The Westies TV series premieres on MGM+ with 1980s Irish‑American gang drama

The eight‑episode series The Westies debuted on July 12 2026 on MGM+ with a two‑episode premiere and will run weekly, the third episode airing on July 19. Set in early‑1980s Hell’s Kitchen, the drama follows the real‑life Irish‑American gang known as the Westies as they vie for a share of the Jacob Javits Convention Center construction profits while maintaining a fragile truce with New York’s Italian Mafia families.

The cast includes Oscar‑winner J. K. Simmons as gang boss Eamon Sweeney, Titus Welliver as NYPD officer Glenn Keenan, Tom Brittney as young lieutenant Jimmy Roarke, Jessica Frances Dukes as FBI Agent Birdie Polk, and supporting actors Stanley Morgan, Sarah Bolger, Hamish Allan‑Headley and Allen Leech. The series was co‑created and run by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, filmed in Toronto to recreate 1980s New York, and has received generally positive reviews (≈80 % Rotten Tomatoes, 66 Metacritic). Viewers can watch via MGM+ on Amazon Prime Video or through free‑trial offers from services such as Philo, DIRECTV and Fubo.