Godfather of Harlem
Criminal underworldOrganized crime, gangs and the criminal life seen from the inside.This show: 9/10Period pieceSet meaningfully in a past era.This show: 9/10Antihero leadA protagonist doing bad things you can't stop watching.This show: 8/10Real historyReal historical events and figures woven into the story.This show: 8/10GrittyRaw, unglamorous realism in both look and subject matter.This show: 8/10Graphic violenceExplicit, unflinching violence.This show: 7/10Social commentaryDeliberate critique of how society works.This show: 7/10Morally grayNo clean heroes or villains anywhere in sight.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Forest WhitakerIlfenesh HaderaLucy FryAntoinette Crowe-LegacyErik LaRay HarveyElvis Nolasco
Written by
Chris BrancatoPaul Eckstein
Starring
Forest WhitakerIlfenesh HaderaLucy FryAntoinette Crowe-LegacyErik LaRay HarveyElvis Nolasco
Written by
Chris BrancatoPaul Eckstein
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
Godfather of Harlem Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.3 | |
| S2 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.7 | |
| S3 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.7 | |
| S4 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
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About
"Gangster epic tangled up in civil rights history"
Set in 1960s Harlem, this crime drama follows real-life gangster Bumpy Johnson as he returns from prison to find the Italian mob has carved up his territory. He wages a turf war while brushing up against civil rights history, with figures like Malcolm X woven into the story. The tone is pulpy but ambitious, part gangster epic, part period piece about race and power in America. Forest Whitaker anchors it with real gravity, and the show moves at a brisk, soapy clip that favors momentum over subtlety.
Watch it for
Forest Whitaker's commanding performance as a real-life Harlem crime boss.
Maybe skip if
you want tight, restrained storytelling rather than sprawling, soapy plotting.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
▶
Season 12019
8.08K109h 1m
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Season 22021
8.36K108h 43m
Season 2 finds Bumpy battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s message of black economic nationalism.
▶
Season 32023
8.14K108h 33m
Season Three finds Bumpy Johnson continuing to battle for control of Harlem, with other aspirants to the throne, namely the Cuban Mafia from neighboring Spanish Harlem. Taking on the Cuban mob puts Bumpy, his loved ones, and his community in the crosshairs of not only the rival Italians, but ruthless Latin assassins and, ultimately, the CIA.
▶
Season 42025
7.92K108h 10m
In season 4, Bumpy Johnson continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York's Mafia families, while contending with the arrival of gangster Frank Lucas. After Malcolm X's tragic assassination, Bumpy must also grapple with his daughter Elise's involvement with the Black Panthers.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Forest Whitaker Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
Ilfenesh Hadera Mayme Johnson
Lucy Fry Stella Gigante
Antoinette Crowe-Legacy Elise Johnson
Erik LaRay Harvey Del Chance
Elvis Nolasco Nat Pettigrew
Markuann Smith Junie Byrd
Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent 'Chin' Gigante, Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante
Demi Singleton Margaret Johnson
Giancarlo Esposito Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
Crew
Chris Brancato
Paul Eckstein
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