Top Boy

Did You Know?

• Canadian rapper Drake's interest led to Netflix reviving the series in 2017, with Drake and his team serving as executive producers.
• The fifth and final series (third series produced by Netflix) was renewed on 31 March 2022 and aired on 7 September 2023.
• The series has received several awards and nominations from the British Academy Television Awards, including nominations for Best Mini-Series and Best Actor for Kane Robinson.

Plot

The series follows Ra'nell as he navigates life on the crime-filled Summerhouse estate after his mother, Lisa, is admitted to a mental hospital. Ra'Nell, known for volatile behaviour after stabbing his abusive father, is cared for by Leon, a former enforcer who has left his past behind. Lisa's pregnant friend Heather enlists Ra'Nell's help to grow cannabis so she can move to a safer place. Meanwhile, Ra'Nell's best friend Gem begins working for drug dealers Dushane and Sully, finding himself at the mercy of their ruthless enforcer Dris.

Dushane and Sully run the estate but face risk after rival dealer Kamale steals a large amount of their supply. They must recover the stash before their supplier Bobby Raikes takes action, putting their partnership in jeopardy. The second series, set one year later, sees Dushane, Sully, and Dris arrested after police uncover a body. Dushane realises there is a snitch in their crew, revealed to be his favourite dealer Michael, who was forced by police to inform.

Sully attempts to start his own crew with his friend Mike, a psychopathic ex-convict. When a deal with Albanian business partners goes bad, Dushane seeks Sully's help. Sully also encounters Jason, a neglected boy trying to survive in a world of drugs and murder.

Production

Top Boy came from the mind of Ronan Bennett, a novelist born in Belfast who also served as producer through his company Eastern Partisan. The idea struck him when he spotted a twelve-year-old boy selling drugs outside a Tesco in Hackney, London. To capture the reality of that world, Bennett teamed up with his friend Gerry Jackson to interview local drug dealers; Jackson later earned a story consultant credit. The BBC initially ordered a pilot, but their drama chief took issue with the script’s heavy violence and swearing.

Bennett then connected with producers Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind at Cowboy Films, who got behind the project. Channel 4 picked it up in July 2010 as a four-episode series. The show blended UK rappers with both veteran and fresh actors. Ashley Walters, from So Solid Crew, and rapper Kane Robinson landed the leads as Dushane and Sully.

After his breakout in Bullet Boy, Walters had passed on many urban parts but tried out for Top Boy because the characters felt real. Sully was first conceived as an Asian dealer, but after casting director Des Hamilton, director Yann Demange, and Bennett saw Robinson’s chemistry test with Walters, they reworked the role. Other rappers included Scorcher as gang leader Kamale, with Giggs and Sway in cameos. The first season also featured Shone Romolus as Dris, Malcolm Kamulete as Ra’Nell, Giacomo Mancini as Gem, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Lisa, Nicholas Pinnock as Leon, Kierston Wareing as Heather, Benedict Wong as Vincent, Geoff Bell as Bobby Raikes, and an eighteen-year-old Letitia Wright as Chantelle.

Reception

Top Boy received positive feedback from critics. The first two series premiered with 1 million viewers and maintained their audience share. Tom Sutcliffe of the Independent praised the drama for its morality and melancholy beauty. The Netflix revival series met greater acclaim for its performances, emotional depth, soundtrack, writing, and scope. Rebecca Nicholson of the Guardian described the third series as more violent, gripping, and shocking than ever. Ellen E Jones praised the fourth series for always leaving the viewer guessing, and Leila Latif hailed the fifth and final season as an ending that rivals the very best of television.