Band of Brothers Meets Peaky Blinders: Why SAS: Rogue Heroes Earned a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

What do you get when the intensity of World War II is combined with rebellious soldiers, dark humor, stylish filmmaking and the unmistakable energy of Peaky Blinders? The answer is SAS: Rogue Heroes.

Created by Steven Knight, the series dramatizes the extraordinary true story behind the formation of Britain’s Special Air Service during World War II. It delivers the combat, brotherhood and danger associated with classic war dramas such as Band of Brothers, while giving its characters a swagger and irreverent edge that makes the series stand firmly on its own.

That distinctive combination has earned an exceptional response from critics. SAS: Rogue Heroes currently holds a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes from 24 critic reviews, with both Season 1 and Season 2 also rated at 100%.

Both seasons are available on Prime Video, while the story is set to continue with a third season.

Steven Knight Turns a Remarkable True Story Into Drama

Although Steven Knight is best known for creating Peaky Blinders, his television work extends well beyond the Shelby family. His credits include A Thousand Blows, House of Guinness and All the Light We Cannot See.

Among them, SAS: Rogue Heroes may be the most natural fit for viewers who enjoyed Peaky Blinders.

The series is based on Ben Macintyre’s 2016 book SAS: Rogue Heroes and explores the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the creation of the Special Air Service during World War II.

The story begins in Cairo during the North Africa campaign, where David Stirling, played by Connor Swindells, develops the idea for an unconventional commando unit. Jack O’Connell portrays Paddy Mayne, one of the central figures in the SAS story.

Season 1 introduces the unusual group of soldiers who become part of the fledgling unit, while Season 2 moves the action to Italy and expands the story as the men face new challenges and mounting pressure.

Rather than focusing solely on military operations, the series gives equal attention to the personalities, friendships, rivalries and ambitions that shape these soldiers.

Why Peaky Blinders Fans May Feel at Home

The connection between SAS: Rogue Heroes and Peaky Blinders goes beyond the fact that both were created by Steven Knight.

Both shows are driven by memorable characters who can be charismatic and intelligent one moment, reckless and deeply flawed the next. Their relationships and personalities often create as much tension as the circumstances around them.

That is especially true in SAS: Rogue Heroes.

The soldiers are not portrayed as perfectly disciplined figures who simply follow orders. They frequently challenge authority and conventional military thinking. Their courage is matched by recklessness, while loyalty exists alongside volatile and sometimes self-destructive behavior.

This gives the series a looser, more unpredictable feel than a traditional historical military drama.

There is, however, an important distinction. Peaky Blinders follows criminals whose actions frequently put innocent people at risk, whereas SAS: Rogue Heroes centers on soldiers fighting as part of the Allied war effort.

The moral framework is therefore very different, even though both shows share an interest in rebellious personalities, sharp exchanges and characters who refuse to fit neatly into the rules around them.

A World War II Drama That Refuses to Feel Conventional

One of the series’ biggest strengths is its distinctive visual and narrative energy.

SAS: Rogue Heroes does not approach every moment as a solemn historical reconstruction. Action, humor, music, editing and character-driven scenes are woven together to create a fast-moving rhythm.

That style will be familiar to Peaky Blinders fans, where the atmosphere surrounding a confrontation can be just as important as the dialogue itself.

SAS: Rogue Heroes applies that same philosophy to its wartime setting.

Major military developments unfold alongside smaller moments between the soldiers. The tone can shift from danger to humor and back again, while the focus remains firmly on the people at the center of the story.

That balance also keeps the series from feeling like a history lesson. Even when the action temporarily moves away from combat, the characters and their relationships continue to push the story forward.

Why This Acclaimed Series Has Been Easy to Overlook

Despite its perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores, SAS: Rogue Heroes has not always been the easiest series for viewers to follow.

Part of the reason is its complicated streaming history.

The show originally aired on BBC One in the UK. In the United States, Season 1 was released on Epix, while Season 2 later arrived on MGM+. For viewers who discovered the first season, the change in platforms made finding the continuation of the story less straightforward.

That situation is now considerably simpler for viewers with Prime Video. Rotten Tomatoes lists Prime Video among the places where the series can be watched, while its current ratings show a 100% Tomatometer score across 24 critic reviews.

Season 1 has a 100% score from 18 reviews, while Season 2 also has 100%, based on six reviews.

Of course, a perfect critics’ score does not guarantee that every viewer will respond to the show in the same way. But the consistency of the reviews highlights how successfully the series combines action, humor, historical drama and strong character work.

Season 3 Moves the Story to France

There is also more to come.

Production on Season 3 began in September 2025, with filming taking place in the UK and France. The six-part season moves the story to France in the summer of 1944, as the Allied campaign advances toward the liberation of Western Europe.

Paddy Mayne and the other SAS soldiers will operate behind enemy lines, working alongside the French Resistance and new recruits as they attempt to disrupt German forces.

Jack O’Connell returns as Paddy Mayne, with Sofia Boutella reprising Eve Mansour and Dominic West returning as Dudley Clarke.

The returning cast also includes Theo Barklem-Biggs as Reg Seekings, Corin Silva as Jim Almonds, Jacob Ifan as Pat Riley, Jacob McCarthy as Johnny Cooper, Stuart Campbell as Bill Fraser, Bobby Schofield as Dave Kershaw and Jack Barton as John Tonkin.

New cast members include Lorne MacFadyen, Nick Hargrove, Andrew Dawson and Jake Jarratt. MacFadyen joins the series as Reverend Fraser McLusky, while the new recruits will become involved alongside members of the French and Belgian Maquis.

Steven Knight returns as creator, writer and executive producer, with Stephen Woolfenden directing again. The season is planned as six 60-minute episodes and will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, as well as MGM+ in the United States.

Where Band of Brothers and Peaky Blinders Come Together

The appeal of SAS: Rogue Heroes becomes clearer when the series is placed somewhere between Band of Brothers and Peaky Blinders.

Like Band of Brothers, it explores soldiers confronting combat, fear, loyalty, sacrifice and the demands of military life.

But its other defining influence comes through Steven Knight’s approach to character and style.

The swagger, dark humor, rebellion, sharp exchanges and larger-than-life personalities recall Peaky Blinders, even though the setting and moral landscape are completely different.

The soldiers at the center of SAS: Rogue Heroes are allowed to be complicated. They can be heroic without being flawless, and their victories are accompanied by consequences. Their relationships and rivalries make the historical events feel more personal.

That mixture gives the series an identity that is distinctly its own.

Why the 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Feels Earned

A perfect Rotten Tomatoes score should never be treated as a guarantee that a series will appeal to everyone. In this case, however, the critical response reflects qualities that quickly become apparent once SAS: Rogue Heroes gets underway.

The performances are strong, the characters are memorable and the tone is unusually lively for a World War II drama. Most importantly, the series has a clear understanding of what it wants to be.

It is not attempting to recreate Band of Brothers, nor is it simply Peaky Blinders transplanted into wartime Britain. Instead, it takes elements that audiences may appreciate in both shows and combines them with the remarkable true story of the men who helped establish one of World War II’s most famous special forces units.

Its journey across BBC One, Epix and MGM+ may have contributed to the series being less widely discussed than some of its better-known counterparts. But with the show now available on Prime Video, that barrier is much smaller.

For fans of the character-driven intensity of Band of Brothers or the stylish swagger and dark humor of Peaky Blinders, SAS: Rogue Heroes offers a compelling reason to add another World War II drama to the watchlist.

And with Season 3 taking the story into France in the summer of 1944, there is even more reason to catch up with Paddy Mayne and the Rogue Heroes now.