“The Waterfront” is the latest crime drama to premiere on Netflix, inspired by the real life of creator Kevin Williamson.
The eight-episode drama follows the Buckley family as they see their business empire crumble in a fictional North Carolina town, leading them to turn to criminal activity to stay afloat. The show is a return to more personal fare for Williamson, having previously filmed the YA drama “Dawson’s Creek” in her home state, drawing on stories from her teenage years.
But this time, “I went crazy with it,” Williamson told TheWrap. “I drew from my dad’s experience growing up. He had a bit of a run-in with the law and drug smuggling when he was younger, so I lived through that. So I fictionalized it.”
“The Waterfront” sees Buckley family patriarch Harlan (Holt McCallany), who has been recovering from two heart attacks, take back control of the family fishing and restaurant business to help his rod (Jake) while they descend into a different kind of fish business – running drugs through their fishing boats for dangerous murders.
In real life, Williamson’s father became a runner for a period in the 1980s, moving drugs as the fishing industry hit the East Coast. He recalled referencing this period in his family’s life on “Dawson’s Creek” when Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) revealed that his father was in prison for conspiracy to traffic marijuana worth more than 20,000 pounds.
“Things were bad. It got tough at times. Bills weren’t getting paid. He made a bad decision and he ended up paying for it,” Williamson said, having previously revealed that his father was in prison while he was in college and released when he graduated.
“The Waterfront” is now streaming on Netflix.
