uses and gratification

Acording to Blumler and Katz's theory on uses and gratifications, Peaky Blinders gratifies its audience in a number of ways. one gratification would be giving intrinsic cultural and aesthetic enjoyment, we see this in the cinematography. When Tommy rides the horse down the busy industrial street the camera tracks behind him and we get a wide shot of the action in the mise en scene; men working, shouting and people drunk on the side of the road. when the flame flashes the cuts become quicker as the horse is startled, tommy calms the horse by telling it what him and other soldiers said to horses to calm them from the loud noises; "its just the band arriving". this would attract a niche audience as it gives historical content that some passive viewers would not pick up on.   

how does Peaky Blinders attract its audience?

set in birmingham 1919, Steven Knight's Peaky Blinders is a crime drama which follows former WW1 soldiers who have returned home and formed a criminal gang.

one way it attracts its audience is by placement. the show was first aired on BBC 2; historically its remit was screening programmes targeting the arts, culture, drama, and some comedy. in the scene where they bur the kings portraight we see in the on looking mid shot, Tommy talking to the reporter. he says " We went through hell for our king, and wouldnt want him to see what is being done to us here". we see an acurate representation of the social feelings towards the monarch, as they fought and now are being attacked in their own homes. over 30 years, BBC 2 built a reputation of screening highly praised and prestigious high brow drama series.
 A high brow text is one that is intellectually and culturally rich. Peaky Blinders has elements of a high brow text but also contains mainstream conventions. the show has been complemented for its high production value and cinematography. this is another way the show attracts its audience.