Atlantic City, 1920. It is the eve of Prohibition, and Nucky Thompson, County Treasurer, eagerly anticipates the country going dry. Not because he's anti-alcohol himself (though he certainly says the right things in public), but because he's got the right location and all the contacts necessary to become a prime conduit for the illicit booze that's about to come flowing into the country. There is real money to be made, and Thompson intends to make it. Of course, when you deal with criminals, you can expect complications to arise ...
Boardwalk Empire is one of a number of highly-regarded shows about criminals that popped up in the 2008-2010 period, along with Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy. Based on this first season, it deserves the accolades. It's got a great cast (Steve Buscemi is always good value, and while most of the rest of the cast are not as recognisable or as well known, they all know their craft), and the scripts are pretty tight and taut. I could definitely see it spiralling out of control in later seasons but that's not an issue here.
Are there any reasons you might not like the show? Well, it is about some pretty unethical people, and a lot of not very nice things happen. It is also a show set in 1920, so characters express a lot of noxious opinions about race and gender politics. This is not generally the behaviour of characters we are supposed to find sympathetic, but there is quite a bit of it.
This is a good crime drama. I'm looking forward to season two.
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