In the world of television, certain genres are tried and true. Police and hospital procedurals, workplace dramas, and family comedies, for example, have all been iterated countless times since the medium’s inception. Since the early-aughts success of HBO’s “The Sopranos,” the family crime drama has become yet another of these staples, with shows like “Boardwalk Empire,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Narcos,” and “Animal Kingdom” trodding similar territory.
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Now, AMC+ is adding their own contribution to this growing tradition with “Kin,” a Dublin-set gangland saga centering around a fictional crime family called the Kinsellas. After a young boy is killed, the Kinsellas find themselves facing off against an international drug cartel with considerably greater firepower and influence. Aside from London-born leading man Charlie Cox, the cast is led by an impressive coterie of Irish talent, including Maria Doyle Kennedy (“Orphan Black,” “Outlander”) and “Game of Thrones” alums Aidan Gillen and Ciarán Hinds.
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The eight-part series was written and co-created by Peter McKenna, who recently wrote for Netflix’s “The Last Kingdom” (about the 9th century founding of England) and previously penned episodes of the 2015 Irish crime drama “Red Rock.” “Kin” was also co-created by Ciarán Donnelly, best known for his work directing episodes of “Vikings” and “The Tudors.”
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With its dark material and glossy production values, “Kin” seems right at home in a lineup of AMC+ original programming that already includes the British crime drama “Gangs of London” and period spy thriller “Spy City.” These attempts to invest in prestige put AMC+ in competition with big-league premium services like HBO Max and Apple TV+. Whether the streamer can generate the viewership to swim in those waters for long will largely depend on how these shows are received by American audiences.
The US premiere of “Kin” will be available exclusively on AMC+ beginning September 9.
