Boardwalk Empire (Boardwalk Empire episode)
"Boardwalk Empire" | |
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Boardwalk Empire episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Martin Scorsese |
Written by | Terence Winter |
Cinematography by | Stuart Dryburgh |
Editing by | Sidney Wolinsky |
Original air date | September 19, 2010 |
Running time | 73 minutes[1] |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Boardwalk Empire" is the pilot episode of the
David Hinkley of the New York Daily News awarded the episode five stars, saying, "Watching HBO's new 'Boardwalk Empire' is like sitting in your favorite tavern and hearing someone say, 'Drinks are on the house.' Friends, it doesn't get much better."[4] Paige Wiser of the Chicago Sun-Times called it "... an event not to be missed," and praised Buscemi in particular, calling his performance "fascinating."[5] The episode gained a 2.0/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49 and garnered 4.81 million viewers.[6] This was the highest rated premiere for an HBO series since the pilot of Deadwood in March 2004. Following this successful debut, HBO immediately renewed the series for a second season.[7]
Plot
In 1920, two masked men ambush a group of
The following morning, Jimmy and his
Nucky dines with four major mob figures:
Jimmy, Capone, and an unknown accomplice plot to hijack Rothstein's shipment. The episode returns to the conclusion of the opening robbery, in a montage interspersed with scenes from a comedy routine performed by Eddie Cantor attended by Nucky and his mistress. Capone, startled by a deer, opens fire and he and Jimmy are forced to kill all four of Rothstein's men. At the same time, only three miles away, a team of federal agents raid Mickey's operation. With Eli's help, Nucky deduces that Jimmy had informed on Mickey the day before and therefore must also be involved in the robbery. When confronted, Jimmy admits that he counted on Nucky's forgiveness and again asks for his help with more aggressive criminal enterprises, claiming that violence is all he knows now. Jimmy seals Nucky's complicity by presenting him with a share of the money Capone earned by selling the stolen goods to Torrio and warns Nucky that he can no longer afford to be "half a gangster."
When he learns about Margaret's hospitalization, Nucky has Eli kidnap Hans, who is tied up, taken out to sea where Eli personally beats him to death, and thrown overboard. In Chicago, Colosimo prepares to open his restaurant for lunch and is shot in the back of the head by one of Torrio's associates while listening to his favorite Enrico Caruso record. A radio reports that the police, having found Hans' body in a fisherman's net, have named him as the key suspect in the murder of Rothstein's men, implying that Nucky will continue to protect Jimmy. The episode ends with Nucky delivering flowers to a recovering and now-widowed Margaret.
Production
Development
On why he chose to return to television, Scorsese said "What's happening the past 9 to 10 years, particularly at HBO, is what we had hoped for in the mid-'60s with films being made for television at first. We'd hoped there would be this kind of freedom and also the ability to create another world and create longform characters and story. That didn't happen in the 1970s, 1980s and in the 1990s I think. And of course... HBO is a trailblazer in this. I've been tempted over the years to be involved with them because of the nature of long-form and their development of character and plot."[15] He went on to praise network HBO by saying, "A number of the episodes, in so many of their series, they're thoughtful, intelligent [and] brilliantly put together... It's a new opportunity for storytelling. It's very different from television of the past."[16]
Casting
"Scorsese is an actor magnet," commented Winter. "Everybody wants to work with him. I had all these pictures on my wall and I thought, 'I'd really better write some good stuff for these people.'"[1] In casting the role of Nucky Thompson (based upon real-life Atlantic City political boss Enoch L. Johnson), Winter wanted to stray from the real life Johnson as much as possible. "If we were going to cast accurately what the real Nucky looked like, we'd have cast Jim Gandolfini."[1] The idea of casting Steve Buscemi in the lead role came about when Scorsese mentioned wanting to work with the actor, whom Winter knew well having worked with him on The Sopranos. Winter sent the script out to Buscemi, who responded very enthusiastically. "I just thought, 'Wow. I'm almost sorry I've read this, because if I don't get it, I'm going to be so sad.' My response was 'Terry, I know you're looking at other actors'... and he said, 'No, no, Steve, I said we want you.'"[17] Explained Scorsese, "I love the range he has, his dramatic sense, but also his sense of humor."[17]
The casting of Buscemi was soon followed by
Filming
Filming for the pilot took place at various locations in and around New York City in June 2009.[20] In creating the visual effects for the series, the company turned to Brooklyn-based effects company Brainstorm Digital. Says Glenn Allen, visual effects producer for Boardwalk Empire and co-founder of Brainstorm, "It's our most complex job to date. Everything is HD now, so we have to treat it like a feature film."[21] "Any time you get to work on a period piece, it's more fun," comments visual effects artist Chris "Pinkus" Wesselman, who used archival photographs, postcards, and architectural plans to recreate the Atlantic City boardwalks as accurately as possible. "We got to explore what the old Atlantic City was really like. The piers were one of the toughest parts because every summer they would change – new houses, new advertisements."[21] It took two months for the firm to complete all the visual effects for the pilot.[21]
Reception
Critical reception
The pilot episode received acclaim from television critics.[22] TV Guide's Matt Roush praised the marriage of Scorsese and Winter, saying it "... brilliantly marries Martin Scorsese's virtuosic cinematic eye to Terence Winter's panoramic mastery of rich character and eventful story," and finished his review by stating "It's the most purely—and impurely—enjoyable storytelling HBO has delivered in ages, like a movie that you never want to end."[23] Variety's Brian Lowry praised the show for returning network HBO to top form, saying, "This is, quite simply, television at its finest, occupying a sweet spot that—for all the able competition—still remains unique to HBO: An expensive, explicit, character-driven program, tackling material no broadcast network or movie studio would dare touch... For those wondering when the channel would deliver another franchise to definitively put it on top of the world, Ma, the wait is over: Go directly to 'Boardwalk.'"[24] "One of the unexpected joys of 'Boardwalk Empire,' though, lies in the way the show revels in the oddities of its time, peeling back the layers of polite society to reveal a giddy shadow world of criminals and politicians collaborating to keep the liquor flowing," says online magazine Salon's Heather Havrilesky who went on to call the pilot "breathtaking."[25] Roberto Bianco from USA Today said in his review that Boardwalk Empire was "Extravagantly produced, shockingly violent and as cold and hard as ice, 'Boardwalk Empire' brings us back to the world's former playground at the start of Prohibition—and brings HBO back to the forefront of the TV-series race."[26]
However, not all critical reviews were favorable. Nancy Franklin of
Accolades
Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
63rd Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Martin Scorsese | Won |
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Martin Scorsese | Won |
63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series | Bob Shaw, Douglas Huszti, Debra Schutt | Won |
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series
|
Stuart Dryburgh | Nominated | |
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series | Michael Kriston, Jerry DeCarlo | Nominated | |
Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) | Nicki Ledermann, Evelyn Noraz | Won | |
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
|
Sidney Wolinsky | Won | |
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series | Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Fred Rosenberg, Marissa Littlefield, Steve Visscher, Jennifer Dunnington, Marko Costanzo | Won | |
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) | Frank Stettner, Jeff Pullman, Tom Fleishman | Nominated | |
Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series | Robert Stromberg, David Taritero, Justin Ball, Paul Graff, Richard Friedlander, Steve Kirshoff, J. John Corbett, Brian Sales, Ah Dee | Won |
Ratings
On its original airing at 9 pm, "Boardwalk Empire" gained a 2.0/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49 and garnered 4.81 million viewers.[6] The episode was re-played twice that night, once at 10:15 pm and again at 11:30 pm Taking these broadcasts into account, a total of 7.1 million Americans viewed the episode on the night of its original broadcast, and is the highest rated premiere for an HBO series since the pilot of Deadwood in March 2004. Following this successful debut, HBO immediately renewed the series for a second season.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e Littleton, Cynthia (August 7, 2010). "HBO lays big-bucks bet on 'Boardwalk'". Variety. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2012). "HBO lays a big-bucks bet on 'Boardwalk' – Entertainment News, TV News, Media – Variety". variety.com. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^ "Shows A-Z – boardwalk empire on hbo". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Hinkley, David (September 17, 2010). "'Boardwalk Empire' impressively recounts roaring 20's". New York Dailys News. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Wiser, Paige (September 17, 2010). "HBO hits jackpot with mob series 'Boardwalk Empire'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
- ^ a b Seidman, Robert (September 21, 2010). "SundayCable Ratings: Boardwalk Empire Premieres; Rubicon Still Struggling + The Glades, Mad Men, Kardashians & Lots More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ a b Seidman, Robert (September 21, 2010). "Boardwalk Empire Renewed By HBO; Premiere Telecast Averages 4.8 Million". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ a b "Boardwalk Empire: Boardwalk Empire - Season 1, Episode 1 - TV.com". tv.com. 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
- ^ "Terence Winter Set to Write Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire". MovieWeb. June 4, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Goldman, Eric (August 7, 2010). "Scorsese Introduced Boardwalk Empire". IGN. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 1, 2009). "Scorsese to Direct Pilot for HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire'". Back Stage. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Hercules (August 7, 2008). "Scorsese May Direct First TV Show Since AMAZING STORIES!!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved August 10, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Johnson, Lynda (August 8, 2010). "Boardwalk Empire Pilot, $18 Million 'Bigs Buck Bet' for HBO". The National Ledger. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Barna, Ben (January 15, 2010). "HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire' Cost $50 Million: How They Gonna Make It Back?". Black Book. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (August 7, 2010). "TCA: Why Marty Scorsese Is Now Doing TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (August 9, 2010). "Martin Scorsese praises HBO". Digital Spy. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ a b Sepinwall, Alan (August 7, 2010). "Press Tour: HBO's Boardwalk Empire brings Martin Scorsese to television". Hit Fix. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt (January 2, 2009). "Pilot News: Michael Pitt Walks Boardwalk for HBO and Scorsese". TV Guide. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Hit Fix Staff (January 29, 2009). "New Oscar nominee joins Scorsese's HBO pilot". Hit Fix. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Guthrie, Marisa (June 8, 2009). "HBO Not 'Hung' Up on Decision Making". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ a b c Lipkin, Michael (August 4, 2009). "DUMBO biz Brainstorm and Martin Scorsese team up for HBO project 'Boardwalk Empire'". NY Daily News. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ "Boardwalk Empire – Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". metacritic.com. 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Roush, Matt (September 16, 2010). "Roush Review: Dazzling Boardwalk: I'll Drink to That!". TV Guide. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (September 12, 2010). "Boardwalk Empire Review". Variety. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Havrilesky, Heather (September 11, 2010). ""Boardwalk Empire": Gangsters return triumphantly to HBO". Salon.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (September 17, 2010). "HBO builds a mighty, brutal 'Boardwalk Empire'". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Franklin, Nancy (September 20, 2010). ""Boardwalk Empire" re-creates the heyday of Atlantic City". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ Barsanti, Chris (September 19, 2010). "'Boardwalk Empire': A Man Apart". PopMatters. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ Riccio, Aaron (September 18, 2010). "Boardwalk Empire: Season One". Slant. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
External links
- "Boardwalk Empire" Archived October 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine at HBO
- "Boardwalk Empire" at IMDb