Set in the 1880s in London's East End, 'A Thousand Blows' is a British drama series that explores the clash between the all-female crime syndicate known as the Forty Elephants and the male-dominated realm of illegal bare-knuckle boxing. The story follows Hezekiah and Alec, two Jamaican friends, as they navigate through criminal activities led by the syndicate's leader, Mary Carr, and the formidable boxing kingpin, Sugar Goodson.