“Boardwalk Empire” is one of many quality shows developed over the years for HBO. It got off to a hell of a start, but then sadly the show went off the rails a bit in Season Two when they impulsively killed off one of the central characters.
Still, there was much to like about this show that was created by Terence Winter and produced by Martin Scorsese, among others. The show premiered on HBO in 2010 and ran for five seasons, concluding in 2014. We covered it through a blog along with other content you’ll find linked below.
“Boardwalk Empire” is set during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s, primarily in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and revolves around Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (played by Steve Buscemi), a political figure who rises to prominence by controlling the liquor distribution in the city during Prohibition. Nucky’s character is loosely based on Enoch L. Johnson, a real-life political boss, and racketeer. The show meticulously recreates the look and feel of the Roaring Twenties, including the political landscape, social issues, and the clash between law enforcement and organized crime.
The ensemble cast here is excellent, which is what you’d expect from an HBO show. For the most part the writing was excellent as well, but this is also an excample where the studio exceutives should have put their foot down when the writers added a twist that ultimately harmed the show.
Cast Interviews
Aleksa Palladino interview (November 119, 2010)
When we honored the show in our TV Power Rankings, we were afforded the opportunity to speak with Aleksa Palladino, who plays Angela Darmody, Jimmy’s wife on the show.
Series Blog
Boardwalk Empire Blog
Put Martin Scorsese together with Terence Winter (“The Sopranos”) and Steve Buscemi, and you should have had another massive HBO hit on your hands. Of course, until the writers eliminate a critical character for no reason in Season 2. This one lost our interest after a lame third season.
