The Boardwalk of Prohibition…

Boardwalk Empire is a critically acclaimed American period crime drama that aired on HBO from 2010 to 2014. Created by Terence Winter, a Primetime Emmy Award-winning writer best known for The Sopranos, the series draws inspiration from Nelson Johnson’s 2002 nonfiction book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. At its center is the story of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, a fictionalized version of real-life political boss and racketeer Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson.

Set primarily in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, the show blends historical fact with rich storytelling, chronicling the rise of organized crime in the 1920s and early 1930s. Steve Buscemi stars as Nucky, a corrupt county treasurer who operates at the intersection of politics and crime, navigating alliances with gangsters, federal agents, and power-hungry rivals while maintaining a public image as a civic leader. The narrative explores the impact of Prohibition on American society and the complex relationships between money, power, and morality in a city built on vice.

The pilot episode, directed by Martin Scorsese and produced for a then-unprecedented $18 million, set the tone with its sweeping cinematic style. Following strong early buzz, HBO ordered a full season of 12 episodes, launching the show on September 19, 2010. Over the course of five seasons and 56 episodes, Boardwalk Empire earned widespread critical praise for its lavish production design, period authenticity, and nuanced performances — particularly from Buscemi in the lead role.

The series garnered 57 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won 20, including for art direction, costumes, and visual effects. It was twice nominated for Outstanding Drama Series and received the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. Its ensemble cast earned back-to-back Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2012.

In its final season, the story leaps ahead to 1931 as Prohibition draws to a close, bringing Nucky’s arc full circle and offering a somber meditation on legacy, ambition, and the consequences of power.

Boardwalk Empire is the Featured Television Blog of the month for June, you can expect a detailed critique of the series where we look at the Prohibition era and Enoch L. Johnson. There is also a recommendation that includes a look at the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series. There is also a detailed review of the Nelson Johnson book the series is based on. For the interview, Steve Buchemi sits down with CBS Sunday Morning. There is also a Top Ten List, and for Boardwalk Empire, My Top Ten Prohibition Movies. Last but not least, the Featured Television Blog of the month includes an Official Trailer for the featured series!

You can watch the Official Trailer for Boardwalk Empire below:

Boardwalk Empire is available now with a subscription to Max…