--- description: In 'Godfather of Harlem,' premiering Sept. 29, Forest Whitaker stars as Bumpy Johnson, a real-life crime boss who ruled Harlem. title: 'Godfather of Harlem' Is the Rare Gangster Epic With Something New to Say image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f985fdb0a815200/698a03358fd2ee656a360220/powell_johnson_malcolm.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Godfather of Harlem_ Is the Rare Gangster Epic With Something New to Say  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic Sep 26, 2019 10:11 AM CUT  Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch), "Bumpy" Johnson (Forest Whitaker), and Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Giancarlo Esposito) come together. Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch), "Bumpy" Johnson (Forest Whitaker), and Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Giancarlo Esposito) come together.Photo Courtesy David Lee/EPIX  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic Sep 26, 2019 10:11 AM CUT Sometime between the release of Howard Hawks’ _Scarface_ in 1932 and _The Sopranos_‘ finale 75 years later, the mafioso became a quintessential American archetype: an outsider with no traditional path to wealth who seeks his fortune through violence. Al Capone and Lucky Luciano have retained their mythical status decades after their deaths. Yet Bumpy Johnson, a black crime boss who ruled Harlem in the mid–20th century–a pivotal era for both organized crime and race relations–has remained a relatively obscure figure in pop culture. With _Godfather of Harlem_, premiering Sept. 29 on Epix, creators Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein (_Narcos_) team up with executive producer and star [Forest Whitaker](https://time.com/4343256/un-world-humanitarian-summit-education/ "undefined") to give this story the deep dive it deserves. Set near the end of Johnson’s life, it opens in 1963, with his release from Alcatraz after 11 years behind bars. Back home, he finds Harlem changed. Young kids have risen in the ranks. The Italians are making a play for his turf. Before Bumpy gets the chance to take his proverbial coat off, everybody wants something from him. That includes the leaders of a civil rights movement that’s starting to gain ground. Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch, reprising his [_Selma_](https://time.com/3651009/review-selma-1965-2014/ "undefined") role) and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Giancarlo Esposito, smartly cast) aren’t just part of the 1960s setting; along with Bumpy, they represent divergent paths to influence for black men in a racist society. While Powell used politics and Christian faith to effect change, Malcolm X embraced Islam and activism. Johnson, whom Whitaker plays with quiet gravitas, was known for charity as well as brutality. But he got rich off the very drugs Malcolm X viewed as a scourge on the black community. Far from a mindless shoot-’em-up–though it can get bloody–_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. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5686824/godfather-of-harlem-review/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5686824/godfather-of-harlem-review/"},"headline":"Godfather of Harlem Is the Rare Gangster Epic With Something New to Say","datePublished":"2019-09-26T10:11:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T07:26:58.528Z","description":"In 'Godfather of Harlem,' premiering Sept. 29, Forest Whitaker stars as Bumpy Johnson, a real-life crime boss who ruled Harlem.","url":"https://time.com/5686824/godfather-of-harlem-review/","keywords":["Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f985fdb0a815200/698a03358fd2ee656a360220/powell_johnson_malcolm.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Judy Berman","jobTitle":"TV Critic","url":"https://time.com/author/judy-berman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f985fdb0a815200/698a03358fd2ee656a360220/powell_johnson_malcolm.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Godfather of Harlem Season 1 Episode 103: Our Day Will Come","caption":"Godfather of Harlem","creditText":"Photo Courtesy David Lee/EPIX","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5686824/godfather-of-harlem-review/","name":"Godfather of Harlem Is the Rare Gangster Epic With Something New to Say"}}]}] ```