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Season 1 – The Black Donnellys

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – The Black Donnellys Feb 2007 Crime Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
38% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 100% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
The Donnelly clan - including four Irish brothers - do anything to protect one another. The working-class foursome becomes involved in organized crime around their neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. Forced to grow up fast, their new track in life affects their relationships with friends and family.
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The Black Donnellys — Season 1

The Black Donnellys — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Black Donnellys has Irish swagger to spare and an appealing cast, but the series' overreliance on signature tropes of better mob stories only underscores its lack of authenticity and imagination.

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Critics Reviews

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Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Oct 3, 2018
The Black Donnellys is not top of the world -- sorry, Ma -- or the second coming of The Sopranos. The new drama is old wine poured into fancy, contemporary bottles. Go to Full Review Jim Bawden Toronto Star Oct 2, 2018
We really have nobody to consistently root for. And there's the casting dilemma. The guys are too young and too sexy to be losers. Go to Full Review Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Oct 2, 2018
The Black Donnellys is tripe. Not tripe as in, "I'd recommend a medium-bodied Cab with that," but tripe as in rubbish. Go to Full Review Ed Bark Uncle Barky Oct 2, 2018
A-
Stay with it and you'll get to know one of the season's most compelling new characters. He's Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker), a hurting, harrowing, heart-in-the-right-place anti-hero. Go to Full Review Brice Ezell PopMatters Oct 2, 2018
As a mob tale, it doesn't come close to matching up to the genre's hallmarks. As an angsty drama, it does go overboard sometimes. But the show is incredibly watchable Go to Full Review Marc D. Allan NUVO Newsweekly Oct 2, 2018
Not as good as The Sopranos. Not as psychologically deep or chilling and certainly not as brutal (though it tries). But here's the thing: The Black Donnellys is good. Very, very good. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Biker B @RT65637081 Mar 17, 2025 One of the best TV shows that never made it! Being from NYC and an Irish Catholic this show means more to our people than it's given credit for! See more Mar 10, 2021 I wish there was more than one season. This show had so much potential. But grateful I was introduced to Jonathan Tucker. See more Mar 24, 2019 It might not be the most original story ever, but it delivers in execution. Worst thing about this show was it being cut short and never being able to run itâ??s course except for an online episode to give some kind of closure. See more Read all reviews
The Black Donnellys — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Paul Haggis

Director

Kirk Acevedo

Nicky Cottero

Tom Guiry

Jim Donnelly

Billy Lush

Kevin Donnelly

Keith Nobbs

Joey

Michael Stahl-David

Sean Donnelly

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Feb 26, 2007 Pilot Four working-class Irish-American brothers live by their motto of "family first" despite their involvement with organized crime in New York. Details Episode 2 Aired Mar 5, 2007 A Stone of the Heart As the family learns of Sean's condition, Jimmy impatiently sits in a holding cell; Tommy confides in a longtime childhood friend, which leads to more than friendship. Details Episode 3 Aired Mar 5, 2007 God Is A Comedian Playing To An Audience Afraid To Laugh When Sean loses his health coverage, the hospital moves him to the mental health unit. Details Episode 4 Aired Mar 12, 2007 The World Will Break Your Heart Huey's widow asks Tommy to host the murdered ringleader's wake at the Firecracker; when drug-addled Jimmy appears to pay his respects, it raises Dokey's suspicions that the Donnelly boy killed his brother. Details Episode 5 Aired Mar 19, 2007 Lies Tommy realizes that the new mob boss means business about collecting his debt when he threatens the boys' mother (Kate Mulgrew); Tommy steals a box that Dokey wants. Details Episode 6 Aired Mar 26, 2007 Run Like Hell Tommy involves himself in Jimmy and Kevin's bookmaking scheme when he realizes the guy about to get busted is his friend Maxwell (John Lavelle); Jenny learns about her father's (Kevin Conway) medical condition when the diner receipts go missing. Details Episode 7 Aired Apr 2, 2007 The Only Thing Sure Jimmy and Tommy swap roles when Jimmy paints the bar and protects Sean, while Tommy collects on payments with Kevin; Olivia struggles to keep her family's diner going as she watches over her ailing father. Details Episode 8 Airs undefined In Each One a Savior Tommy helps a woman evict drug dealers from her building; Jimmy demands payment from Jenny and her father; Nicky discovers that Kevin and the Donnellys are behind Louie Downtown's disappearance. Details Episode 9 Airs undefined All of Us Are in the Gutter Huey's widow (Molly Schaffer) helps Tommy get a job at an art studio, as he tries to extricate himself from the business; Nicky decides not to kill Kevin and instead offers the Donnellys a partnership. Details Episode 10 Airs undefined When the Door Opens Dokey asks Tommy and his brothers to clear junkies out of building; Jenny's dad acknowledges his Alzheimer's disease after a misunderstanding leads to a fight; Jimmy goes after Whitey; Tommy sets a building on fire. Details Episode 11 Airs undefined Wasn't That Enough? Reilly asks Tommy for help after he is ordered to vacate his building; while doing research, Tommy finds that his dad was once in a real-estate partnership with Huey and the Italians; Jimmy and Joanie must get rid of Whitey's body. Details Episode 12 Airs undefined The Black Drop Tommy goes after Lino, whom he thinks is the threat to Reilly's diner; the body of Jenny's husband turns up; Dokey humiliates Jimmy; Tommy and Kevin retaliate against Dokey; Helen loosens up and accepts Sam's new girlfriend. Details Episode 13 Airs undefined Easy Is the Way Tommy and Jimmy have their own ideas on how to save the family; Tommy hatches a plan to get the family, Jenny and Joanie out of town; Jimmy and Joey Ice Credam try to blow up Dokey and his thugs; Jenny must sleep with Samson to protect her father. Details

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Season Info

Director
Paul Haggis
Executive Producer
Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco
Network
NBC
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date
Feb 26, 2007
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