Godfather of Harlem

Name: Godfather of Harlem
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: 2019-09-29
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Erik LaRay Harvey, Ilfenesh Hadera, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Lucy Fry

2019 | 4 seasons | Drama, Crime

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (8.2 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for crime-drama fans.
The mood: Dark and gritty.
The pace: 4 seasons: a few months of evenings.
What might put you off: Rated TV-MA: meant for adults.

Loosely based on 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 attempts to regain his piece of Harlem.

How it earned its rating

CriticsStrong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes
AudiencesStrong
8.2 out of 10
AwardsSolid
Nominated for 1 WGA Award.
Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 4 seasons and reached a solid audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 616K people sought it out in the past year

Season by season

The show overall is a Saturday Special. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 2 is the high point.

Season 12019 · 10 episodes · 7.2 out of 10
Sunday
Season 22021 · 10 episodes · 7.3 out of 10
Sunday
Season 32023 · 10 episodes · 7.3 out of 10
Sunday
Season 42025 · 10 episodes · 6.0 out of 10
Monday

Trailer

Cast & crew

Created by Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein

Forest WhitakerEllsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
Erik LaRay HarveyDelbert C. 'Del' Chance
Ilfenesh HaderaMayme Johnson
Antoinette Crowe-LegacyElise Johnson
Lucy FryStella Gigante
Michael Raymond-JamesJoe Colombo