If you’re hunting for your next TV obsession, clear your schedule this June. MGM+ is dropping the eight-part gangster series, The Westies – and judging by the first look, it’s going to be unmissable.

Billed as a “gritty and kinetic” crime drama, the series transports viewers to 1980s New York to follow the notorious, real-life Irish-American gang that once ruled Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen.

J.K. Simmons as Eamon Sweeney in The Westies© Brooke Palmer/MGM+
J.K. Simmons stars as Eamon Sweeney in The Westies

I have high expectations for this one, and for good reason. Beyond a compelling cast featuring J.K. Simmons and Downton Abbey’s Allen Leech, the series reunites Narcos creator Chris Brancato with co-creator Michael Panes (Godfather of Harlem).

Keep reading to find out more…

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What to expect from The Westies

The action begins in 1980s New York, when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies’ home turf in Hell’s Kitchen promises a financial windfall.

The synopsis continues: “Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. Allen Leech in a white suit at Downton Abbey premiere© Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Allen Leech playsBrendan Cahill in the series

“But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.”

Who stars in The Westies?

J.K. Simmons leads the cast as Eamon Sweeney, alongside Grantchester’s Tom Brittney as the fiercely loyal James ‘Jimmy’ Roarke, who leads the younger generation of Westies.

He’s joined by Titus Welliver, Jessica Frances Dukes, Stanley Morgan and Sarah Bolger.

Tom Brittney first met Mavis and her family before bringing the story to Corestar Media© PA Images via Getty Images
Tom Brittney plays the fiercely loyal James ‘Jimmy’ Roarke

Meanwhile, Downton Abbey‘s Allen Leech plays Brendan Cahill, a “ruthless IRA cell leader with deep political ambitions that cause him to see every human relationship as either leverage or liability.”

Other cast members include Hamish Allan-Headly (Daredevil: Born Again), Vincent Walsh (The Fall) and Hilary McCormack (Happy Face).

How to watch The Westies

The series will premiere on MGM+ on 12 July.