me in,” he said. “I started just looking them up. Like, who are these people? Are these actors I should know? Are they just famous over there? I remember I hit Future, and I was just like, ‘This show is incredible.’”
Drake will act as an executive producer alongside Adel “Future” Nur, his business partner and manager, and Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson of LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment company. Ashley Walters and Kane “Kano” Robinson, who played Dushane and Sully respectively, will reprise their roles.
If you are in need of a new show to binge, Top Boy should be at the top of your list. You have a good two years to catch up before all eyes turn to the Summerhouse again.
