Something is awry in La La Land. From the Issa Rae created world of Insecure to Donald Glover’s eccentric Atlanta, youthful projects led by Black entertainers appear to be having a more challenging time with solidifying consistent release schedules for their series. Crime drama Top Boy falls into this category.
The hit series currently available on Netflix recently received a release date for its second official season, premiering March 18. However, the truth is that the UK series formerly known as Top Boy: Summerhouse has encountered a few stumbling blocks.
The Ronan Bennett creation follows the story of two wealthy drug dealers, Dushane and Sully, who set up shop at an East London housing estate and work their way up the street hierarchy, while navigating the chaotic logistics of drug operations and a tumultuous rivalry with a deadly gang.
The new season will allegedly feature eight episodes, according to reports. The first season premiered in 2011 on UK’s Channel 4 with four nearly hour-long episodes written by Bennett. It wouldn’t be until 2013 when the series would return in August with another four episodes for its second season.
Watch the Official Trailer of ‘Top Boy’ Season 2 Below:
Then, there was a six year hiatus. During this time, Channel 4 removed Top Boy from its programming. Sources confirmed, along with a Netflix documentary on the show, that the series was rejuvenated when global music artist Drake pumped funding into the project and used his star power to pitch the series to Netflix in order to bring it back to life. Season 3, known as season 1 on Netflix, contained 10 episodes.
The latest hiatus in production may be the result of the pandemic preventing filming. The pause did delay the season by two years. Luckily, fans are hanging in there as they anticipate the new season and many more seasons to come.
Top Boy premieres March 18 on Netflix, where earlier seasons can also be viewed.
