Boardwalk Empire

Did You Know?

• The series was inspired by Nelson Johnson's 2002 non-fiction book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City.
• The series won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2011.
• The final season jumps ahead seven years to 1931 as Prohibition nears its end.

Cast and characters

Steve Buscemi portrays Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic County and its most powerful political figure, who is involved with various mafias and bootlegging operations. Michael Pitt plays James "Jimmy" Darmody, Nucky's former protégé and a World War I veteran who strikes out into organized crime. Kelly Macdonald appears as Margaret Thompson, a young widow who becomes Nucky's mistress and later his wife. Michael Shannon plays Nelson Van Alden, a former Bureau of Prohibition agent who becomes a bootlegger under the alias George Mueller.

Shea Whigham portrays Elias "Eli" Thompson, Nucky's younger brother and sheriff of Atlantic County. Aleksa Palladino plays Angela Darmody, Jimmy's wife. Michael Stuhlbarg appears as Arnold Rothstein, a powerful New York City gangster. Stephen Graham plays Al Capone, a violent Chicago gangster.

Vincent Piazza portrays Charles "Lucky" Luciano, a hot-headed New York gangster. Paz de la Huerta plays Lucy Danziger, Nucky's former mistress. Michael Kenneth Williams appears as Albert "Chalky" White, a powerful African-American gangster in Atlantic City. Anthony Laciura plays Edward Anselm "Eddie" Kessler, Nucky's loyal butler.

Paul Sparks portrays Mieczyslaw "Mickey Doyle" Kuzik, a bootlegger working under Nucky. Dabney Coleman plays Commodore Louis Kaestner, Nucky's mentor and predecessor, loosely based on Louis Kuehnle.

Production

Terence Winter, an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer from The Sopranos, was hired in June 2008 to adapt Nelson Johnson's nonfiction book about Atlantic City. Winter had long wanted to create a series set in the 1920s and focused on the Prohibition section of the book. Martin Scorsese, an Academy Award-winning director, agreed to direct the pilot, his first television directing assignment since 1986. The production built a 300-foot boardwalk in a Brooklyn lot at a cost of $5 million. Despite a reported budget of up to $50 million, the pilot's final budget was $18 million. Scorsese cited HBO's long-form storytelling and character development as reasons for returning to television, praising the network's approach as a new opportunity for storytelling.

Advertising

To promote its second season, HBO paid the MTA $150,000 in September 2011 to run a decorated train of four retired subway cars on weekends. The express service ran between 96th Street and Times Square–42nd Street on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. HBO also funded an Atlantic City beautification project bearing the tag line "Compliments of Nucky Thompson" and covered eastbound tolls into Atlantic City on the AC Expressway for one weekend.

Reception

Boardwalk Empire received critical acclaim throughout its run. The American Film Institute named it one of the 10 best television programs of the year for its first and second seasons. On Metacritic, the first season scored 88 out of 100, the second season 82, the third season 76, the fourth season 77, and the fifth season 83. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received a 94% rating, the second season 91%, the third season 89%, the fourth season 98%, and the fifth season 88%.

Critics praised the show's visual style, period trappings, and ensemble cast. David Hinkley of the New York Daily News awarded the series five stars, calling it a rare treat. Paige Wiser of the Chicago Sun-Times called it an event not to be missed and praised Buscemi's performance. TV Guide's Matt Roush commended the partnership of Scorsese and Winter, calling the show the most enjoyable storytelling HBO had delivered in ages. Variety's Brian Lowry described it as television at its finest, occupying a unique sweet spot for HBO.