X
- 2019
- TV-MA
- MGM+
- 2019
- TV-MA
- MGM+
Summary In the 1960s, crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) returns to Harlem after a decade in prison to find it under the control of the Italian mob and becomes friends with Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) this drama from Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein.
Created By: Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein
- 2019
- TV-MA
- MGM+
- 2019
- TV-MA
- MGM+
Godfather of Harlem
Season 1 Premiere: Sep 28, 2019
72
7.1
Where to Watch
Summary In the 1960s, crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) returns to Harlem after a decade in prison to find it under the control of the Italian mob and becomes friends with Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) this drama from Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein.
Created By: Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 Critic Reviews
72
73% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
27% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 Critic Reviews
72
73% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
27% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Godfather of Harlem has a way of sucking viewers into its seductive sphere, where silly asides live comfortably with explosive, gory violence as well as informed dreams of what Harlem might've been like at a pivotal point in history.
It is an ambitious, layered period piece about Harlem in the mid-‘60s that seeks to dramatize the often intersecting movements of the mafia and the battle for civil rights. The Oscar-winning star of “The Last King of Scotland” holds it all together, but this is definitely an ensemble piece, and it’s smart, engaging television that only occasionally falters under the weight of its ambition to tell a few too many stories at once.
Godfather dissects these complicated relationships even as it examines how white supremacy operates within the criminal underworld. Between this thoughtfulness and scenes of intense violence, Brancato and Eckstein sometimes struggle to maintain a consistent tone. Add subplots about Bumpy’s family, crooked cops, the Italians (Paul Sorvino, Vincent D’Onofrio, Chazz Palminteri) and star-crossed love, and episodes can get crowded. Still, the show’s ambition pays off in the rare gangster epic we haven’t seen before.
Whitaker and the rest of the cast are first-rate, but what's most compelling about "Godfather" are its apparent ambitions.
Through his recessive and quiet charisma, [Forest Whitaker] provides the strongest case for the series. The show’s depiction of the Italian mobsters as raffish louts lacks any imagination or real take on the material. (Give them credit, at least, for going with the best: The casting of the likes of Vincent D’Onofrio, Paul Sorvino, and Chazz Palminteri gives scenes that otherwise feel tired a nice patina of quality.)
It’s a promising setup, but the show doesn’t build on it after the opening episode. The story starts to veer off into tangents that are melodramatic (a fairly insipid Romeo and Juliet subplot involving Gigante’s daughter), distractingly implausible (an episode built around attempts to fix a Cassius Clay fight) or both (a family member of Johnson’s caught up in drugs and prostitution).
Despite Bumpy’s higher goals in a series that hones in on issues of the era that were especially of importance to black Americans, ultimately it’s aiming more for popcorn watchability than for Emmys, and can really only be appreciated on those terms.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 28 User Ratings
7.1
75% Positive
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
7% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
18% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 28 User Ratings
7.1
75% Positive
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
7% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
18% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company:
- ABC Signature
- Factory Underground
Initial Release Date: Sep 28, 2019
Number of seasons: 4 Seasons
Rating: TV-MA
Awards
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 12 Nominations
Black Reel Awards for Television
• 1 Win & 10 Nominations
Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)
• 5 Nominations
