Dante Williams (LEVI BROWN);Estella (MICHELLE DOCKERY);Bardon Quinn (BEN ROSE) in This Town© Banijay Rights/Kudos/Matt Towers

This Town viewers very divided over this detail in new BBC drama

The series is set in 1980s Birmingham and stars the likes of Michelle Dockery and David Dawson

TV and film writer
April 2, 2024

Steven Knight's new thriller This Town series arrived on our screens over the weekend and viewers are very divided over one detail.

For those unfamiliar with the drama, it's set in the Midlands during the 1980s and follows the rise of a band against the backdrop of violence and political unrest. 

Taking to social media, viewers couldn't help but take issue with the Birmingham accents employed by some of the cast members. 

WATCH: Are you enjoying This Town?

One person wrote: "#ThisTown when are Birmingham-based TV dramas going to cast actual brummies? Not people from Coventry or surrounding areas because the accents are so forced and sound stupid," while another said the accents were "terrible". 

However, not all viewers agreed and many were full of praise for the performances. One person penned: "I am loving #ThisTown and I think the acting is great. They have more or less got the Cov accent right. Great to see #Coventry - the place I know and love. Brilliant settings," while another remarked: "I found this drama, EXCELLENT! Perfect Brummie accents. Award-winning acting, well done."

© Banijay Rights/Kudos/Robert Viglasky

Viewers were divided over some of the accents

A third person added: "Not bad accents on #ThisTown. And an appreciation of Lozells Road's great contribution to world culture."

Other viewers also took to social media to praise the cast and gripping storyline. One person penned: "#ThisTown getting binged right now. Bloody brilliant direction and acting all round. Great throwback to younger years gone by. Oh and what a soundtrack. Immense."

© Banijay Rights/Kudos/Robert Viglasky

Michelle Dockery plays Estella

A second encouraged hailed the show as "the best thing" on TV, adding: "You have to watch #thistown best thing on tele, absolutely brilliant, the music, the story, the acting, all of it, WATCH IT."

For viewers yet to tune into the series, it's set in a world of "family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation" and tells the story of a group of people who turn to music in a time of political unrest, "capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness". 

© BBC

The show is set in 1980s Birmingham

Some of the actors learned how to play instruments in preparation for their roles. Chatting with HELLO! in an exclusive interview, Ben Rose, who plays Bardon Quinn and is a seasoned musician in real life, spoke about rehearsing with co-stars Levi Brown and Eve Austin. 

"We had to do a lot of work together to get us sounding and feeling like a band because they'd never done it before," Ben said of the trio, who are all from the Midlands. "Obviously, they're learning everything from scratch and they had a lot of work to do which they did brilliantly, but it was intense." 

© BBC

Ben Rose portrays angst-ridden teen Bardon Quinn

"From when I met Levi, and he knew he had to play guitar, he came around to mine, and I started showing him stuff on guitar and because he'd never sung in front of anyone we went to an open mic night together," he said. 

"It was just us two so we could sing in front of people, and break that ice for him. So when we're on set and when we were in the studio it's not as new a thing. Dante finds his voice through the show and Levi found his voice as well." 

This Town is available on BBC iPlayer. 

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