Godfather of Harlem

Last updated
Godfather of Harlem
Godfather of Harlem logo.jpg
Genre Crime drama
Created by
Written by
  • Chris Brancato
  • Paul Eckstein
  • Moise Verneaux
  • Michael Panes
Starring
Theme music composer Mark Isham
Opening theme"Just In Case"
by Swizz Beatz
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30
Production
Executive producers
  • Chris Brancato
  • Paul Eckstein
  • Forest Whitaker
  • James Acheson
  • John Ridley
  • Markuann Smith
  • Nina Yang Bongiovi
Production location New York City
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time47–60 min
Production companies
Original release
Network
  • Epix (seasons 1–2)
  • MGM+ (season 3–)
ReleaseSeptember 29, 2019 (2019-09-29) 
present

Godfather of Harlem is an American crime drama television series that premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix. [1] The series 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. On February 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season; which premiered on April 18, 2021. On January 13, 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on January 15, 2023, on the rebranded MGM+. On November 29, 2023, the series was renewed for a fourth season. [2]

Contents

A docu-series based on the series titled By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem and directed by Keith McQuirter premiered on November 8, 2020. [3] [4]

Premise

Godfather of Harlem tells the fictionalised 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 battle, he forms an alliance with Muslim minister 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

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1 10September 29, 2019 (2019-09-29)December 1, 2019 (2019-12-01) Epix
2 10April 18, 2021 (2021-04-18)August 29, 2021 (2021-08-29)
3 10January 15, 2023 (2023-01-15)March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26) MGM+

Season 1 (2019)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"By Whatever Means Necessary" John Ridley Chris Brancato & Paul Eckstein September 29, 2019 (2019-09-29)
22"The Nitty Gritty" Joe Chappelle Chris BrancatoOctober 6, 2019 (2019-10-06)
33"Our Day Will Come"Joe ChappellePaul EcksteinOctober 13, 2019 (2019-10-13)
44"I Am the Greatest" Guillermo Navarro Chris BrancatoOctober 20, 2019 (2019-10-20)
55"It's All in the Game"Guillermo NavarroLawrence AndriesOctober 27, 2019 (2019-10-27)
66"Il Canto de Malavita" Tanya Hamilton Chris BrancatoNovember 3, 2019 (2019-11-03)
77"Masters of War"Tanya HamiltonZach CaligNovember 10, 2019 (2019-11-10)
88"How I Got Over"Ernest R. DickersonResheida Brady & Mosie VerneauNovember 17, 2019 (2019-11-17)
99"Rent Strike Blues"Ernest R. DickersonChris Brancato & Michael Panes November 24, 2019 (2019-11-24)
1010"Chickens Come Home to Roost"Joe ChappelleChris BrancatoDecember 1, 2019 (2019-12-01)

Season 2 (2021)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
111"The French Connection"Joe ChappelleChris BrancatoApril 18, 2021 (2021-04-18)
122"Sting Like a Bee"Guillermo NavarroChris Brancato & Michael PanesApril 25, 2021 (2021-04-25)
133"The Fruit Stand Riot"Guillermo NavarroChris Brancato & Paul EcksteinMay 2, 2021 (2021-05-02)
144"The Geechee"Joe ChappelleHeather Mitchell, Chris Brancato & Michael PanesMay 9, 2021 (2021-05-09)
155"It's a Small World After All"Guillermo NavarroMatthew NewmanMay 16, 2021 (2021-05-16)
166"The Ballot or the Bullet"Marisol AdlerChris Brancato & Michael PanesMay 23, 2021 (2021-05-23)
177"Man of the Year"Guillermo NavarroHeather Mitchell, Chris Brancato & Michael PanesAugust 8, 2021 (2021-08-08)
188"Ten Harlems"Joe ChappelleResheida Brady & Zach CaligAugust 15, 2021 (2021-08-15)
199"Bonanno Split"Carl SeatonChris Brancato & Moise VerneauAugust 22, 2021 (2021-08-22)
2010"The Hate That Hate Produced"Joe ChappelleChris Brancato & Michael PanesAugust 29, 2021 (2021-08-29)

Season 3 (2023)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title [6] Directed byWritten by [7] Original air date [6]
211"The Negro in White America"Joe ChappelleChris Brancato & Michael PanesJanuary 15, 2023 (2023-01-15)
222"Alzado"Louis Patrick EmmanuelsChris Brancato & Michael PanesJanuary 22, 2023 (2023-01-22)
233"Mecca"Carl SeatonChris Brancato & Paul EcksteinJanuary 29, 2023 (2023-01-29)
244"Captain Fields"Guillermo NavarroMoises Verneau & Dean ImperialFebruary 5, 2023 (2023-02-05)
255"Angel of Death"Lily MariyeChris Brancato & Michael PanesFebruary 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)
266"Spooks"Guillermo NavarroDean Imperial & Angelica CheriFebruary 26, 2023 (2023-02-26)
277"All Roads Lead to Malcolm"Joe ChappelleChris Brancato & Michael PanesMarch 5, 2023 (2023-03-05)
288"Homeland or Death"Guillermo NavarroMichael Panes & Dean ImperialMarch 12, 2023 (2023-03-12)
299"We Are All Kings"Rob GreenleaChris Brancato & Michael PanesMarch 19, 2023 (2023-03-19)
3010"Our Black Shining Prince"Joe ChappelleChris Brancato & Michael PanesMarch 26, 2023 (2023-03-26)

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 which premiered on April 18, 2021. [11] [12]

On January 13, 2022, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on January 15, 2023. [13] [14]

Casting

Alongside the initial series 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. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] In October 2018, it was reported that Giancarlo Esposito and Rafi Gavron had joined the cast in a series regular capacity. [21] [22] On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Kathrine Narducci had been cast in a recurring role. [23]

For the second season in 2021, Justin Bartha, Annabella Sciorra, Ronald Guttman, Isaach de Bankolé, Method Man, Michael Rispoli and Grace Porter were added to the cast. [24] [25] In May 2021, it was announced that actress Whoopi Goldberg will appear in a guest role. [26] On July 25, Paul Sorvino died shortly before the third season's filming began. [27]

Filming

Principal photography for the series reportedly began in September 2018 in New York City. [28]

Reception

For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating with an average rating of 7.50/10, based on 25 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." [29] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [30]

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". [31]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2019 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Drama Series Godfather of HarlemNominated [32]
2020 Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Drama SeriesGodfather of HarlemNominated [33]
Outstanding Actor, Drama Series Forest Whitaker Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series Giancarlo Esposito Won
Outstanding Directing, Drama SeriesJohn RidleyNominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Drama Series Godfather of HarlemNominated [34]
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 TorresWon [35]
2022 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Drama Series Godfather of HarlemNominated [36]
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Forest Whitaker Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Giancarlo Esposito Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series Carl Seaton (for “The Bonanno Split”)Nominated
2024 Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Drama Chris Brancato & Michael Panes (for "Our Black Shining Prince")Nominated [37]
  1. Credited as ABC Signature Studios through season 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bumpy Johnson</span> African-American mobster (1905–1968)

Ellsworth Raymond "Bumpy" Johnson was an American crime boss in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathrine Narducci</span> American actress

Kathrine Narducci is an American actress, known for her role as Charmaine Bucco, Artie Bucco's wife, on the HBO crime drama series The Sopranos (1999–2007). Her film credits include A Bronx Tale (1993), Chicago Overcoat (2009), Jersey Boys (2014), Bad Education (2019), The Irishman (2019), and Capone (2020).

Chris Brancato is an American television and film writer and producer. Brancato grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and graduated in 1980 from Teaneck High School. He subsequently attended and graduated from Brown University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Fry</span> Australian actress (born 1992)

Lucy Elizabeth Fry is an Australian actress. She is known for portraying Zoey in Lightning Point, Lyla in Mako: Island of Secrets, and Lissa Dragomir in the film Vampire Academy. Fry was also cast in Hulu's eight part miniseries 11.22.63 as Marina Oswald, wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, and played the lead in the 2016 Australian horror television series Wolf Creek and Tikka in the 2017 Netflix film Bright. Since 2019, she has portrayed Stella Gigante in the Epix series Godfather of Harlem.

<i>Graves</i> (TV series) American comedy television series

Graves is an American comedy television series, created by Joshua Michael Stern, that premiered on October 16, 2016, on Epix. The series stars Nick Nolte as the eponymous Richard Graves, a former President of the United States attempting to make amends for the mistakes he made in office. After two seasons, it was cancelled by Epix in 2017.

<i>StartUp</i> (TV series) American TV Series

StartUp is an American crime drama television series created by Ben Ketai that premiered on September 6, 2016 on Crackle. It stars Adam Brody, Martin Freeman, Edi Gathegi, Otmara Marrero, Ron Perlman, Mira Sorvino, and Addison Timlin. On November 15, 2017, it was renewed for a third season which was released on November 1, 2018. The show was not renewed for a fourth season.

<i>Get Shorty</i> (TV series) American comedy-drama television series

Get Shorty is an American comedy-drama television series, based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. Created by Davey Holmes, it premiered on August 13, 2017, on Epix. It stars Chris O'Dowd, Ray Romano, Sean Bridgers, Carolyn Dodd, Lidia Porto, Goya Robles, Megan Stevenson, Lucy Walters, and Sarah Stiles. It has aired for three seasons, consisting of twenty-seven episodes. In December 2018, it was renewed for a third season, which began airing on October 6, 2019. Although no further seasons have been commissioned, MGM+ has not officially cancelled the show.

<i>Condor</i> (TV series) 2018 American thriller television series

Condor is an American thriller television series based on the novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady and its 1975 film adaptation Three Days of the Condor written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel. The series stars Max Irons. The series was created by Todd Katzberg, Jason Smilovic, and Ken Robinson and premiered on June 6, 2018 on Audience. In July 2018, the series had been renewed for a second season, although in January 2020, Audience announced it would be ending operations in its current format. The second season, already filmed at the time of the announcement, premiered on June 9, 2020, on C More and RTÉ2. In December 2020, its existing two seasons were picked up by Epix. They began premiering the second season on November 7, 2021.

The 2018–19 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2018 to August 2019. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2017–18 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Whitaker filmography</span> List of films

Forest Whitaker is an American actor, producer and director.

<i>Pennyworth</i> (TV series) American crime drama television series

Pennyworth, marketed as Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler for its third season, is an American television series that premiered on July 28, 2019, on Epix, based on DC Comics' Batman character of the same name. The series was developed for television and is executive produced by Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, and stars Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth, a younger version of the iteration of the character previously portrayed by Sean Pertwee in Heller's and Cannon's Fox series Gotham (2014–2019), with the series serving as a prequel to both Gotham, and V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, and Tony Weare. Ben Aldridge, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Ryan Fletcher, Dorothy Atkinson, Emma Paetz, Paloma Faith, Polly Walker, James Purefoy, and Jason Flemyng also star.

<i>Perpetual Grace, LTD</i> American TV series or program

Perpetual Grace, LTD is an American neo-noir thriller television series that premiered on Epix on June 2, 2019.

Nigél Thatch is an American actor. He played Malcolm X in the first two seasons of the Epix television series Godfather of Harlem and was nominated for a best supporting actor award at the 51st NAACP Image Awards for the role. He also portrayed Malcolm X in the 2014 film Selma.

<i>Bridge and Tunnel</i> (TV series) American comedy drama television series

Bridge and Tunnel is an American comedy drama television series written, directed and produced by Edward Burns for Epix. The first season consists of 6 episodes and premiered on January 24, 2021. In July 2021, the series was renewed for a second season. In September 2022, the series was canceled after two seasons.

<i>Chapelwaite</i> American horror television series

Chapelwaite is an American horror television series based on the short story Jerusalem's Lot by author Stephen King. It was written by Peter and Jason Filardi, and premiered on Epix on August 22, 2021 and concluded on October 31, 2021. In February 2022, the series was initially renewed for a second season, however, in November 2023, it was announced that MGM+ had decided to no longer move forward with a second season.

The 2022–23 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2022 to August 2023. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2021–22 television season. The schedule was affected by strikes undertaken by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, marking the first television season since the 1959–60 season that was affected by two simultaneous strikes; however because the strikes commenced in May and July, respectively, programming impacts on the 2022–23 season itself were limited in comparison to previous television seasons affected by Hollywood labor disputes as the next season was affected even more.

The 2021–22 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2021 to August 2022. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2020–21 television season.

<i>Billy the Kid</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Billy the Kid is an American Western drama television series created by Michael Hirst set in the 19th-century American Old West. It stars Tom Blyth as outlaw and gunfighter Billy the Kid. The series premiered on Epix on April 24, 2022. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a second season split into two parts. Part one premiered on the rebranded MGM+ on October 15, 2023, with part two set to premiere on June 2, 2024.

References

  1. "Video: New Trailer for the EPIX Original Series "Godfather of Harlem" Released" (Press release). Epix. June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019 via The Futon Critic.
  2. Campione, Katie (2023-11-29). "'Godfather Of Harlem' Renewed For Season 4 At MGM+". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  3. Petski, Denise (July 20, 2020). "'Godfather Of Harlem'-Inspired Docuseries From Forest Whitaker Set At Epix". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  4. "EPIX(R) Sets Premiere Date for Docuseries "By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem"" (Press release). Epix. October 8, 2020 via The Futon Critic.
  5. 1 2 3 Petski, Denise (April 25, 2018). "Forest Whitaker To Topline Straight-To-Series Crime Drama At Epix". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Shows A-Z – Godfather of Harlem on Epix". The Futon Critic . Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  7. "Godfather of Harlem". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  8. Otterson, Joe (April 25, 2018). "Forest Whitaker to Star in Epix Drama Series 'Godfather of Harlem'". Variety . Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. 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 . Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. 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 . Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  11. "EPIX(R) Renews Critically-Acclaimed Drama Series "Godfather of Harlem" for Season Two" (Press release). Epix. February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020 via The Futon Critic.
  12. "Video: EPIX Releases New Full-Length Teaser Trailer for "Godfather of Harlem" Season 2 and Announces Premiere Date of April 18" (Press release). Epix. February 18, 2021 via The Futon Critic.
  13. "'Godfather Of Harlem' Renewed For Season 3 By Epix". deadline.com. January 13, 2022.
  14. "Breaking News - EPIX (Soon to Be MGM+) Presents Season Three of "Godfather of Harlem" Will Premiere January 15" (Press release). The Futon Critic. September 28, 2022 via Epix.
  15. Goldberg, Lesley (September 11, 2018). "Vincent D'Onofrio to Star Opposite Forest Whitaker in Epix's 'Godfather of Harlem' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  16. Petski, Denise (September 12, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Ilfenesh Hadera To Co-Star In Epix Crime Drama". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  17. Petski, Denise (September 19, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Antoinette Crowe-Legacy Joins Forest Whitaker Epix Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  18. Petski, Denise (September 21, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Nigél Thatch To Star As Malcolm X In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  19. Petski, Denise (September 26, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Lucy Fry Cast In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  20. Petski, Denise (September 27, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Paul Sorvino To Star In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  21. Andreeva, Nellie (October 2, 2018). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Giancarlo Esposito To Star In Epix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  22. Petski, Denise (October 8, 2018). "'A Star Is Born's Rafi Gavron Joins Epix Crime Drama 'Godfather Of Harlem'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  23. Petski, Denise (January 8, 2019). "'Godfather Of Harlem' Casts Kathrine Narducci; Juan Riedinger Joins 'Claws'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  24. Del Rosario, Alexandra (March 17, 2021). "'Godfather Of Harlem': Justin Bartha, Annabella Sciorra & Ronald Guttman To Recur In Season 2". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  25. Petski, Denise (January 7, 2021). "'Walker' Casts Rebekah Graf; Grace Porter Joins 'Godfather Of Harlem'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  26. "'Godfather of Harlem' teases Whoopi Goldberg Season 2 role".
  27. Bahr, Lindsey (July 25, 2022). "'Goodfellas,' 'Law & Order' actor Paul Sorvino dies at 83". Associated Press . Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  28. Welch, Rebecca (July 18, 2018). "Follow Cynthia Erivo Underground in 'Harriet'". Backstage . Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  29. "Godfather of Harlem: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  30. "Godfather of Harlem: Season 1 reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  31. Kahla, Cheryl (November 11, 2019). "Godfather of Harlem: In conversation with Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker". thesouthafrican.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  32. Richards, Kimberley (2019-03-31). "50th NAACP Image Awards: Here Are The Winners". HuffPost . Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  33. "Watchmen & Insecure Pace the Black Reel Awards for TV Nominations". Black Reel Awards . June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  34. Howard, Katherine (2020-02-22). "NAACP Image Awards: Lizzo Named Entertainer of the Year; 'Just Mercy,' 'Black-ish' Among Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  35. "2020 Primetime Emmy Awards – Nomination Press Release" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  36. Spivey, Kemberlie (2022-01-19). "2022 NAACP Image Awards Nominations: The Full List". Forbes . Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  37. Pedersen, Erik (February 21, 2024). "Strike-Delayed Writers Guild Awards Nominations Revealed". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.