The first season of Top Boy premiered on the 31 October 2011 and finished on 3 November 2011, on Channel 4. It consists of four episodes.
Summary[]
Season 1 is set in 2011
Plot[]
The series follows the plight of Ra as he navigates the pitfalls of living on the crime-filled Summerhouse estate after his mother, Lisa, is admitted to a mental hospital. Ra'Nell, who has gained a reputation around the estate for his volatile behaviour after stabbing his abusive father, is quiet and closed-off. While his mother is in hospital, he is cared for by her close friend, Leon, who was once a respected enforcer of the estate, but has since put his past behind him. Meanwhile, Lisa's friend Heather enlists Ra'Nell's help to grow a cannabis crop so she can earn enough money to move out of the estate and raise her unborn child somewhere safer.
Meanwhile, his best friend, Gem, finds himself in over his head when he begins to work as a drug dealer for Summerhouse kingpins, Dushane and Sully. Gem is easily coerced and finds himself at the mercy of their trusted enforcer, Dris, who is ruthless and violent.
Dushane and Sully run the estate together with relative ease, but when Kamale, a rival drug dealer from London Fields steals a large amount of their supply, they are forced to hunt down the thief before their supplier, Bobby Raikes, takes action. The urgency of the chase puts Dushane and Sully's partnership in jeopardy.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Ashley Walters as Dushane
- Kane Robinson as Sully
- Shone Romulus as Dris
- Malcolm Kamulete as Ra'Nell
- Giacomo Mancini as Gem
- Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Lisa
- Kierston Wareing as Heather
- Nicholas Pinnock as Leon
Recurring cast[]
- Sean Sagar as Tareek
- Letitia Wright as Chantelle
- George Wood as Andre
- Geoff Bell as Bobby Raikes
- Olivia Musangi as Precious
- Xavien Russell as Michael
- Cyrus Desir as Lee Greene
- Tayo Jarrett as Kamale
- Chiefer Appiah as Ninja
- Benedict Wong as Vincent
- Clare-Hope Ashitey as Taylor
- Pooky Quesnel as Jenny Northam
- Richie Campbell as Chris
- Marsha Millar as Pat
- David Hayman as Joe
Episodes[]
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Episode 1 | Yann Demange | Ronan Bennett | 31 October 2011 |
| In the courtyards of the Summerhouse Estate, a thriving but underground drugs business is being run by Dushane and his friend Sully. Ra'Nell is forced to 'step-up' after his mother is committed to a hospital after suffering a mental breakdown. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | Episode 2 | Yann Demange | Ronan Bennett | 1 November 2011 |
| Raikes gives Sully and Dushane two weeks to retrieve the stash stolen by Kamale, a task that proves to be harder than originally thought. Meanwhile, Ra'Nell goes into business with his mother's friend, Heather. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | Episode 3 | Yann Demange | Ronan Bennett | 2 November 2011 |
| After Heather has shown him the flat she hopes to buy with her drug money, Ra'Nell welcomes his mother home. Dushane and Sully kidnap Kamale's cousin in order to force Kamale out of hiding, but things don't according to plan, and the boys end up with a body on their hands. Sully visits his daughter. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | Episode 4 | Yann Demange | Ronan Bennett | 3 November 2011 |
| Ra'Nell attempts to do business with Dushane, but Sully's interception causes another casualty. Dushane is shocked that Sully still has the gun that killed three people, with Raikes proposing they sell Sully out as a liability. Heather confesses her guilt, which leads Lisa to call upon Leon for help. | |||||