Netflix's The Waterfront Is Based on a True Story—and It's Insane

Created by Kevin Williamson — yes, Scream, Dawson's Creek, The Vampire Diaries Kevin Williamson — the show follows the Buckleys, a tight-knit North Carolina fishing family trying to stay afloat after their patriarch suffers two heart attacks and the business starts collapsing. It sounds like a coastal Succession with shrimp boats, and honestly, that's not far off.

But here's the kicker: it's all loosely based on Williamson's own family.

The character of Harlan Buckley (played by Mindhunter's Holt McCallany) is modeled directly on Williamson's real-life father, Wade — a fisherman who, like Harlan, found himself tempted into some illegal side hustles when the fishing industry dried up in the 1980s. In Wade's case, that meant getting caught in a drug sting and doing time for trying to traffic 20,000 pounds of marijuana.

Williamson told ScreenRant, "He was trying to put me through college… He made a decision. He paid the price. He went to prison."

Wade wasn't exactly Scarface — he was a small piece in a much larger cartel operation. But it was still enough to rattle their entire coastal community.

"They didn't just arrest my dad," Williamson said. "They arrested a whole bunch of people."

And yes, this is the same Kevin Williamson whose career took off writing Scream a few years later. So The Waterfront isn't just some generic Netflix drama — it's a personal tribute to a complicated man, built from memories, mistakes, and one seriously dramatic fishing town.

Holt McCallany said he felt a "real responsibility" stepping into the role, knowing he was playing someone that close to Williamson's heart. And according to early reviews and fan reactions, he nailed it.

Sadly, Wade passed away before filming finished, but Williamson says he would've loved seeing McCallany bring him to life.

"He has that sense of humor my dad had. The dryness. The swagger," Williamson told Tudum. "I think he would be so thrilled."

All eight episodes are streaming now, and The Waterfront is already climbing Netflix's Top 10 — currently sitting at #2. Not bad for a show inspired by a fisherman who just wanted to pay for college and accidentally walked into a cartel bust.