Scripted series · Epix
Godfather of Harlem
Harlem is mine.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Forest Whitaker
Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
40 eps
Erik LaRay Harvey
Delbert C. 'Del' Chance
30 eps
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent 'Chin' Gigante
24 eps
Ilfenesh Hadera
Mayme Johnson
40 eps
Antoinette Crowe-Legacy
Elise Johnson
40 eps
Nigel Thatch
Malcolm X
20 eps
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Teddy Greene
10 eps
Lucy Fry
Stella Gigante
40 eps
Giancarlo Esposito
Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
14 eps
Rafi Gavron
Ernie Nuzi
20 eps
Demi Singleton
Margaret Johnson
21 eps
Jason Alan Carvell
Malcolm X
10 eps
Method Man
Sam Christian
3 eps
Deric Augustine
Cassius Clay
3 eps
Whoopi Goldberg
Miss Willa
5 eps
Annabella Sciorra
Fay Bonnano
2 eps
Grace Porter
Betty Shabazz
11 eps
Hank Strong
Big Dick Buster
2 eps
Markuann Smith
Junie Byrd
28 eps
Luis Guzmán
Alejandro 'El Guapo' Villabuena
3 eps
Roslyn Ruff
Delia Greene
6 eps
Afi Bijou
Sister Marny
11 eps
Tramell Tillman
Bobby Robinson
6 eps
Marie Rose Baramo
Guapo's Girl
2 eps
Korey Jackson
Livingston Wingate
9 eps
Clifton Davis
Honorable Elijah Muhammad
3 eps
Patricia R. Floyd
Esther James
2 eps
Rony Clanton
Cecil
2 eps
Michael Raymond-James
Joe Colombo
20 eps
Justin Bartha
Robert Morgenthau
2 eps
Ralph Brown
President Lyndon Johnson
2 eps
Peter Francis James
Archie Gaines
4 eps
Maurice Jones
Captain Omar
9 eps
Arthur J. Nascarella
Carlo Gambino
9 eps
Louis Vanaria
Lombardi
3 eps
Paul Sorvino
Frank Costello
13 eps
Kathrine Narducci
Olympia Gigante
15 eps
Bo Dietl
Thomas Lucchese
8 eps
Michael Early
Brother Dayton
4 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Godfather of Harlem actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Godfather of Harlem reads strongest on Character Depth, Emotional Weight and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
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.
The run
Seasons
4 seasons · 40 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
201910 episodes
6.9IMDbBest episode · S01E07 Masters of War
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
202110 episodes
6.9IMDbSeason 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.
Best episode · S02E09 The Bonanno Split
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
202310 episodes
7.1IMDbSeason 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.
Best episode · S03E10 Our Black Shining Prince
Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
202510 episodes
5.5IMDbIn 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.
Best episode · S04E06 The Visit
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S02E09
The Bonanno Split
Bumpy Johnson must protect the Italian mob when Joseph Bonanno decides to abolish the Commission; captain Omar takes his campaign against Malcolm X to a new level.
S03E10
Our Black Shining Prince
Bumpy and Chin enlist Morgenthau's help to prevent Colombo and Battle from bringing in a shipment of heroin, guns, and cocaine. Stella must choose between Colombo and her father.
- Directed by Joe Chappelle
- Written by Michael Panes, Chris Brancato
S03E08
Homeland or Death
Bumpy uncovers a CIA plot to assassinate Malcolm X and Che Guevara at the United Nations. Malcolm writes his autobiography. Olympia utilizes Father Louis to get out of trouble.
- Directed by Guillermo Navarro
- Written by Michael Panes, Dean Imperial
S01E07
Masters of War
Striking back at the Italians, Bumpy exploits Chin's dark past. Mayme and Elise put aside their differences and Bumpy sees his wife and children reunited before his war explodes.
S03E07
All Roads Lead to Malcolm
When Battle's arrested, Bumpy must find a way to spring him and find the mole. Bumpy discovers that Malcolm X has more enemies than they thought.
- Directed by Joe Chappelle
- Written by Michael Panes, Chris Brancato
S01E08
How I Got Over
Chin and Bonnano are at war in Harlem. Mayme asks Bumpy to create a will where Bumpy finds out he and Mayme never formally adopted Margaret. Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. go to D.C. for the March on Washington.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S04E10
Unity Day
S04E09
Black and White
S04E08
If We Must Die
S04E07
The Pawn Goes First
S04E06
The Visit
S04E05
Concrete Jungle
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
- Photo unavailable
Paul Eckstein
Creator
- Photo unavailable
Chris Brancato
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Nina Yang Bongiovi
Executive producer
Markuann Smith
Executive producer
James Acheson
Executive producer
Forest Whitaker
Executive producer
Michael Panes
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Moise Verneau
Writer
Benjamin Cavell
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Dean Imperial
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Angelica Chéri
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Tanya Barfield
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Stephen Schiff
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Nina Yang BongioviExecutive Producer
- Markuann SmithExecutive Producer
- James AchesonExecutive Producer
- Paul EcksteinExecutive Producer
- Chris BrancatoExecutive Producer
- Forest WhitakerExecutive Producer
Writing
- Michael PanesWriter
- Moise VerneauWriter
- Benjamin CavellWriter
- Paul EcksteinWriter
- Chris BrancatoWriter
- Dean ImperialWriter
Direction
- Carl SeatonDirector
- Guillermo NavarroDirector
- Lily MariyeDirector
- Rob J. GreenleaDirector
- Jack DonnellyDirector
- Joe ChappelleDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- HuluStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- fuboTVStreaming
- MGM+ Amazon ChannelStreaming
- PhiloStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- MGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelStreaming
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- MGM PlusStreaming
- Spectrum On DemandStreaming
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