Boardwalk Empire (2010– )

Chronicles the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed ruler of Atlantic City, who was equal parts politician and gangster.

Creator:

Terence Winter

Stars:

Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 36 wins & 64 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Steve Buscemi	...	Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Kelly Macdonald	...	Margaret Schroeder (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Michael Shannon	...	Agent Nelson Van Alden (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Shea Whigham	...	Elias 'Eli' Thompson (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Michael Stuhlbarg	...	Arnold Rothstein (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Stephen Graham	...	Al Capone (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Vincent Piazza	...	Lucky Luciano (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Chalky White (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Anthony Laciura	...	Eddie Kessler (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Paul Sparks	...	Mickey Doyle (36 episodes, 2010-2012)
Gretchen Mol	...	Gillian Darmody (33 episodes, 2010-2012)
Jack Huston	...	Richard Harrow (29 episodes, 2010-2012)
Lucy Gallina	...	Emily Schroeder (27 episodes, 2010-2012)
Josie Gallina	...	Emily Schroeder (27 episodes, 2010-2012)
Declan McTigue	...	Teddy Schroeder (26 episodes, 2010-2012)
Rory McTigue	...	Teddy Schroeder (26 episodes, 2010-2012)
Michael Pitt	...	James 'Jimmy' Darmody (24 episodes, 2010-2011)
Aleksa Palladino	...	Angela Darmody (24 episodes, 2010-2011)
Paz de la Huerta	...	Lucy Danziger (24 episodes, 2010-2011)
Dabney Coleman	...	Commodore Louis Kaestner (24 episodes, 2010-2011)
Brady Noon	...	Tommy Darmody (24 episodes, 2010-2012)
Connor Noon	...	Tommy Darmody (24 episodes, 2010-2012)
Charlie Cox	...	Owen Slater (23 episodes, 2011-2012)
Anatol Yusef	...	Meyer Lansky (22 episodes, 2010-2012)
Victor Verhaeghe	...	Ward Boss Fleming (20 episodes, 2010-2012)
Robert Clohessy	...	Ward Boss Neary (17 episodes, 2010-2011)
Kevin O'Rourke	...	Edward Bader (17 episodes, 2010-2012)

Storyline

Set in the Prohibition era of the 1920s Boardwalk Empire is the story of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, the treasurer of Atlantic County, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Due to his relationships with mobsters as well as political contacts, the Federal Government start to take an interest in him. His lavish lifestyle seems at odds with his position, and as well as his connections, there is prolific bootlegging in the area.

---

Plot Keywords:

politician | atlantic city new jersey | gangster | boardwalk | 1920s | 

---

Taglines:

Atlantic City, 1920. When alcohol was outlawed, outlaws became kings.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Carstvo poroka

Filming Locations:

Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Leverage Management, Closest to the Hole Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the period recordings featured in season one of this series can also be found on the compact disc "Whispering: Hits of 1920" released by the Naxos label in 2002.

---

Goofs

Al Capone's son, Sonny, is portrayed as being entirely deaf at the age of 2 years. In real life Sonny contracted an infection that only left him partially deaf and only did so at the age of 7. However, this series is intended to be fictional, but based on real life events. Factual inaccuracies are therefore not considered goofs.

---

Quotes

Lucky Luciano: There's another 50 in the car. They're ingersolls.
Meyer Lansky: I wish you would stop with this. We schlep around with a box of watches, what do we look like?
Lucky Luciano: Fellas who know what time it is.
Meyer Lansky: Might as well set up a pushcart.
Benny Siegel: [comes in, surprised] Arnold Rothstein's here.
Meyer Lansky: We're talking, Benny.
Benny Siegel: Oh. So I should tell him go fuck a duck?
Lucky Luciano: Enough with the crazy shit already, huh?
Meyer Lansky: [glancing at Rothstein through the window] Bring him in before he breaks the house.
[they scramble to look presentable]
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: Brave (2012)

---

Soundtracks

"Straight Up and Down"
Written by Anton Newcombe
Performed by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

User Reviews

TV's best drama that's compelling and informative it shows the early days of America's Playground as it ran with politics, corruption, greed and power struggle!

HBO has once again done it, they are simply the best at putting out provocative, and compelling interesting original series and this time period piece drama "Boardwalk Empire" is clearly a big knockout winner. It's filled with enough drama, intrigue, suspense and complex emotions to make a viewer hooked and addicted to me it's like an early version of "The Sopranos" as producer and creator Terence Winter does a crafty and great job with this new work just the way he did when he wrote for "The Sopranos".

As long before the days of slot machines, Donald Trump, Chinese massage places, street walking hookers, and rundown buildings this period piece shows the real and early days of Atlantic City. Set in 1920's Atlantic City, NJ when Prohibition has just gone into effect this series shows how the city's kings became outlaws. Dealing with the real life Nucky Johnson, yet the series changes the name to Nucky Thompson(played brilliant by veteran Steve Buscemi)who is A.C.'s treasurer and as with any central character Nucky is a complex man. He's a good politician standing for what he believes in, still he's quickly amoral by doing favors and bribes overseeing criminal enterprises and money from booze that's imported with the help of his brother the sheriff. Still Nucky has a soft heart for people in need especially for that of a local lady Margaret Schroeder(played wonderful by Kelly MacDonald)who captures Nucky's fancy with her loving care, a big difference from the hot steamy passion that Nucky has with hot spirited flame Lucy(Paz De la Huerta).

Aside from that a good supporting turn for the series and Nucky is that of hot young buck sidekick and want to be leader Jimmy Darmody(Michael Pitt)who's an aggressive loose cannon kick butt kind of guy. As he skates in the business of battling rivals while trying to impress Nucky with scores and he even brushes in business for Nucky in Chicago and New York as this series even shows the early start of legends Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. As Jimmy's the great wild card of the series a hot headed war war I vet who couldn't be tamed at home by his sexy wife Angela(Aleksa Palladino)as this boy is just a little complex from having a showgirl for a mom Gillian(Gretchen Mol).

And with any early mob drama it's only fitting to have a good guy trying to sort out the mess and bring corruption down well enter federal agent Nelson Van Alden(played with toughness and zeal from Michael Shannon)an intense by the book lawman who's determined as it's always interesting to watch him follow Nucky's dealings and travels.

Overall this now is the best show on TV and only the best in the business HBO could have done it. "Boardwalk Empire" shows the roaring twenties as vibrant and classic meanwhile the life of this place is a violent underworld that had to be in a time of social prosperity and progress that was upstaged by corruption and booze debauchery in the Prohibition era. It's such a historical drama that it's educational really as it shows with it's central character Nucky Thompson life is complex and always temptation will override playing by the book as easy money is the way to live, still when dealing with money, booze, and sex it's tough and violent. Still "Boardwalk Empire" does all of this in such a classic way that's exciting and exhilarating as it's dazzling make it a must see for yourself and toast up and drink up to this it should last a little bit.