Black Market with Michael K. Williams
In his most personal project to date, Michael K. Williams journeys into the dangerous world of illicit trade.
Main Cast
Michael K. Williamsas Presenter
Episode Guide
Season 1
- Episode 1: New Jersey Drive
Aired: Jul 5, 2016The tradition of joy-riding stolen cars gives rise to an international criminal operation in Newark.
- Episode 2: Illicit Abalone
Aired: Jul 12, 2016For the fishermen of Hout Bay, South Africa the post-Apartheid years have meant less opportunity as they are forced to turn to poaching to survive.
- Episode 3: Iron Pipeline
Aired: Jul 19, 2016Gunrunners move weapons from American states with loose laws to states with stricter ones, in a neverending flow that law enforcement can't seem to stop.
- Episode 4: The Lean Scene
Aired: Jul 26, 2016Across the U.S., a powerful opioid-based cough syrup has become a dangerous pop culture sensation.
- Episode 5: Higher Stakes
Aired: Aug 2, 2016In New York City, an illegal gambling underworld flourishes, but sometimes the largest losers are the ones running the games.
- Episode 6: Lifted in London
Aired: Aug 9, 2016In a vicious cycle of dependency and despair, drug addicts shoplift meat and other everyday items and sell them to cash-strapped Brits struggling to get by in today's UK.
Season 2
- Episode 1: Scam Likely
Aired: Jan 10, 2022Young street genius entrepreneurs have evolved from selling drugs to stealing identities and printing credit cars.
- Episode 2: The Art of Boosting
Aired: Jan 11, 2022Designer clothes are on sale for unbelievably low prices because the only cost is the risk of getting caught boosting.
- Episode 3: Rage Against the Machines
Aired: Jan 24, 2022That hit song or sold out show may not be what it seems. Digital trappers are manipulating streaming platforms to turn nobodies into somebodies.
- Episode 4: Cannabiz
Aired: Jan 31, 2022The wave of cannabis legalizations has deepened divides and complicated the marijuana industry. Corporate weed is thriving but the black market for cannabis still looms large.
- Episode 5: Inside Job: Skin Deep
Aired: Feb 7, 2022Black market beauty enhancement has become a game of Russian roulette for people looking to get big. But in the trans community, the black market might be a life saver.
- Episode 6: Thirst Trap
Aired: Feb 14, 2022Drinking water is so poorly managed that our most basic resource has emerged as a terrifying black market. The stakes are critical, yet for most of us, it's barely on our radar.