Snowfall

Los Angeles. 1983. A storm is coming and its name is crack. Set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we know it, the story follows numerous characters on a violent collision course.

Snowfall (2017-2023) is an American crime drama series created by Eric Amadio, Dave Andron and John Singleton for FX. Damson Idris plays Franklin Saint, a young man in South Central Los Angeles who turns to the street drug trade and climbs the ranks of the crack cocaine market, while Carter Hudson plays Teddy McDonald, a CIA operative whose path crosses his. Angela Lewis plays Louanne Jones-Saint, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta plays Gustavo Zapata, a figure who complicates the criminal landscape. Set in 1980s Los Angeles during the infancy of the crack epidemic, the series follows numerous characters whose lives collide as an illicit market takes hold of their neighborhoods. Its engine is the tension between Franklin's ambition and the loyalties he leaves behind, along with the mounting danger of rival crews and federal scrutiny. The six-season run is a serialized, ensemble-driven story with multiple perspectives, told with a gritty, urgent register that balances violence with moments of family warmth. Its tone is heavy and propulsive, rooted in the textures of a city being reshaped by drugs. Fans of The Wire, Narcos and Power will find resonance in its portrait of institutional pressure, street hustle and a community caught in the storm.

Audiences broadly acclaim Snowfall as a gripping, sprawling crime saga whose 1980s Los Angeles setting and character work carry it through uneven stretches.

• Narcosgritty urban drug trade, violent crime family saga, period setting of rising criminal ambition
• The Wirecrime saga rooted in a specific city and drug economy, prestige crime drama tone
• Powerambitious protagonist rising through criminal enterprise, serialized crime drama with violent stakes

Created by

Eric Amadio, Dave Andron, John Singleton

Release Date

2017-07-05

Episode runtime

48 min

Rating

8.5 / 10 (820)

What is Snowfall about?

A young man's rise through 1980s Los Angeles crack cocaine trade pulls his family and friends into a violent collision course.

What is Snowfall like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Snowfall as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is Snowfall violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in Snowfall as graphic.

What did critics think of Snowfall?

Audiences broadly acclaim Snowfall as a gripping, sprawling crime saga whose 1980s Los Angeles setting and character work carry it through uneven stretches.

Which shows are like Snowfall?

Shows with a similar feel include Narcos, The Wire, and Power.

How long is Snowfall?

Snowfall: 6 seasons, 60 episodes.

Is Snowfall still running?

No, Snowfall has ended.

Where can I watch Snowfall?

In United States, Snowfall streams on Hulu.