DVD News

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season comes to DVD and Blu-ray

By Patrick Luce Dec 7, 2011, 17:16 GMT

From Terence Winter (Emmy®-winning writer on HBO\'s The Sopranos) and Oscar®-winning director Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire is set in Atlantic City in 1920 at the dawn of Prohibition. The series chronicles the life and times of Enoch Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the city treasurer whose double role as politician and bootlegger makes him the city\'s undisputed czar at a time when illegal alcohol has opened up highly lucrative opportunities for ...more

From Terence Winter, Emmy Award-winning writer of The Sopranos, and executive producer Martin Scorsese, HBO’s hit drama Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on January 10th.

The series is set in the glitter and decadence of 1920's Atlantic City at a time when Prohibition proved to be a major catalyst in the rise of organized crime in America.  Full of corruption, backroom politics, vicious power struggles and a fierce hunger for wealth, the critically-acclaimed series personifies one of the most colorful and violent time periods in American history.

Boardwalk Empire is "television at its finest" (Daily Variety), winner of eight Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Martin Scorsese), and the 2011 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series and Best Actor (Steve Buscemi).  The Great War was over, Wall Street was about to boom, women got the vote and everything was for sale, even the World Series.

The undisputed ruler of Atlantic City was the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Buscemi), a political fixer and backroom dealer who was equal parts politician and criminal and equally comfortable in either role. Because of its strategic location on the seaboard, minutes from Philadelphia, hours from New York City and less than a day's drive from Chicago, the town was a hub of activity for rumrunners.  And Nucky Thompson took full advantage.  

Along with Buscemi, Williams and Shannon, the all-star cast of Boardwalk Empire includes Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald, Dabney Coleman, Shea Whigham, Anthony Laciura, Stephen Graham, Aleksa Palladino, Michael Stuhlbarg, Vincent Piazza, Paz de la Huerta, Paul Sparks and Gretchen Mol.  The series is executive produced by Terence Winter, Martin Scorsese, Tim Van Patten, Stephen Levinson and Mark Wahlberg. 

Gene Kelly is co-executive producer; Rudd Simmons is producer.  Directed by Martin Scorsese, Tim Van Patten, Jeremy Podeswa, Alan Taylor and Allen Coulter.  The series is written by Terence Winter, Lawrence Konner, Howard Korder, Tim Van Patten, Paul Simms, Margaret Nagle, Steve Kornacki and Meg Jackson.
 
Bonus Material:
 
To complement the dynamic series and immerse viewers into the sweeping pre-Depression heyday of Atlantic City, the BD and DVD sets include a host of bonus material including behind-the-scenes featurettes that delve into the creation of the 300-foot Boardwalk set, explore the main characters, reveal Atlantic City as it was in the 1920s and present an insider's view of the show through commentaries from the actors, directors and producers.

Content includes:

Enhanced Viewing (BD only) - Learn more about the production process from the cast and crew and discover the real-life history that inspired the show from noted Atlantic City historians in this interactive, picture-in-picture experience on all 12 episodes.
Making Boardwalk Empire - Step onto the sets of Boardwalk Empire in this special behind-the-scenes look featuring interviews from the cast and crew.
Character Dossier - Follow the development of the major players in Boardwalk Empire with this evolving, comprehensive character guide.
Creating the Boardwalk - See how the amazing 300-foot Boardwalk set was created to bring Prohibition-era Atlantic City to life.
Atlantic City: The Original Sin City - Explore the culture and climate of Atlantic City during the roaring '20s in this 30-minute documentary.
Speakeasy Tour - Get an insider's tour of some of the famed Prohibition speakeasies in Chicago and New York with cast members from the series.
Audio Commentaries - Six audio commentaries including actors Steve Buscemi, Michael Kenneth Williams and Michael Shannon, creator/writer/executive producer Terence Winter, director/writer/executive producer Tim Van Patten, writer/supervising producer Howard Korder and directors Brian Kirk and Allen Coulter.