Dushane and Sully’s epic comeback was only the beginning.
Top Boy is no stranger to long breaks, having made a triumphant return in 2019 on Netflix six years after the series was cancelled by Channel 4.
A fourth season was expected soon after, but Top Boy was one of many shows delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, we’re expecting a release soon as more details are slowly revealed about the next instalment of the acclaimed crime drama.
The long-awaited season three saw Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson) team up once again, battling drug-dealing rival Jamie (Michael Ward) for their beloved Summerhouse turf.
Walters has also revealed that he will be executive producing this season, joining rapper and super-fan Drake, who helped revive the series after its initial cancellation.
“It’s going well,” Walters told NME‘s Friends Like These. “The scripts are really good, really tight. We’re coming at it from a new perspective this time, because I’m executive producing on this one, so creatively and script-wise I’m much more involved.
“It’s been difficult, but rest assured to everyone listening or watching, we’ve got another banger for ya. It’s definitely going to be good.”
Sounds like we won’t have to wait another six years for this instalment then. Here’s everything you need to know about Top Boy’s upcoming series.
Will there be a Top Boy season 4?
Yes! Netflix confirmed there will be another season of Top Boy in February 2020.
Confirmed: Top Boy s2 is happening!! What we can tell you:
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 26, 2020
– production starts this spring
– Dushane, Sully, Jamie and Shelley will return (!)
– ????
The news was also confirmed on executive producer Drake’s Instagram. The rapper was instrumental in bringing the show back to life after becoming a fan in 2014.
In 2017, Netflix announced that it would commission two new seasons of Top Boy following Channel 4’s cancellation of the series back in 2013.
Following the first two seasons (now retroactively referred to by the subtitle Summerhouse), series creator Ronan Bennett produced a relaunch of the show picking up after the events of season two and featuring the return of Dushane and company.
Season three was released in September 2019 to critical acclaim.
When is Top Boy season 4 released on Netflix?
While an official release date for season four has not yet been announced, the series’ stars Ashley Walters and Kano (Kane Robinson) revealed in a short video that production on the upcoming season began in December 2020.
“Yo people, what you saying? It’s your boy Ashley Walters. I’m not gonna stay here and talk for long, I don’t need to – you know what time it is,” a masked-Walters says whilst on set. “You can see the mask, you can see where we are so we’re obviously shooting Top Boy. You asked for it, we gave it to you.”
The camera then spins round to show Kano, who adds: “There you go. Season two, Netflix. Let’s go.”
A quick update from @AshleyWalters82 and @TheRealKano ???????????? pic.twitter.com/6Bfpsv5JSr
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) December 9, 2020
Who is in the cast of Top Boy season 4?
Dushane (played by Ashley Walters), Sully (Kane Robinson), Jamie (Michael Ward) and Shelley (Simbi Ajikawo, also known by her stage name Little Simz) and Jaq (the BAFTA-nominated Jasmine Jobson) are all expected to return for the show’s fourth run.
Other recurring characters we might expect to see again include Sully’s cousin Jermaine Newton (Ashley Thomas), Dushane’s brother Chris (Richie Campbell) and drug supplier Lizzie (Lisa Dwan), while Lee (Josef Altin) and Sarah (Isla Jackson-Ritchie) – who were posing as drug addicts but were later revealed to be undercover officers investigating Dushane and Sully – are also a solid bet to return.
The third season also saw a brief appearance from Gem Mustapha (Giacomo Mancini), who was a central figure in the show’s first two seasons along with his friend Ra’Nell Smith (Malcolm Kamulete). It’s possible that Gem could make another cameo, while Ra’Nell’s fate after season two has also been left tantalisingly unresolved.
Series director Aneil Karia told NME that season 4 will expand the world of the show “in a really interesting way”, hinting that some new characters will shake up the show.
“As a fan, I’m really, really excited to see more,” Karia said. “I know that all the old favourites [are back] but there’s also some really exciting new characters. It sounds like they’re expanding the world in a really interesting way.”
Details about these new characters are sparse, but we do know that Dan Connolly (Harlots) and Howard Charles (Shadow and Bone) are joining the series in recurring roles as Tim Braithwaite and Curtis respectively.
Top Boy season 4 trailer
There’s no sign of a trailer yet for Top Boy’s fourth season – as a rough estimate of when the first teaser might drop, Netflix released its first teaser for season three (see below) in April 2019, some five months before the new episodes dropped, though a full-length trailer didn’t arrive till August, around a month prior to the launch.
Where is Top Boy filmed?
While set in Hackney, Top Boy is primarily filmed in Kent (Thanet, Ramsgate). Considering info on season four is scarce, we can only assume a return to the well-established locations, as well as some not used for the series before.
The old Blackfriars Crown Court was hired for the filming of season four, suggesting legal scenes for the upcoming instalment. Not good news considering the surprise reveal that Dushane is being investigated by undercover police officers…
Top Boy season 4 spoilers
By the end of the third season, Dushane had proposed a partnership with Jamie, who is now behind bars after taking the fall for a crime he didn’t commit to protect his family.
Dushane and Sully’s friendship is also fraught due to Dushane framing Jamie’s brothers, so the new partnership could create even more tension between the pair.
It was also revealed that addicts Sarah and Lee were actually undercover agents who are investigating Dushane, so the current top boy will likely feel the heat in season four.
!["Kane]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/07/NEW_TB_310_Unit_01950-6580f3b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"top-boy-season-4-sully-vulnerable\"")
Top Boy’s creator and writer Ronan Bennett has also revealed that future episodes will continue to explore a more sensitive side to Sully, who was left reeling in season three after watching his friend/surrogate son Jason (Ricky Smarts) die in an arson attack.
“Certainly we’re taking that a step further in the new season!” Bennett said of Sully’s newly-glimpsed vulnerability.
Is Top Boy ending after season 4?
Top Boy was resurrected by Netflix for two seasons, with the first being released in late 2019 and the second due later this year.
Given that the streaming service hasn’t explicitly said that season four will be the last, that strongly implies that a fifth season will be commissioned. The other thing to consider is that Netflix has always been hesitant to reveal viewing figures for its content, so we’re yet to know how pleased the streamer is with the most recent outing: season three.
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