Epix Greenlights Season Two of ‘Godfather of Harlem’

Epix has renewed its freshman drama series Godfather of Harlem for a second season, the premium network said Wednesday.

The series, which stars Forest Whitaker as infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, will return for a 10-episode sophomore season, with production set to begin in New York later this year, according to Epix.

The series, which chronicles the collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history, was created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein (Narcos).

“Godfather of Harlem season one was a remarkable success, tripling previous viewership numbers for the network and earning acclaim from both critics and viewers alike,” said Michael Wright, Epix president. “We couldn’t wait to reunite with Chris, Paul, Forest and the team at ABC Signature to continue telling this compelling and extremely relevant story.

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.