📺 Gangs of London (2020)
Based on video game
Gangs of London is a British action crime drama television series that premiered on Sky Atlantic in April 2020. Created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery, the show is based on the 2006 PlayStation Portable video game of the same name, which itself is part of the Getaway franchise. The series follows the power struggles among London's criminal gangs after the assassination of Finn Wallace, the city's most powerful crime lord, with his son Sean Wallace attempting to maintain control of the family empire.
Unlike the video game, which offered multiple playable gang perspectives and a more arcade-style experience, the TV series focuses on a single narrative centered on the Wallace family and their allies, including the Dumani crime family. The show is known for its intense, visceral action sequences, particularly a widely praised single-take fight scene in a housing estate, and its exploration of themes like loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of power. It has been renewed for multiple seasons, with a fourth series announced in 2025.
The adaptation marks a significant departure from the game's tone and structure, leaning into gritty realism and serialized drama rather than the game's mission-based gameplay. While the game was a modest entry in the Getaway series, the TV show has garnered critical acclaim for its performances, particularly Joe Cole as Sean Wallace, and its ambitious action choreography, establishing it as a standout in the crime drama genre.
Gangs of London is a 2006 action-adventure video game developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third installment in the Getaway series, following The Getaway (2002) and Black Monday (2004). The game allows players to choose from five different gangs, each with distinct ethnicities and outfits, as they navigate the criminal underworld of London through a variety of missions including stealth, racing, and combat.
The game's story mode features a cliffhanger ending and offers free-roam exploration of London, with mini-games such as photographing landmarks and running over pedestrians. While not as critically acclaimed as its predecessors, Gangs of London expanded the Getaway franchise's focus on organized crime and gang warfare, setting the stage for a later television adaptation that would reinterpret its themes and characters.