Adolescence stars' "explosive" drama series gets first look at season 2 as release date confirmed
A Thousand Blows is returning early next year.
Fresh from the release of House of Guinness and the news that Peaky Blinders will be returning for two more seasons, the busiest man in TV, Steven Knight, has another show returning soon – and Disney has just released some first-look images
We are of course talking about A Thousand Blows, the period boxing drama that debuted earlier this year, and stars Adolescence duo Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, alongside Black Mirror star Malachi Kirby.
The images give us fresh looks at all of them in the upcoming second season, while the release date for the new six-part run has also been confirmed for 9th January 2026 on Disney+.
The synopsis for season 2 reads: "Inspired by the true-life stories of a group of characters battling for survival in the brutal East End of London in the 1880s.
"One year later, Hezekiah's [Kirby] a shadow of the man he once was whilst Sugar Goodson [Graham] is estranged from his family and drinking himself to death.
"Just as Wapping is about to sigh its last breath, Mary Carr [Doherty] bursts back into town with her loyal second, Alice Diamond [Darci Shaw], to reassemble her gang and reclaim her crown.
"As always, Mary has a plan; one which will involve all those she holds dearest. And this time it's riskier than ever."
Other returning cast members for season 2 include James Nelson-Joyce, Hannah Walters, Nadia Albina, Morgan Hilaire, Jemma Carlton, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Jason Tobin, Susan Lynch, Daniel Mays, Gary Lewis, Aliyah Odoffin and Robert Glenister, while newcomers include Peaky Blinders' Ned Dennehy and Slow Horses' Catherine McCormack.
In our review of season 1, we called the drama "explosive", and particularly praised the final episodes, which set things up for a stellar second season – so we're certainly excited to see what the new run has in store.
The first season of A Thousand Blows debuted ahead of Graham and Doherty's next collaboration in Adolescence, for which the duo have both won a number of awards, including at the Emmys.
A Thousand Blows season 1 is available to stream on Disney Plus now. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £4.99 a month now.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
