Top Boy, the London-set crime drama that started off on Channel 4 and then moved to Netflix, was an incredible show – and when it ended after its third Netflix season I, like many fans, was absolutely gutted. The show was often compared favourably to The Wire, so it was a real shame when it didn't return for another season.
Its sharp writing, excellent cinematography and, most of all, amazing performances mean it's a show I really miss. So I'm very excited to discover that Netflix may be making a spinoff. And not only that, but the show may focus on my very favourite character.
I think there are two kinds of Top Boy viewers: there are people – like me – who know that Jaq, played by Jasmine Jobson, was the real star of the show. And there are people who are wrong. So the former camp will be delighted to discover that, according to show creator Ronan Bennett, Netflix is seriously considering a Jaq-centred spinoff.
Top Boy's spin-off series could be must-watch TV
The news comes via BBC Radio 5, which interviewed Bennett this week. As reported in Deadline, Bennett said that "I think that the world of Top Boy, the world that we jointly created, is so rich, it’s so deep, and it has that fanatical following that it’s something that still has life in it".
Netflix would no doubt agree. The show is one of its most successful British shows of all time for the best streaming service. Bennett says he's also had conversations about other shows from the same world – including a stage musical, of all things –but they're all very much in the earliest stages of discussion. The Jaq-centred show, on the other hand, seems like a much more solid proposition – so much so that Bennet reckons Netflix "will probably be angry" that he's talked about it.
If you haven't already seen them, all five seasons are streaming on Netflix. The first two Channel 4 ones are labelled Top Boy: Summerhouse and take place before the three Netflix-made seasons, which are just called Top Boy.
I'm pretty sure that as you get into the show you'll find Jaq one of the most compelling characters not just in Top Boy, but in crime drama more widely. Jaq is an interesting and complex character who absolutely steals the final season – which, given the quality of the cast, is some achievement – and who many fans believe played a crucial role in the final episode's shock ending.
