"Boardwalk Empire" with Steve Buscemi (2012)

On the eve of Prohibition becoming the law of the land, Atlantic City County Treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi, is about to make a lot of money. He already controls everything else in town, from prostitution to gambling, so why not get in on Prohibition from the very start?  With his brother as a State Trooper and the rest of the Boardwalk beholden to him for all manner of “favors” he has done them in the past, you would think that “Nucky’s” life would be one free from trouble. But trouble seems to stalk him, turning some of his most cherished dreams into a living nightmare of deceit and confusion as he struggles with fellow politicians, as well as criminal rivals, such as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Arnold Rothstein.

Set in the hotels along the famed Boardwalk of Atlantic City, this series takes you inside the brothels and jazz joints that then flourished under Prohibition. There is also the story of “Nucky’s” past, and his childhood with a drunken firefighter for a father. That past plays a large role in who he is, and just what motivates him emotionally. Surrounded by a cast of characters which will leave your head spinning, and beautiful sets; where every detail is correct for the era; this series is textured and well written.

A relentlessly driven Federal Agent, along with a destitute young woman; who quickly becomes “Nucky’s” lover, as well as his conscience; make the story compelling. It begs the question of what drives people to do what they do, and how hey justify it. Written by Terence Winter and Produced by Martin Scorsese, this is a series which will have you looking forward to each episode.