HBO, 'Boardwalk Empire' Call Fifth Season the Last

By Joe Dyton | Jan 10, 2014 10:48 PM EST

TEXT SIZE    

Well, "Boardwalk Empire" that is. The premium cable network announced at the Television Critics Association (TCA) winter press tour that the upcoming fifth season of the drama series will be its last. "Boardwalk Empire" stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a powerful gangster in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era in the 1920's.

"It has been an incredible honor to bring this powerful and groundbreaking series to our subscribers," HBO president Michael Lombardo said in a statement. "(Series creator) Terry Winter has created one for the ages."

The Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated series had been re-upped for a fifth season just a couple weeks into its Season Four broadcast, which showed HBO's confidence in the show. However, it looks like HBO and Winter came to a mutual decision to make the fifth season of "Boardwalk Empire" the final one.  Making the call now gives Winter and his writing team time come up with a satisfying ending and close the show out on a high note.

"We're thrilled to get the go-ahead for a fifth season of 'Boardwalk Empire,'" Winter said. "After much discussion with my creative team and HBO, we've decided to wrap up the series after such a great run and look forward to bringing it to a powerful and exciting conclusion."

How "Boardwalk Empire" will end is anyone's guess. The series is inspired by the real-life criminal career of Enoch Johnson, but since Winter elected to create a fictional character resembling Johnson, he could wrap things up in any number of ways. Season Four ended with Buscemi's Thompson eluding a federal investigation and contemplating leaving his criminal empire in Atlantic City behind.

A premiere date for "Boardwalk Empire's" fifth season hasn't been announced. However, September is likely as that is when the previous four seasons premiered. "Boardwalk Empire" airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.

pre post  |  next post
More Sections