Godfather of Harlem

Godfather of Harlem is an American crime drama television series which premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix.[1] The series is a prequel to the 2007 film American Gangster,[2] and is written by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and stars Forest Whitaker as 1960s New York City gangster Bumpy Johnson. Whitaker is also executive producer alongside Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, John Ridley and Markuann Smith. Chris Brancato acts as showrunner.

This article is about 2019 American television series. For the 1973 American film known as Godfather of Harlem in the UK, see Black Caesar (film).
Godfather of Harlem
GenreCrime drama
Written by
Starring
Theme music composerMark Isham
Opening theme"Just In Case" by Swizz Beatz
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Chris Brancato
  • Paul Eckstein
  • Forest Whitaker
  • Nina Yang Bongiovi
  • James Acheson
  • John Ridley
  • Markuann Smith
Production location(s)New York City
Camera setupSingle-camera
Production company(s)
  • ABC Signature Studios
  • Significant Productions
  • Chris Brancato Inc.
DistributorDisney–ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original networkEpix
Original releaseSeptember 29, 2019 (2019-09-29) –
present

On February 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[3] On July 20, 2020, it was announced that a docu-series based on the series titled By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem will premiere in late 2020.[4]

Premise

Godfather of Harlem tells the "true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with preacher Malcolm X – catching Malcolm's political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart."[5]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes
No.Title [6]Directed byWritten by [7]Original air date [6]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"By Whatever Means Necessary"John RidleyChris Brancato & Paul EcksteinSeptember 29, 2019 (2019-09-29)N/A
2"The Nitty Gritty"Joe ChappelleChris BrancatoOctober 6, 2019 (2019-10-06)N/A
3"Our Day Will Come"Joe ChappellePaul EcksteinOctober 13, 2019 (2019-10-13)N/A
4"I Am the Greatest"Guillermo NavarroChris BrancatoOctober 20, 2019 (2019-10-20)N/A
5"It's All in the Game"Guillermo NavarroLawrence AndriesOctober 27, 2019 (2019-10-27)N/A
6"Il Canto de Malavita"Tanya HamiltonChris BrancatoNovember 3, 2019 (2019-11-03)N/A
7"Masters of War"Tanya HamiltonZach CaligNovember 10, 2019 (2019-11-10)N/A
8"How I Got Over"Ernest R. DickersonResheida Brady & Mosie VerneauNovember 17, 2019 (2019-11-17)N/A
9"Rent Strike Blues"Ernest R. DickersonChris Brancato & Michael PanesNovember 24, 2019 (2019-11-24)N/A
10"Chickens Come Home to Roost"Joe ChappelleChris BrancatoDecember 1, 2019 (2019-12-01)N/A

Production

Development

On April 25, 2018, it was announced that Epix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes set to premiere in 2019. The series will be written by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein who will also executive produce alongside Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, and Markuann Smith. Brancato will also act as showrunner. Production companies involved with the series include ABC Signature Studios and Significant Productions.[5][8][9]

On June 19, 2018, it was reported that John Ridley would direct the first episode of the series.[10]

On February 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[3]

Casting

Alongside the initial series order announcement, it was confirmed that Forest Whitaker would star in the series as Bumpy Johnson.[5] In September 2018, it was announced that Vincent D'Onofrio, Ilfenesh Hadera, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Nigél Thatch, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucy Fry, and Paul Sorvino had been cast in starring roles.[11][12][13][14][15][16] In October 2018, it was reported that Giancarlo Esposito and Rafi Gavron had joined the cast in a series regular capacity.[17][18] On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Kathrine Narducci had been cast in a recurring role.[19]

Filming

Principal photography for the series reportedly began in September 2018 in New York City.[20]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 95% approval rating with an average rating of 7.58/10, based on 21 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "As sharply dressed as it is smartly written, Godfather of Harlem walks familiar blocks to its own beat and makes a strong first impression."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 71 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]

Cheryl Kahla of The South African said: "The Godfather of Harlem is an excellent example of what modern television is capable of today. Whitaker’s character Bumpy is a drug kingpin but also just a man trying to make sense of the world and connect with his family".[23]

Accolades
Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2020 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Drama Series Godfather of Harlem Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Forest Whitaker Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Giancarlo Esposito Nominated
Nigel Thatch Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Main Title Design Mason Nicoll, Peter Pak, Giovana Pham and Cisco Torres Pending

References
  1. "Video: New Trailer for the EPIX Original Series "Godfather of Harlem" Released". The Futon Critic. June 14, 2019.
  2. "Epix Renews Crime Drama 'Godfather of Harlem' for a Second Season". indiewire.com. February 12, 2020.
  3. "EPIX(R) Renews Critically-Acclaimed Drama Series "Godfather of Harlem" for Season Two". The Futon Critic. February 12, 2020.
  4. "'Godfather Of Harlem'-Inspired Docuseries From Forest Whitaker Set At Epix". deadline.com. July 20, 2020.
  5. Petski, Denise (April 25, 2018). "Forest Whitaker To Topline Straight-To-Series Crime Drama At Epix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  6. "Godfather of Harlem – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  7. "Godfather of Harlem – Episodes". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  8. Otterson, Joe (April 25, 2018). "Forest Whitaker to Star in Epix Drama Series 'Godfather of Harlem'". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  9. Goldberg, Lesley (April 25, 2018). "Forest Whitaker to Star in Epix Straight-to-Series Crime Drama (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (June 19, 2018). "John Ridley To Direct First Episode Of 'Godfather Of Harlem' Epix Crime Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  11. Goldberg, Lesley (September 11, 2018). "Vincent D'Onofrio to Star Opposite Forest Whitaker in Epix's 'Godfather of Harlem' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  12. Petski, Denise (September 12, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Ilfenesh Hadera To Co-Star In Epix Crime Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  13. Petski, Denise (September 19, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Antoinette Crowe-Legacy Joins Forest Whitaker Epix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  14. Petski, Denise (September 21, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Nigél Thatch To Star As Malcolm X In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  15. Petski, Denise (September 26, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Lucy Fry Cast In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  16. Petski, Denise (September 27, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Paul Sorvino To Star In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  17. Andreeva, Nellie (October 2, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Giancarlo Esposito To Star In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  18. Petski, Denise (October 8, 2018). "'A Star Is Born's Rafi Gavron Joins Epix Crime Drama 'Godfather Of Harlem'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  19. Petski, Denise (January 8, 2019). "'Godfather Of Harlem' Casts Kathrine Narducci; Juan Riedinger Joins 'Claws'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  20. Welch, Rebecca (July 18, 2018). "Follow Cynthia Erivo Underground in 'Harriet'". Backstage. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  21. "Godfather of Harlem: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  22. "Godfather of Harlem: Season 1 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  23. Kahla, Cheryl (November 11, 2019). "Godfather of Harlem: In conversation with Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker". thesouthafrican.com.
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