HBO has moved fast to renew its latest drama series after a hefty audience tuned in to watch premiere on Sunday, Sept. 19.
Most of the cast appeared on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in front of Caesars last Thursday, Sept. 16, for a media photo shoot. The cast later attended the premiere party at Caesars and the after parties at Dusk and One Atlantic.
Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming, has announced that the cable station has renewed its new drama series, Boardwalk Empire, for a second season, following "resounding critical approval and high viewer numbers for the series’ Sept. 19 debut."
“All the ingredients aligned for this one, from Mark Wahlberg and Steve Levinson’s initial pitch, to Martin Scorsese’s enormous contributions as director and executive producer, to the genius of Terry Winter and the expertise of Tim Van Patten, to a stellar cast led by Steve Buscemi,” said Lombardo in a release to the media Tuesday. “The response from the media and our viewers has been nothing short of amazing.”
The show is based on the book of the same name by Atlantic County judge Nelson Johnson and the Prohibition era in 1920 Atlantic City. It is executive produced by Martin Scorsese, show creator Terry Winter, Tim Van Patten, Stephen Levenson and actor Mark Wahlberg.
The Sept. 19 premiere was a resounding success, with "rave reviews and debut ratings that rank among the best in HBO's history," according to Variety, the showbiz industry publication.
A huge audience of 4.8 million people watched the Sunday night premiere, which ran against a big football game featuring the New York Giants and the Indianapolis Colts, more than any other HBO premiere episode in more than five years (since March 21, 2004's debut of Deadwood).
With plays at 9pm, 10:15pm and 11:30pm on Sept. 19., HBO says the debut episode of Boardwalk Empire, which was directed by Scorsese, "was watched by a combined 7.1 million viewers for the night."
According to Variety, HBO spent "millions on a marketing blitz leading up to Sunday's debut," which not only included the wrapping of the Los Angeles HBO office building in Boardwalk Empire ads, huge billboards and signs throughout Atlantic City and print ads, but partnerships with Harrah's Entertainment — which owns four Atlantic City casinos — and the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA).
On the Wednesday before HBO premiered the first episode, a New York City premiere party was held.
The next day, the Atlantic City premiere party was held at Caesars with several cast members in town for photo shoots, interviews, a preview showing of Empire, and two after parties, one at One Atlantic and the other at Caesars' Dusk night club, both attended by most cast members, show crew members, HBO executives, local and regional media and other VIPs.
View a photo gallery from the Atlantic City premiere party here.
See video from the Sunday viewing party at Caesars, which was preceded by a "Conversations and Storytelling" event, organized by Atlantic City Weekly and the ACCVA, along with other partners, which featured a panel discussion on various Atlantic City history topics with local historians. Among the participants in the nearly two-hour event were Vicki Gold Levi, Allen "Boo" Pergament, Pinky Kravitz and Ralph Hunter.
Look inside this week's issue of Atlantic City Weekly for interviews with Vincent Piazza (Lucky Luciano in Empire) and Michael Kenneth Williams (Chalky White in Empire).
"It’s almost foreshadowed in the pilot when Jimmy tells Nucky: 'You can’t be half a gangster anymore,' and I knew that at one point Nucky would cross that line and fully become a gangster."
With the family film Hugo, Martin Scorsese, who is not only one of the world’s finest filmmakers but also a noted film historian and film preservationist, unleashes his devotion to the magic of movies with a zeal that is enchanting.
OK, now that the premiere episode of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire has aired, let’s get to some recent and interesting Web articles and blog posts on the series, its production and its premiere, that have been popping up across the World Wide Web. First up is this blog about the set in Brooklyn where HBO created the [...]
"There have been so many great performances by guys like Stanley Tucci and Andy Garcia. And they play him as this slick guy and you see what he became. And you certainly don’t want to betray the popular image. But through the research you have to kind of work backwards. You have to go back to the beginning and try to understand where he came from and all the events that shaped his life."
Early in the premiere episode of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, a crowd of dapper Atlantic City movers and shakers, partying well into the night in a spiffy supper club, make a familiar countdown, cocktail glasses held high...
By 2000, Hammonton-based historian Nelson Johnson had compiled the first comprehensive history of Atlantic City between two covers, and enlisted the help of two New York literary agents in structuring and marketing the manuscript. His book, called Nucky’s Town (after political boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson), presented a road map through the storied city by the sea, complete with detours, pitfalls, and pockmarks.
As a Boardwalk native and the author of one of A.C.’s definitive history books, curiosity should have long since replaced emotion for Vicki Gold Levi...
Back in the 1920s, A.C. was a hub for all sorts of different nightlife and entertainment, and not just the kind that would be frowned upon by puritan society. There were theaters, amusement parks, music and dance clubs, and some of the biggest names in entertainment appeared regularly or got their career starts on A.C.’s bustling streets.
The free and open-to-the-public AC Weekly partnered event, "Conversations & Storytelling - Plus Viewing Party," will feature a riveting panel discussion and Q&A segment with local historians and Atlantic City experts including Vicki Gold Levi, Allen "Boo" Pergament," Ralph Hunter, Pinky Kravitz, Israel Posner and James Waltzer on Sunday, Sept. 19, with doors opening at 6:30pm.
"My name is Chalky White — go figure that. My character, White, is the unofficial Mayor of Black Atlantic City. I’m only in one scene in the first show, so I can’t say a lot more."
In real life, Nucky Johnson, Atlantic City’s Boardwalk emperor during the 1920s, did eventually marry a former showgirl and actress, a local woman named Flossie Osbeck. But that didn’t happen until one day before Johnson began serving a four-year prison term for tax fraud in 1941. There’s little historical evidence to support the fact that Lucy is patterned after Osbeck.
In the 10th episode of this ongoing web video series, hear the panel of Atlantic City historians tell stories about the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Tune in next Friday, Dec. 10 for part two.
Answer the following trivia questions correctly and be entered to win a large Boardwalk Empire poster. We have two available. Participants must be 18 or older and provide correct e-mail address when answering (in the comments portion below) so we can contact you for shipping of the winnings. OK, here they go: 1. What did Senior Prohibition Agent Nelson Van Alden claim to be the cause of death of his partner Agent Sebso? 2. Which of the following six themes have not yet been presented in the multi-part Atlantic City Weekly web video series "Atlantic City History: Conversations & Storytelling"? The web video series was filmed at Caesars right before the viewing party for the debut episode of HBO's Boardwalk Empire on Sept. 19 and included a panel discussion of the following topics by Atlantic City authors and historians including Vicki Gold Levi, Allen "Boo" Pergament, Ralph Hunter, Jim Waltzer, Pinky Kravitz and Israel Posner. a. "Entertainment & Nightlife" b. "The Boardwalk" c. "Nucky Johnson" d. "Gambling (Legal or Otherwise)" e. "The African American Experience" f. "Sports in AC and Camp Boardwalk" Leave your answers below in the comments portion. Two winners will be contacted....
Here are the Golden Globe nominations for 'Boardwalk Empire,' and what they face as challengers. The Golden Globes will air live on NBC on Jan. 16, 2011 at 8pm.
In the 11th episode of this multi-part series, a distinguished panel of Atlantic City historians and authors continue to discuss the history of Atlantic City's famed Boardwalk.
Brainstorm Digital is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company, with an office in Los Angeles, that specializes in high-quality visual effects, such as those that were used on Boardwalk Empire during the series' first season on HBO last year. ...
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1. American Gaming Guru said... on Sep 22, 2010 at 05:57PM
“The show is great and even greater for AC!”
2. Anonymous said... on Feb 25, 2011 at 06:34PM
“is the Boardwalk done for good? Is the series over or is it returning later in 2011?”
3. Debigirl said... on Mar 26, 2011 at 12:59PM
“One of the best shows in awhile, MORE...MORE...MORE is all I can say”