American Gangster, a new six-part primetime series premiering Nov. 28 at 10 p.m. on BET, profiles the notorious crime figures Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, "Freeway Ricky" Ross, Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols, Troy and Dino Smith, and the Chambers Brothers.
Narrated by actor Ving Rhames, the show’s intent is to "explore without glorifying and investigate without celebrating these criminal-minded personalities," BET said in a statement. "In the course of each episode, their wrongdoing will be put in the context of black history as we see how their actions both reflected and corrupted the values of their community."
Executive produced by Nelson George and Frank Sinton (Asylum Entertainment), along with Mark Rowland and BET, the series will profile an infamous crime figure each week through the use of archival footage, photographs and interviews with people familiar with the various cases. Featured experts include ex-members of these polarizing criminals' organizations, police officials from the time period, attorneys that represented the criminals and crime historians.
"Crime is a cancer that eats away at our communities," said Reginald Hudlin, BET President of Entertainment. "But for a generation that grew up thinking greed is good -- whether on Wall Street or Martin Luther King Boulevard -- they're not quite so sure whether crime pays or not. We wanted to take an honest look at the criminal life, demystify that world and show what it does to our community."
Narrated by actor Ving Rhames, the show’s intent is to "explore without glorifying and investigate without celebrating these criminal-minded personalities," BET said in a statement. "In the course of each episode, their wrongdoing will be put in the context of black history as we see how their actions both reflected and corrupted the values of their community."
Executive produced by Nelson George and Frank Sinton (Asylum Entertainment), along with Mark Rowland and BET, the series will profile an infamous crime figure each week through the use of archival footage, photographs and interviews with people familiar with the various cases. Featured experts include ex-members of these polarizing criminals' organizations, police officials from the time period, attorneys that represented the criminals and crime historians.
"Crime is a cancer that eats away at our communities," said Reginald Hudlin, BET President of Entertainment. "But for a generation that grew up thinking greed is good -- whether on Wall Street or Martin Luther King Boulevard -- they're not quite so sure whether crime pays or not. We wanted to take an honest look at the criminal life, demystify that world and show what it does to our community."
