Godfather of Harlem

Godfather of Harlem

Godfather of Harlem is an American crime drama television series that premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix. The series is created 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, which premiered on April 13, 2025.

The television documentary series By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem premiered on November 8, 2020.

Premise

Godfather of Harlem

Godfather of Harlem tells the fictionalized 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 cross-hairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart."

Cast and characters

Main

• Forest Whitaker as Ellsworth Raymond "Bumpy" Johnson, a Harlem-based mob boss and the titular "Godfather of Harlem" • Nigél Thatch (seasons 1–2) and Jason Alan Carvell (season 3; guest season 4) as Malcolm X, a Muslim minister in the Nation of Islam and civil rights activist • Ilfenesh Hadera as Mayme Thatcher Johnson, Bumpy's wife • Lucy Fry as Stella Gigante, Vincent's rebellious daughter • Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Teddy Greene (season 1), an aspiring musician and Stella's boyfriend • Rafi Gavron as Ernie Nunzi (seasons 1–2), a violent associate of Vincent's and a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, one of the Five Families • Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Elise Johnson, Bumpy's heroin-addicted daughter-turned Muslim • Giancarlo Esposito as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (season 1; recurring seasons 2–3), a politician who represents Harlem in Congress • Vincent D'Onofrio as Vincent "The Chin" Gigante (seasons 1–2; guest seasons 3–4), the mob boss of the Genovese crime family and Bumpy's main rival • Erik LaRay Harvey as Del Chance (season 2–present; recurring season 1), one of Bumpy's most trusted enforcers • Demi Singleton as Margaret Johnson (season 2; recurring seasons 1, 4; guest season 3), Bumpy's granddaughter • Michael Raymond-James as Joseph Colombo (season 4; recurring season 3), the mob boss of the Colombo crime family, one of the Five Families

Episodes

Season 1 (2019)

<table><thead><tr><th>No. overall</th><th>No. in season</th><th>Title</th><th>Directed by</th><th>Written by</th><th>Original release date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>"By Whatever Means Necessary"</td><td>John Ridley</td><td>Chris Brancato & Paul Eckstein</td><td>September 29, 2019 (2019-09-29)</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>"The Nitty Gritty"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato</td><td>October 6, 2019 (2019-10-06)</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>"Our Day Will Come"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Paul Eckstein</td><td>October 13, 2019 (2019-10-13)</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>4</td><td>"I Am the Greatest"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Chris Brancato</td><td>October 20, 2019 (2019-10-20)</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>5</td><td>"It's All in the Game"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Lawrence Andries</td><td>October 27, 2019 (2019-10-27)</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>6</td><td>"Il Canto de Malavita"</td><td>Tanya Hamilton</td><td>Chris Brancato</td><td>November 3, 2019 (2019-11-03)</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>7</td><td>"Masters of War"</td><td>Tanya Hamilton</td><td>Zach Calig</td><td>November 10, 2019 (2019-11-10)</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>8</td><td>"How I Got Over"</td><td>Ernest R. Dickerson</td><td>Resheida Brady & Mosie Verneau</td><td>November 17, 2019 (2019-11-17)</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>9</td><td>"Rent Strike Blues"</td><td>Ernest R. Dickerson</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>November 24, 2019 (2019-11-24)</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>10</td><td>"Chickens Come Home to Roost"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato</td><td>December 1, 2019 (2019-12-01)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Season 2 (2021)

<table><thead><tr><th>No. overall</th><th>No. in season</th><th>Title</th><th>Directed by</th><th>Written by</th><th>Original release date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>11</td><td>1</td><td>"The French Connection"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato</td><td>April 18, 2021 (2021-04-18)</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>2</td><td>"Sting Like a Bee"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>April 25, 2021 (2021-04-25)</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>3</td><td>"The Fruit Stand Riot"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Chris Brancato & Paul Eckstein</td><td>May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02)</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>4</td><td>"The Geechee"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Heather Mitchell, Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>May 9, 2021 (2021-05-09)</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>5</td><td>"It's a Small World After All"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Matthew Newman</td><td>May 16, 2021 (2021-05-16)</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>6</td><td>"The Ballot or the Bullet"</td><td>Marisol Adler</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>May 23, 2021 (2021-05-23)</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>7</td><td>"Man of the Year"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Heather Mitchell, Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>August 8, 2021 (2021-08-08)</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>8</td><td>"Ten Harlems"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Resheida Brady & Zach Calig</td><td>August 15, 2021 (2021-08-15)</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>9</td><td>"Bonanno Split"</td><td>Carl Seaton</td><td>Chris Brancato & Moise Verneau</td><td>August 22, 2021 (2021-08-22)</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>10</td><td>"The Hate That Hate Produced"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>August 29, 2021 (2021-08-29)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Season 3 (2023)

<table><thead><tr><th>No. overall</th><th>No. in season</th><th>Title</th><th>Directed by</th><th>Written by</th><th>Original release date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>21</td><td>1</td><td>"The Negro in White America"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>January 15, 2023 (2023-01-15)</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>2</td><td>"Alzado"</td><td>Louis Patrick Emmanuels</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>January 22, 2023 (2023-01-22)</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>3</td><td>"Mecca"</td><td>Carl Seaton</td><td>Chris Brancato & Paul Eckstein</td><td>January 29, 2023 (2023-01-29)</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>4</td><td>"Captain Fields"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Moises Verneau & Dean Imperial</td><td>February 5, 2023 (2023-02-05)</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>5</td><td>"Angel of Death"</td><td>Lily Mariye</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>6</td><td>"Spooks"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Dean Imperial & Angelica Cheri</td><td>February 26, 2023 (2023-02-26)</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>7</td><td>"All Roads Lead to Malcolm"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>March 5, 2023 (2023-03-05)</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>8</td><td>"Homeland or Death"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Michael Panes & Dean Imperial</td><td>March 12, 2023 (2023-03-12)</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>9</td><td>"We Are All Kings"</td><td>Rob Greenlea</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>March 19, 2023 (2023-03-19)</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>10</td><td>"Our Black Shining Prince"</td><td>Joe Chappelle</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Season 4 (2025)

<table><thead><tr><th>No. overall</th><th>No. in season</th><th>Title</th><th>Directed by</th><th>Written by</th><th>Original release date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>31</td><td>1</td><td>"New Harlem"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Stephen Schiff</td><td>April 13, 2025 (2025-04-13)</td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>2</td><td>"Country Boy"</td><td>Guillermo Navarro</td><td>Benjamin Cavell</td><td>April 20, 2025 (2025-04-20)</td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>3</td><td>"The Straw Man"</td><td>Lily Mariye</td><td>Tanya Barfield</td><td>April 27, 2025 (2025-04-27)</td></tr><tr><td>34</td><td>4</td><td>"Union Blues"</td><td>Lily Mariye</td><td>Salvatore Stabile</td><td>May 4, 2025 (2025-05-04)</td></tr><tr><td>35</td><td>5</td><td>"Concrete Jungle"</td><td>Rob J. Greenlea</td><td>Benjamin Cavell</td><td>May 11, 2025 (2025-05-11)</td></tr><tr><td>36</td><td>6</td><td>"The Visit"</td><td>Rob J. Greenlea</td><td>Michael Panes</td><td>May 18, 2025 (2025-05-18)</td></tr><tr><td>37</td><td>7</td><td>"The Pawn Goes First"</td><td>Carl Seaton</td><td>Tanya Barfield</td><td>June 1, 2025 (2025-06-01)</td></tr><tr><td>38</td><td>8</td><td>"If We Must Die"</td><td>Carl Seaton</td><td>Stephen Schiff and Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>June 8, 2025 (2025-06-08)</td></tr><tr><td>39</td><td>9</td><td>"Black and White"</td><td>Marisol Adler</td><td>Kyle Hamilton & Angelica Cheri</td><td>June 15, 2025 (2025-06-15)</td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>10</td><td>"Unity Day"</td><td>Marisol Adler</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes</td><td>June 22, 2025 (2025-06-22)</td></tr></tbody></table>

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.

On June 19, 2018, it was reported that John Ridley would direct the first episode of the series. The first season premiered on September 29, 2019.

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 November 29, 2023, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on April 13, 2025.

Casting

Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Forest Whitaker would star in the series as Bumpy Johnson. 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. In October 2018, it was reported that Giancarlo Esposito and Rafi Gavron had joined the cast in a series regular capacity. On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Kathrine Narducci had been cast in a recurring role.

In March 2021, Justin Bartha, Annabella Sciorra, Ronald Guttman, Isaach de Bankolé, Method Man, Michael Rispoli and Grace Porter were announced to have joined the cast for the second season. In May, Whoopi Goldberg was announced to appear in a guest role.

On July 25, 2022, Paul Sorvino died shortly before the third season began production.

In August 2024, Rome Flynn was announced to have joined the cast for the fourth season. In September, Michael Benjamin Washington and Elijah Wright were announced to have joined the cast.

Filming

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

Reception

Critical response

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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 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".

Accolades

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Nominee</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2019</td><td>NAACP Image Awards</td><td>Outstanding Drama Series</td><td>Godfather of Harlem</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>Black Reel Awards for Television</td><td>Outstanding Drama Series</td><td>Godfather of Harlem</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Actor, Drama Series</td><td>Forest Whitaker</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series</td><td>Giancarlo Esposito</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Directing, Drama Series</td><td>John Ridley</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>NAACP Image Awards</td><td>Outstanding Drama Series</td><td>Godfather of Harlem</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series</td><td>Forest Whitaker</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series</td><td>Giancarlo Esposito</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Nigel Thatch</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Primetime Emmy Awards</td><td>Outstanding Main Title Design</td><td>Mason Nicoll, Peter Pak, Giovana Pham and Cisco Torres</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>NAACP Image Awards</td><td>Outstanding Drama Series</td><td>Godfather of Harlem</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series</td><td>Forest Whitaker</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series</td><td>Giancarlo Esposito</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series</td><td>Carl Seaton (for "The Bonanno Split")</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Writers Guild of America Awards</td><td>Episodic Drama</td><td>Chris Brancato & Michael Panes (for "Our Black Shining Prince")</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Docuseries

Godfather of Harlem

A documentary series titled By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem premiered on November 8, 2020, and concluded on November 29, 2020. Directed by Keith McQuirter, the miniseries examines the history of Harlem during the 1960's as depicted during the first season of Godfather of Harlem. McQuirter won the 2021 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture) for his work on the series.