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A new show just dropped on Netflix and it’s already making major waves. The Waterfront premiered on June 19 and has rocketed straight to the top of Netflix’s Top 10. Touted by Variety as a “highly bingeable family soap” and compared by Slate to Yellowstone, the series is packed with small-town power struggles, deep-rooted secrets, and messy family drama. But here’s what really sets it apart: it’s inspired by the real-life story of creator Kevin Williamson.
Yes, that Kevin Williamson—the mind behind Dawson’s Creek and Scream—turned his own upbringing into a gripping TV drama.
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Set in the fictional town of Havenport, North Carolina, The Waterfront follows the Buckley family, once the town’s ruling dynasty thanks to their grip on the fishing industry and restaurant scene. But things are falling apart fast.
Patriarch Harlan (Holt McCallany) is recovering from two heart attacks and it’s up to his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) to hold the business together. Meanwhile, daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist), who’s in addiction recovery and has lost custody of her son, finds herself caught in a complicated romance that could unravel everything.
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As dramatic as that sounds, it’s rooted in truth. Williamson grew up in New Bern, North Carolina, surrounded by the fishing life. “I come from a family of fishermen—not just my dad, but the entire family,” he shares. “Everyone I knew was a fisherman.”
By the 1980s, that old-school fishing life was slipping away and Williamson’s dad made a risky move. He started using his fishing boat to smuggle drugs.
“He was arrested for conspiracy to traffic marijuana—20,000 pounds,” Williamson told Time. “They didn’t just arrest my dad. They arrested a whole bunch of people. It was part of a cartel. They were the low men in the operation.”
“I always told my dad I was going to write the story,” Williamson adds. “He said, ‘Wait until I’m dead.’”
The Waterfront cast also includes Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, Brady Hepner and Topher Grace in a guest role.
All eight episodes are now streaming.
