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Godfather of Harlem poster

Shows that feel likeGodfather of Harlem (2019–2025)

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.

If you loved Godfather of Harlem, the closest series we have are Narcos: Mexico (2018), The Penguin (2024) and Banshee (2013). All three share Godfather of Harlem's contemplative and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Mayans M.C. (2018).

★ 8.1 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗4 seasons · Epixcreated by Chris Brancatocontemplativegritty
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Hulu

If Godfather of Harlem hit the spot, these will too

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Narcos: Mexico
2018–2021 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 8.3drama · crimeNetflix

The same hand behind both of them: Chris Brancato

See the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in 1980s Mexico.

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The Penguin
2024 · 1 season · HBO
★ 8.6drama · crimeMax

Both are built on the same subject: crime boss

With the city in peril following the seawall's collapse, Oswald "Oz" Cobb seeks to fill the power vacuum left by the death of Carmine Falcone and finally give his mother Francis the life he's always promised. But first, Oz must confront his enemies and his own demoralizing reputation as "the Penguin."

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Banshee
2013–2016 · 4 seasons · Cinemax
★ 8.4crime · dramaMax

The same preoccupation in both: crime boss

Banshee is an American drama television series set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country and features an enigmatic ex-con posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests.

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Boardwalk Empire
2010–2014 · 5 seasons · HBO
★ 8.5crime · dramaMax

Common ground: mobster

Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition is a place where the rules don't apply. And the man who runs things -- legally and otherwise -- is the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who is equal parts politician and gangster.

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Unbelievable
2019 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 8.3drama · crimeNetflix

The same mix in both: stillness, then grit

After a young woman is accused of lying about a rape, two female detectives investigate a spate of eerily similar attacks.

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Mayans M.C.
2018–2023 · 5 seasons · FX
★ 7.5crime · dramaHulu

Contemplative drama in both cases

Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death, Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Now, EZ must carve out his new identity in a town where he was once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp.

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Black Bird
2022 · 1 season · Apple TV
★ 8.1drama · crimeApple TV+

Both lean on grit more than on crime

As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime.

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El Chema
2016–2017 · 2 seasons · Telemundo
★ 6.9crime · dramaPeacock

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Follow one man's epic journey as he transforms from wily underage drug smuggler to one of the world's most infamous cartel leaders.

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American Crime Story
2016–2021 · 3 seasons · FX
★ 8.4crime · dramaHulu

Gritty crime, and it commits to that

An anthology series centered around some of history's most famous criminal investigations.

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Surviving Escobar - Alias JJ
2017 · 1 season · Caracol TV
★ 7.8drama · crime

Drama of the same temperament

As the Medellín Cartel crumbles, Pablo Escobar's No. 1 hit man struggles to stay alive and gain respect in the prison hierarchy.

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MobLand
2025– · 2 seasons · Paramount+
★ 8.3crime · dramaParamount+

Both play crime straight

Two mob families clash in a war that threatens to topple empires and lives.

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Justified
2010–2015 · 6 seasons · FX
★ 8.6crime · dramaHulu

The same drama instincts

A character drama based on the 2001 Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole." Leonard's tale centers around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky, a quiet but strong-willed official of the law. The tale covers his high-stakes job, as well as his strained relationships with his ex-wife and father.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed series that share Godfather of Harlem’s defining feeling.