TOP Boy is making its hotly-anticipated return to our screens on September 13 all thanks to a certain rapper that you just may have heard of – Drake.
Find out the unlikely story of how the international megastar fell in love with the short-lived show after stumbling across it on YouTube…
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How is Drake involved in Top Boy?
In statement Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett said: “I am delighted to be reunited once more with the Top Boy team, our wonderful cast and to have Drake as new a collaborator.
“And I could not be prouder to be doing the show with Netflix.”
Back in 2015, it was reported that Drake had offered to fund a third series of the show.
And in 2017 the rapper told The Hollywood Reporter how he had been enthralled by the series after catching it on YouTube.
He said: “And that human element drew me in.
“I started just looking them up. Like, who are these people? Are these actors I should know? Are they just famous over there? I remember I hit Future, and I was just like, ‘This show is incredible.’”
In 2018 it was revealed that Drake is an executive producer on the new series after reuniting the original team back together.
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When was the Top Boy season 3 premiere?
Top Boy’s London premiere was held on September 4, with everybody from Drake to Ashley Walters in attendance.
Drake played a key role in bringing the show back for another run after discussing the idea of bringing the former Channel 4 drama to Netflix.
The Canadian rapper oozed in glamour wearing a dark blazer and a high-neck jumper, finishing off his attire with a silver chain.
Walters looked dapper in a yellow bomber jacket and a black shirt, which correlated well with his pair of white sneakers.
Other notable names who attended the premiere include Little Mix’s Leanne Pinnock, musician Krept, rapper Lethal Bizzle, DJ Goldie and Little Simz.
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Ahead of the screening, the One Dance hitmaker thanked the cast and crew for allowing him to have been part of the show’s third season, stressing that its anticipated return couldn’t have been possible without the team.
“I think September 13th is a really big UK heritage moment that you should be proud of,” Drake gushed.
“You all made it happen, I just wanted it to happen. ‘To the cast new and old, the crew, the writers, the production team, everybody that pulled this all together, I really do appreciate it.”
He continued: ‘I just want to say thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of it.
I know a lot of the time people are like, “Yo, you’re not even from there, don’t ever forget you’re not from there.”
“Sometimes it’s not just about where you’re from it’s about places you wish you were from and you all inspire me.
I’m so proud of the growth of everybody.”
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When is Top Boy returning to TV?
After six years Top Boy is being brought back to your screens thanks to Netflix.
You can watch the third series on September 13, 2019.
And diehard fans will be pleased to learn that the third series will be comprised of 10 episodes all available to binge-watch at once – which marks a welcomed change to the weekly wait for each episode when the first two seasons aired on Channel 4.
The show follows the rise of Dushane and his friend Sully in the dangerous underground drugs business.
The show won a BAFTA in 2012, but was dropped a year later by Channel 4 despite its cult following.
Lead actor Ashley Walters, announced the news of the show’s return on Twitter saying: “So after years of speculation and anticipation I can finally reveal that we have managed to secure a brand new home for the new season of TOPBOY!
He added: “In all honesty I’m more happy for you guys than myself. We’re going back to Summerhouse. @TopBoyNetflix 2019″.
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Who is in the Top Boy cast?
The show will bring back the original cast and also some new faces:
- Ashley Walters plays Dushane
- Kane ‘Kano’ Robinson plays Sully
- Micheal Ward plays Jamie
- Shone Romulus returns as Dris
- Ashley Thomas returns as Jermaine
New cast members include:
- Lisa Dwan
- Jasmine Jobson
- Kadeem Ramsay
- Saffron Hocking
- Kola Bokinni
- Hope Ikpoku
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What will happen in the new series of Top Boy about?
The award-winning show originally aired on Channel 4 from 2011 to 2013 and attracted an international audience thanks to its hard-hitting story lines about life on a London council estate.
Series three picks up as Dushane (Ashley Walters) returns from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the highly lucrative drug market.
He teams up with Sully (Kane Robinson), his spiritual brother, partner and sometime rival who is also returning to the same streets after his own form of exile – prison – comes to an end.
Awaiting them both is Jamie (Micheal Ward), the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully.
