Godfather of Harlem

Forest Whitaker plays Bumpy Johnson in Godfather of Harlem, a crime drama built around his return to a neighbourhood whose balance of power has changed. The series places criminal business alongside the public life of 1960s Harlem.

Whitaker gives the lead authority and enough calculation to make a negotiation interesting before it becomes a confrontation. The surrounding historical figures and events broaden the setting, but this remains a fictionalised drama rather than a dependable reconstruction of private meetings.

There is an appealing combination of neighbourhood politics and gangster rivalry. The writing can also lean heavily on dramatic coincidence and familiar power struggles. I did not stay with it, so it is not one I would place ahead of the stronger crime dramas on the site.

If the setting or Whitaker's performance is the main draw, it may still suit you. For a more sustained recommendation about criminal relationships and the difficulty of holding power, start with Gomorrah or The Sopranos.