Starting this Sunday, a new series, BOARDWALK EMPIRE begins. I don't know what can be better - 1920's, Prohibition, Atlantic City, gangsters! It is slated to have a 12 episodes this season. From the press release –
“America in 1920: The Great War was over, Wall Street was about to boom and everything was for sale, even the World Series. It was a time of change when women got the vote, broadcast radio began and young people ruled the world.
From Terence Winter, Emmy® Award-winning writer of “The Sopranos” and Academy® Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, BOARDWALK EMPIRE is set in Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition, when the sale of alcohol became illegal throughout the United States. The new HBO drama series kicks off its 12-episode season SUNDAY, SEPT. 19 (9:00-10:15 p.m. ET/PT).
On the beach in southern New Jersey sat Atlantic City, a spectacular resort known as “The World’s Playground,” a place where the rules didn’t apply. Massive hotels lined its famous Boardwalk, which featured nightclubs, amusement piers and entertainment that rivaled Broadway. For a few dollars, a working man could get away and live like a king – legally or illegally.
The undisputed ruler of Atlantic City was the town’s treasurer, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), a political fixer and backroom dealer who was equal parts politician and gangster and equally comfortable in either role. Because of its strategic location on the seaboard, the town was a hub of activity for rum-runners, minutes from Philadelphia, hours from New York City and less than a day’s drive from Chicago. And Nucky Thompson took full advantage.
Along with his brother Elias (Shea Whigham), the town’s sheriff, and a crew of ward bosses and local thugs, Nucky carved out a niche for himself as the man to see for any illegal alcohol. He was an equal-opportunity gangster, doing business with Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg), “Big Jim” Colosimo (Frank Crudele), “Lucky” Luciano (Vincent Piazza) and Al Capone (Stephen Graham).
As BOARDWALK EMPIRE begins, Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), Nucky’s former protégé and driver, returns home from the Great War, eager to get ahead and reclaim his rightful place in Nucky’s organization. But when Jimmy feels things aren’t moving quickly enough, he takes matters into his own hands, forming a deadly alliance with associates of Nucky’s that sets the Feds, led by Agent Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon), on his mentor’s tail. Complicating matters further is Nucky’s burgeoning relationship with Margaret Schroeder (Kelly Macdonald) a woman in an abusive marriage whom he tries to help.
The show also stars Michael Kenneth Williams as Chalky White, leader of the city’s African-American community; Dabney Coleman as Commodore Louis Kaestner, Nucky’s mentor; Paz de la Huerta as Nucky’s girlfriend Lucy; Aleksa Palladino as Angela, Jimmy Darmody’s Bohemian girlfriend and mother of their three-year-old son; Paul Sparks as Mickey Doyle; Anthony Laciura as Eddie Kessler; and Gretchen Mol as Gillian, a local showgirl with whom Nucky shares a long and complicated history.”
Watch this video trailer and you will be absolutely hooked! I didn’t have HBO…until today because I was that excited for this show. Coming from the director of the SOPRANOS and Martin Scorsese, I have no doubt it will be awesome.
I plan on watching this Sunday and will probably post some of my reactions during this week – I don’t know if I plan on doing it on a regular basis or not, but maybe from time to time. Please drop me a line if you watch too and let me know what you think!
Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court
We don't get HBO, so this will be another good series I don't see.
ReplyDeleteLibrarypat: A friend of mine said if you register with HBO, you can watch the shows online...free.
ReplyDeleteHeather I will try to catch this. It's in my backyard and I love Buschemi.
This does look good. No HBO for me though, will have to wait for the season to be released on DVD. However, I may add HBO to my Dishnet once Game of Thrones comes out.
ReplyDeleteLibraryPat & Ibeeeg - I decided to get HBO now because of this show. I was planning on holding out until Game of Thrones came out in the spring, but when I saw this I was like, what is the difference if I add it now or later, except I will haveto wait for this to come out on DVD.
ReplyDeleteJenny Girl - that is true! Hope you see it!