17 Little Known Shows To Stream When You’ve Run Out Of Ideas
By Sundi Rose
Photo: Channel 4
Top Boy
Some people have compared Top Boy to The Wire, but I’m not committing to that just yet. That’s a pretty tall order, after all. However, this gritty drug drama comes pretty close.
The term, “top boy” means the boss of the drug game, and Ashley Waters’ character, Dushane, is now Summerhouse’s top boy. He’s looking to expand his reach, but his organization faces resistance from the folks in the East End of London who are trying to live an honest life. The fast paced drama is stylish and glamorous in its own way, and has made antiheroes out of everyone in its main cast.
The tensions between the two factions reach a culmination in the intersecting storylines between Dushane and the good-natured Ra’Nell. Ra’Nell is a neighborhood boy who is forced to grow up too fast when his mother has a breakdown and is put in a mental hospital.
It really does sound like The Wire, but it has its own legs, for sure. Either way, it’s an incredibly well-written piece of fiction that will demand that you not take your eyes off the screen. And those accents are kind of awesome too.
Both seasons one and two of Top Boy are available on Netflix.