Peaky Blinders series 4 opens with tonnes of melodrama and an eerie threat to the Shelby clan

The new series of Peaky Blinders lands on BBC2 tonight at 9pm, and it's set to be a belter.

The wait is finally over as Tommy Shelby and the gang make a return to our small screen for what is predicted to be the best season yet, introducing Adrien Brody into the already impressive cast.

Series four of the achingly cool crime saga will open with early-morning light and a dismal row of nooses. This may set alarm bells ringing for Blinders' fans, as the third offering closed with the majority of the Shelby clan being arrested after Tommy (Cillian Murphy) handed them over. He was left untouched, naturally.

Writer Steven Knight sets the ominous tone for the new series, with beloved characters Michael, Arthur, John and Polly being dragged from their cells to face the gallows in what could be a disastrously tragic turn for the gang.

The gripping start is fuelled with melodrama, but once it passes, viewers may get the feeling that our 1925 Brummie gangsters have become a tad too refined.

Tommy is in touch with his inner intellectual by sporting an elegant pair of round spectacles these days, while we'll find out that hardman Arthur has a smallholding where he gathers hens' eggs. But we're sure it'll all kick off again somehow or another.

Murphy's character may see sense after receiving a mysterious letter on Christmas Eve, soon realising that the Shelbys are in danger of annihilation, despite his newfound and unprecedented legitimacy.

The BBC also dropped a trailer for the new series which also gave our first glimpse of newcomer and Hollywood A-lister Brody, alongside Tom Hardy and Murphy, as the show becomes more star-studded than ever.

The clip is soundtracked by a cover of Chris Isaac's Wicked Game performed by London Grammar, and sees Shelby and the family attempt to reconcile their differences while Brody poses as a new threat to the clan.

Fans are showing their excitement for tonight's episode in their droves, with one person tweeting: "The only thing getting me through today is the thought of peaky blinders later".

Another fan said: "Absolutely buzzing for Peaky Blinders tonight!!"

Peaky Blinders airs tonight at 9pm on BBC2.