SerpApi.Org
Titus Welliver's new crime drama is taking over streaming at the right time.
It was recently announced that the long-running crime drama Godfather of Harlem was ending after four seasons, wrapping its MGM+ run with a two-hour finale. But the streamer, which is ultimately owned by Amazon MGM Studios, is already building the genre back up.
That build is closely connected to Welliver, who is linked to two of the crime dramas that will define MGM+. The streamer will soon debut the prequel Bosch: Start of Watch, which will star Cameron Monaghan and focus on the early years of the character that Welliver made famous. He's also one of the leads in The Westies, which is quickly attracting viewers.
Just days after its January 12 debut, The Westies has catapulted to #1 on MGM+ charts in places such as Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Even more impressively, the starry drama has managed to push the breakout horror show From away from the top spot and slide it down to second place.
The Westies is created by Chris Brancato, who also created Netflix's Narcos franchise, and Michael Panes. It dramatizes the real Irish gang of the same name, unfolding in the early 1980s. It looks at how the members of the brutal gang react, just as they might be able to enjoy the promise of a financial windfall tied to the construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Hell’s Kitchen.
But the problem is, to enjoy that potential windfall, they'll have to deal with generational divides that may just pull the gang apart. They also have to maintain a delicate peace with the Italian Mafia’s Five Families, but the Irish group believes they have enough leverage to come on top despite the mounting pressure.
The Westies premiered with two episodes, which introduced viewers to Welliver's portrayal of Glenn Keenan. The cast is likewise headlined by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, Tom Brittney, and Jessica Frances Dukes, with Stanley Morgan, Sarah Bolger, Allen Leech, Hamish Allan-Headley, Vincent Walsh, Hilary McCormack, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, Jeremy Walmsley, and Dylan Taylor also starring.
The true-crime series has already teased the possibility of The Westies season 2. That will be a sure bet, thanks to a hot start, as the audience has picked out the next breakout original that could be synonymous with MGM+.
The Westies streams Sundays on MGM+.
