Dushane and Sully’s epic comeback was only the beginning. Top Boy made a triumphant return to Netflix with a third series in 2019, six years after the show was canceled by Channel 4.
And now, after multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotly-anticipated fourth season (it’s second as a Netflix Original) is almost upon us!
Top Boy season 4 will follow Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson) as they continue to assemble their drug empire on Summerhouse turf.
Walters shared the first poster for the new season, emblazoned with the words “Loyalty before everything”, on Twitter on 31st January 2022.
His tweet also confirmed the season 4 release date on Netflix.
Alongside Walters, Kano, Little Simz and Michael Ward also star in main roles.
Filmmaker Aneil Karia, who directed three episodes of season 3, teased what to expect in Top Boy season 4.
“I haven’t been on board with series four but I’m still close to everyone in that Top Boy family,” he told NME back in 2021. “I’m good friends with Kano and I speak to Ashley [Walters] as well so I’ve been hearing bits and bobs about it. As a fan, I’m really, really excited to see more. I know that all the old favorites [are back] but there are also some really exciting new characters. It sounds like they’re expanding the world in a really interesting way.”
Read on for everything you need to know about Top Boy’s upcoming series.
Top Boy season 4 release date
Top Boy season 4 will land on Netflix on 18th March 2022.
The new run will consist of eight episodes.
The series’ stars Ashley Walters and Kano (Kane Robinson) previously revealed in a short video that production on season 4 had begun in December 2020.
“Yo people, what you saying? It’s your boy Ashley Walters. I’m not gonna stay here and talk for long, I don’t need to – you know what time it is,” a masked Walters said on set. “You can see the mask, you can see where we are so we’re obviously shooting Top Boy. You asked for it, we gave it to you.”
The camera then spun around to show Kano, who adds: “There you go. Season two, Netflix. Let’s go.”
In 2017, Netflix announced that it would commission two new seasons of Top Boy following Channel 4’s cancellation of the series back in 2013.
Following the first two seasons (now retroactively referred to by the subtitle Summerhouse), series creator Ronan Bennett produced a relaunch of the show picking up after the events of season two and featuring the return of Dushane and company.
Season three was released in September 2019 to critical acclaim.
Top Boy season 4 trailer
A trailer for the fourth season of Top Boy has now been released by Netflix.
The explosive trailer teases the drama to come and Netflix released an official synopsis alongside the video.
It reads: “This season sees Dushane (Walters) on a roll. He won the war against the young pretender Jamie (Ward), leaving his Summerhouse crew unrivaled and making more money than ever.
“Life with Shelley (Ajikawo) is going well too and allows him to dream of a future away from the road. But then a problem from an unexpected quarter arises and threatens to bring it all crashing down.”
Sounds like trouble awaits…
Who is in the cast of Top Boy season 4?
Dushane (played by Ashley Walters), Sully (Kane Robinson), Jamie (Michael Ward) and Shelley (Simbi Ajikawo, also known by her stage name Little Simz), and Jaq (the BAFTA-nominated Jasmine Jobson) are all returning for the show’s fourth run.
Other recurring characters in the Top Boy cast we’ll be seeing again include drug supplier Lizzie (Lisa Dwan), dealer Jaq (Jasmine Jobson) and her sister Lauryn (Saffron Hocking), Jamie’s second in command Kit (Kadeem Ramsay), Amma (Jolade Obasola) and Jamie’s brothers Aaron (Hope Ikpoku) and Stef (Araloylin Oshunremi.)
In addition, Netflix has now confirmed there will be some new faces joining the cast too. Dan Connolly (Harlots) and Howard Charles (Shadow and Bone) are joining the series in recurring roles as Tim Braithwaite and Curtis respectively. Josephine De La Baume (A Very Secret Service), Erin Kellyman (The Green Knight), rap and grime artist ‘NoLay’ (Natalie Athanasiou), and Adwoa Aboah will also be making appearances in season 4, though it’s unclear who they’ll be playing.
Series director Aneil Karia previously told NME that season 4 will expand the world of the show “in a really interesting way”, hinting that some new characters will shake up the show.
“As a fan, I’m really, really excited to see more,” Karia said. “I know that all the old favorites [are back] but there are also some really exciting new characters. It sounds like they’re expanding the world in a really interesting way.”
Where is Top Boy filmed?
While set in Hackney, Top Boy is primarily filmed in Kent (Thanet, Ramsgate). Considering info on season four is scarce, we can only assume a return to the well-established locations, as well as some not used for the series before.
The old Blackfriars Crown Court was hired for the filming of season four, suggesting legal scenes for the upcoming installment. Not good news considering the surprise reveals that Dushane is being investigated by undercover police officers…
Top Boy season 4 spoilers
By the end of the third season, Dushane had proposed a partnership with Jamie, who is now behind bars after taking the fall for a crime he didn’t commit to protecting his family.
Dushane and Sully’s friendship is also fraught due to Dushane framing Jamie’s brothers, so the new partnership could create even more tension between the pair.
It was also revealed that addicts Sarah and Lee were actually undercover agents who are investigating Dushane, so the current top boy will likely feel the heat in season four.
Top Boy’s creator and writer Ronan Bennett has also revealed that future episodes will continue to explore a more sensitive side to Sully, who was left reeling in season three after watching his friend/surrogate son Jason (Ricky Smarts) die in an arson attack.
“Certainly we’re taking that a step further in the new season!” Bennett said of Sully’s newly-glimpsed vulnerability.
Is Top Boy ending after season 4?
Top Boy was resurrected by Netflix for two seasons, with the first being released in late 2019 and the second due later this year.
Given that the streaming service hasn’t explicitly said that season four will be the last, that strongly implies that a fifth season will be commissioned. The other thing to consider is that Netflix has always been hesitant to reveal viewing figures for its content, so we’re yet to know how pleased the streamer is with the most recent outing: season three.
