Godfather of Harlem
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Godfather of Harlem | |
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File:Godfather of Harlem logo.jpg | |
Genre | Crime drama |
Created by | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Written by | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Starring | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Theme music composer | Mark Isham |
Opening theme | "Just In Case" by Swizz Beatz |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 20 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Production location(s) | New York City |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 47–60 min |
Production company(s) | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
Release | |
Original network | Epix |
Original release | September 29, 2019 present |
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External links | |
[{{#property:P856}} Website] |
Godfather of Harlem is an American crime drama television series which 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.
A docu-series based on the series titled By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem premiered on November 8, 2020.[2][3]
Contents
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 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."[4]
Cast and characters
Main
- Forest Whitaker as Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson
- Nigél Thatch (seasons 1–2) and Jason Alan Carvell (season 3) as Malcolm X, an old friend of Bumpy's and Muslim minister in the Nation of Islam
- Ilfenesh Hadera as Mayme Johnson, Bumpy's wife
- Lucy Fry as Stella Gigante, Vincent's daughter
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Teddy Greene, an aspiring musician and Stella's boyfriend (season 1)
- Rafi Gavron as Ernie Nunzi, a violent associate of Vincent's (seasons 1–2)
- Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Elise Johnson, Bumpy's heroin-addicted daughter-turned Muslim
- Giancarlo Esposito as Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Vincent "The Chin" Gigante
- Erik LaRay Harvey as Del Chance, one of Bumpy's most trusted enforcers (season 2–present; recurring season 1)
- Demi Singleton as Margaret Johnson (season 2–present; recurring season 1)
Recurring
- Paul Sorvino as Frank Costello
- Luis Guzmán as Alejandro "El Guapo" Villabuena, a close friend and associate of Bumpy's (season 1)
- Elvis Nolasco as Nat Pettigrew, Bumpy's other trusted lieutenant
- Roslyn Ruff as Delia Greene
- Rony Clanton as Cecil Bradley
- Afi Bijou as Sister Marny
- Markuann Smith as Junie Byrd
- Dominic Fumusa as Louis Gigante
- Tramell Tillman as Bobby Robinson (season 1)
- Chazz Palminteri as Joe Bonanno
- Kevin Corrigan as Venero Frank "Bennie Eggs" Mangano (seasons 1–2)
- Joanne Kelly as Amy Vanderbilt
- Clifton Davis as Honorable Elijah Muhammad
- Kathrine Narducci as Olympia Gigante
- Ronald Guttman as Jean Jehan (season 2)
- Isaach de Bankolé as Monsieur 98 (season 2)
- Method Man as Sam Christian (season 2)
- Grace Porter as Betty Shabazz (season 2)
- Gino Cafarelli as Fat Gino (season 2)
- Justin Bartha as Robert Morgenthau (season 2)
- Maurice Jones as Captain Omar (season 2)
- Michael Raymond-James as Joe Colombo (season 3)[5]
Guest
- Jazmine Sullivan as Mary Wells (season 1)
- Aloe Blacc as Lionel, a friend of Stella's, who is accidentally killed by Ernie, in a case of mistaken identity (season 1)
- Deric Augustine as Cassius Marcellus Clay (seasons 1–2)
- Sean Allan Krill as Lester Wolff (season 1)
- Steve Vinovich as Senator John McClellan (seasons 1–2)
- Samm Henshaw as Sam Cooke (season 1)
- Ivo Nandi as The Zip (season 1)
- Annabella Sciorra as Fay Bonanno (season 2)
- Michael Rispoli as Joseph Magliocco (season 2)
- Neal Matarazzo as Captain Mills (season 2)
- Marc C. Donovan as Mike Wallace (season 2)
- Whoopi Goldberg as Miss Willa (season 2)
- A$AP Ferg as Reggie (season 2)
Episodes
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Season 1 (2019)
No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "By Whatever Means Necessary" | John Ridley | Chris Brancato & Paul Eckstein | September 29, 2019 |
2 | 2 | "The Nitty Gritty" | Joe Chappelle | Chris Brancato | October 6, 2019 |
3 | 3 | "Our Day Will Come" | Joe Chappelle | Paul Eckstein | October 13, 2019 |
4 | 4 | "I Am the Greatest" | Guillermo Navarro | Chris Brancato | October 20, 2019 |
5 | 5 | "It's All in the Game" | Guillermo Navarro | Lawrence Andries | October 27, 2019 |
6 | 6 | "Il Canto de Malavita" | Tanya Hamilton | Chris Brancato | November 3, 2019 |
7 | 7 | "Masters of War" | Tanya Hamilton | Zach Calig | November 10, 2019 |
8 | 8 | "How I Got Over" | Ernest R. Dickerson | Resheida Brady & Mosie Verneau | November 17, 2019 |
9 | 9 | "Rent Strike Blues" | Ernest R. Dickerson | Chris Brancato & Michael Panes | November 24, 2019 |
10 | 10 | "Chickens Come Home to Roost" | Joe Chappelle | Chris Brancato | December 1, 2019 |
Season 2 (2021)
No. overall |
No. in season |
Title [6] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [6] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | 1 | "The French Connection" | Joe Chappelle | Chris Brancato | April 18, 2021 |
12 | 2 | "Sting Like a Bee" | Guillermo Navarro | Chris Brancato & Michael Panes | April 25, 2021 |
13 | 3 | "The Fruit Stand Riot" | Guillermo Navarro | Chris Brancato & Paul Eckstein | May 2, 2021 |
14 | 4 | "The Geechee" | Joe Chappelle | Heather Mitchell, Chris Brancato & Michael Panes | May 9, 2021 |
15 | 5 | "It's a Small World After All" | Guillermo Navarro | Matthew Newman | May 16, 2021 |
16 | 6 | "The Ballot or the Bullet" | Marisol Adler | Chris Brancato & Michael Panes | May 23, 2021 |
17 | 7 | "Man of the Year" | Guillermo Navarro | Heather Mitchell, Chris Brancato & Michael Panes | August 8, 2021 |
18 | 8 | "Ten Harlems" | Joe Chappelle | Resheida Brady & Zach Calig | August 15, 2021 |
19 | 9 | "Bonanno Split" | Carl Seaton | Chris Brancato & Moise Verneau | August 22, 2021 |
20 | 10 | "The Hate That Hate Produced" | Joe Chappelle | Chris Brancato & Michael Panes | August 29, 2021 |
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.[4][7][8]
On June 19, 2018, it was reported that John Ridley would direct the first episode of the series.[9]
On February 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on April 18, 2021.[10][11]
On January 13, 2022, the series was renewed for a third season.[12]
Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Forest Whitaker would star in the series as Bumpy Johnson.[4] 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.[13][14][15][16][17][18] In October 2018, it was reported that Giancarlo Esposito and Rafi Gavron had joined the cast in a series regular capacity.[19][20] On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Kathrine Narducci had been cast in a recurring role.[21]
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.[22][23] In May 2021, it was announced that actress Whoopi Goldberg will appear in a guest role.[24]
Filming
Principal photography for the series reportedly began in September 2018 in New York City.[25]
Reception
For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 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."[26] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27]
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".[28]
Accolades
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References
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External links
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- Pages with reference errors
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- 2010s American crime drama television series
- 2020s American crime drama television series
- 2010s American black television series
- 2020s American black television series
- 2019 American television series debuts
- English-language television shows
- Epix original programming
- Television series by ABC Signature Studios
- Television series about organized crime
- Works about African-American organized crime
- Works about the American Mafia
- Television shows set in New York City
- Television series set in the 1960s
- Cultural depictions of Malcolm X