FX’s Snowfall is a crime drama that explores the devastating impact of drugs on Black communities and the corruption of government institutions. The series follows Franklin Saint (Damson Idris), as they navigate ways to make money selling crack cocaine during the 1980s in South Central Los Angeles. Snowfall is an unflinching look at the origins of one of the most destructive and violent periods of recent American history.
There are several TV series that either explore similar themes to Snowfall, or introduce similar characters. Some series highlight the sheer breadth of the drug trade, and how it extends far beyond America. Other series explore the consequences of characters, either fictional or those based on real people, being involved in the drug trade as it wrecks havoc on communities and individuals. The best series like Snowfall tell nuanced stories about characters who become corrupted by their quest for power.
10
‘Gangs of London’ (2020- )
Gangs of London is a British crime drama that chronicles the power struggles that exist between rival gangs and other criminal organizations in London. The series follows the aftermath of the assassination of Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney), the head of the city’s most powerful crime family. Sean Wallace (Joe Cole), Finn’s son, takes over the family empire and seeks revenge, causing long-standing alliances to be completely upended.
For those who appreciate how Snowfall delves into the mechanics of organized crime, Gangs of London does the same. While Snowfall explores the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles through the eyes of a young drug dealer, and Gangs of London examines the global nature of crime in London, both series highlight the brutality of these worlds, and how these conflicts impact ordinary people. Both shows also feature morally ambiguous and complex characters who cause chaos and destruction.
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‘Queen of the South’ (2016-2021)
Queen of the South introduces Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), a poor woman from Sinaloa, Mexico, who rises to become one of the most powerful drug lords in the world after her boyfriend, a drug trafficker, is murdered. Teresa is forced to flee and fight for survival, eventually navigating the dangerous world of drug cartels in the U.S. and Latin America. She ultimately uses her unique vision to start her own drug distribution business.
Like Snowfall, Queen of the South presents a complex protagonist who seems like someone unlikely to get involved in the global drug trade. Like Franklin Saint in Snowfall, Teresa Mendoza in Queen of the South starts with little but uses her intelligence, grit, and ambition to build a criminal empire. Both Frankin and Teresa have to face the consequences of their actions, and reckon with the fact that their criminal organizations have tangible impacts on entire communities.
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‘Boardwalk Empire’ (2010-2014)
Boardwalk Empire is a crime drama set during the Prohibition era in the 1920s in Atlantic City. The series specifically follows Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), a politically connected and corrupt treasurer who controls the city’s illegal alcohol trade. As Nucky balances his roles as a politician and gangster, he becomes entangled with rival bootleggers, federal agents, and real historical figures like Al Capone (Stephen Graham) and Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza).
Both Snowfall and Boardwalk Empire explore the rise of organized crime in response to major social and economic shifts. Snowfall and Boardwalk Empire feature protagonists who start with ambition and limited power, then evolve into powerful figures who become caught up in bitter rivalries that turn violent. These series both highlight the historical context in which organized crime has always flourished, and how systemic forces and personal ambition have always fueled this underworld.
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‘Ozark’ (2017-2022)
Ozark is a crime drama that follows financial advisor Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), who is forced to relocate his family to the Ozarks after a money-laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes wrong. He quickly set up a larger laundering operation, drawing them deeper into a world of crime, corruption, and danger. The Byrdes become entangled with local criminals, rival cartels, and the FBI as they struggle to survive and maintain some semblance of normalcy.
For those who appreciate Snowfall‘s look at the world of organized crime through the eyes of an ordinary person, Ozark offers a similar experience. Like Franklin Saint in Snowfall, Marty Byrde in Ozark is thrust into the drug trade and must out-think both allies and enemies to stay alive and protect his family. These series both highlight how those involved in a life of crime have their relationships put to the test, since everyone involved is under constant threat.
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‘Godfather of Harlem’ (2019- )
Godfather of Harlem chronicles the true story of Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), a notorious Harlem crime boss who returns home in the early 1960s after a decade in prison to find his neighborhood overrun by the Italian mob. He becomes determined to reclaim his former territory. To do so, he wages a brutal war against a Genovese crime family while navigating the rapidly changing social and political landscape of the Civil Rights era.
Both Snowfall and Godfather of Harlem explore the complexities of crime, race, and power in historically significant periods of American history. The protagonists of Snowfall and Godfather of Harlem use their experience and leadership abilities to build empires within systems designed to work against them. Both series also blend real historical context with intense personal drama, shedding light on how crime intersects with politics, community, and survival.
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‘Narcos’ (2015-2017)
Narcos is a crime drama that follows the rise and fall of some of the most notorious drug cartels in history, beginning with the story of Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura). The series is set in the 1980s and 1990s, and explores Escobar’s violent ascent to power as he builds the Medellín Cartel into a multibillion-dollar empire. Narcos is told from the perspective of cartel members and the DEA agents tasked with bringing them to justice.
Snowfall and Narcos are both examples of series that dive deep into the rise of drug empires and the devastating impact on society. Both series offer compelling and emotionally honest stories about power, corruption, and the socio-political consequences of drug trafficking. Snowfall and Narcos move at a breakneck pace, and feature pointed social commentary about how the drug trade has been able to flourish around the world.
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‘The Sopranos’ (1999-2007)
The Sopranos introduces Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey mob boss, as he struggles to balance the demands of his criminal empire with the pressures of family life and his own declining mental health. After suffering panic attacks, Tony begins therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), where he confronts deep-seated issues and his identity as a husband and father. The Sopranos highlights the realities of mob violence while offering a nuanced portrayal of a man caught between two worlds.
Snowfall and The Sopranos explore the personal and psychological toll of living a life built on crime. Franklin Saint and Tony Soprano are both ambitious, intelligent men who rise to power through illegal means, and pay a steep emotional and moral price. For those drawn to stories where power comes at a steep personal cost, and where crime is portrayed not just as action but as tragedy, The Sopranos paved the way for shows like Snowfall to tell powerful and nuanced stories about the people at the center of the drug trade.
3
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008-2013)
Breaking Bad introduces Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher from New Mexico who becomes the notorious drug kingpin “Heisenberg”. He initially starts cooking methamphetamine after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in an effort to secure his family’s financial future. Breaking Bad follows Walter White’s descent into the criminal underworld, and his transformation from a mild-mannered man trying to survive to a ruthless killer.
Like Snowfall, Breaking Bad peels back the layers of the drug business, and highlights how it’s made up of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. For those who saw Franklin Saint’s arc in Snowfall as a compelling one, Walter White has a similar one in Breaking Bad. These protagonists start off as smart, somewhat sympathetic characters with limited options, and become obsessed with the power that organized crime eventually gives them.
2
‘Power’ (2014-2020)
Power is a crime thriller that introduces James St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) who’s known by his alias “Ghost”. The series chronicles his quest to leave the criminal underworld to start a legitimate business as a nightclub owner. As he tries to leave his life as a kingpin, he faces threats from rival dealers, law enforcement, and those in his inner circle. Power follows St. Patrick as he does everything he can to reconcile his double life.
Snowfall and Power both explore the rise and eventual unraveling of ambitious drug kingpins who try to balance their criminal empires with their complicated personal lives. The protagonists of both series try to build legitimate businesses and find themselves constantly being pulled back into lives of crime. These series both highlight the sacrifices people have to make while pursuing power, and how those who pursue power at any cost ultimately find themselves corrupted by it.
1
‘The Wire’ (2002-2008)
The Wire is a crime drama set in Baltimore, Maryland that explores how different municipal institutions are interconnected. Each season of The Wire focuses on a different part of the city, including the drug trade, the police force, schools, and city hall, and how these institutions are vulnerable to corruption. The series highlights the fact that real people are the ones who are often most impacted by the drug trade, and how ill-equipped institutions are to handle this reality.
For those who appreciate Snowfall‘s exploration of the drug trade from a systemic level, The Wire goes even more in-depth. Both series portray the War on Drugs not just as a criminal issue, but as a cycle tied to failing schools, politics, unions, and journalism. Both Snowfall and The Wire invite viewers to consider how systemic racism, poverty and inequality, and rampant institutional failure have contributed to a crisis that has had massive ramifications for ordinary people.
The Wire
- Release Date
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2002 – 2008-00-00
- Network
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HBO
