Boardwalk Empire

[Brankles]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

See, this show gets a terrible rap by some people for being nothing but over-the-top grotesque jokes about nothing. Excuses to swear, push the limits, everything.

If people actually watched the show for the topics/themes/messages, they'd realize behind the crude jokes and all of that, this is easily the show that could teach kids the most as they grow up, talks about the widest variety of meaningful life topics, and actually has merit as a damn good, intelligent, television show.

And wow, I can't believe I just defended South Park on an intellectual level, but **** if I don't love that show.

I'm with you that South Park is is a really smart show. The ridiculous amounts of cursing, violence, and bodily fluids all comes with the territory of being a satire and a cartoon.

[JayBee74]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

Well, there's even less great TV shows.

I guess it's unfair to compare the two, movies and TV. To make a truly great movie, most everything needs to be on point. Direction, acting, story, visuals.

For a TV show there's a lot more room for error, but there's also more room for creativity. It's easy to spiral off and turn into crap, something that most TV shows are victim of, but if a show can last it has that much more potential.

It's easy to make a case for The Wire as the best form of entertainment and drama in film or TV history. Mad Men is in my top 25 all time in writing for a movie or show. Breaking Bad and The Sopranos are up there, too. And it's hard to find anything funnier than Curb Your Enthusiasm or South Park.

And then there's The Shield, Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Dexter, Sons Of Anarchy, and that's just off the top of my head.

[jeremym480]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

My three top current dramas (Dexter, Breaking Bad and SoA) are tough to choose from. I'd put True Blood in the 4th slot but, it doesn't touch the other 3, IMO.

Of all time I'd give a slight nod to The Wire over The Sopranos. Oz was great, as well. I've never watched Mad Men or The Shield. I plan on seeing both eventually but, I probably won't have time to until after the Fall TV season is over.

Either way, Boardwalk Empire is on HBO and they rarely miss on shows like this. With that said expectations are through the roof.

[Brankles]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

I feel like FX goes the tough guy route a little too hard sometimes at the expense of a better storyline, acting and dialogue. I just recently finished SoA season 1 and liked it, but it didn't blow me away with jaw-dropping writing or plot twists the way the two AMC shows did. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard great things about The Shield, but I get the same vibe from that show as I do with SoA. Really cool show, but FX'ed a little too hard.

Here's my TV tiers right now

Tier One:
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
Curb Your Enthusiasm
South Park

Tier Two:
Dexter
SoA
Louie

Tier Three:
Jersey Shore
Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory
Community

[JayBee74]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

I feel like FX goes the tough guy route a little too hard sometimes at the expense of a better storyline, acting and dialogue. I just recently finished SoA season 1 and liked it, but it didn't blow me away with jaw-dropping writing or plot twists the way the two AMC shows did. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard great things about The Shield, but I get the same vibe from that show as I do with SoA. Really cool show, but FX'ed a little too hard.

Here's my TV tiers right now

Tier One:
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
Curb Your Enthusiasm
South Park

Tier Two:
Dexter
SoA
Louie

Tier Three:
Jersey Shore
Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory
Community

Couldn't get into South Park or Louie and I tried. Jersey Shore is a reality show and not even on my radar.

FX might add an extra dose of testosterone to the mix, but the acting is top notch (SOA & The Shield). On both shows these tough guys show a lot of vulnerability, so it's not even close to being about always busting heads.

Love Curb Your Enthusiasm, but have It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia solidly ahead in the comedy category.

[sven]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

As far as comedies go I love Sunny, The League, Archer, South Park, Venture Bros, Party Down, and Flight of the Conchords. The last two have been canceled but gave us two really good seasons each first. As far as network comedies go Modern Family, Community, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, and The Office are all pretty damned good too.

[JayBee74]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

Good to see "Butch" (Greg Antonacci) in Boardwalk Empire. He played Phil Leotardo's underboss in The Sopranos. Remember, "The Little Guy".


Butch and Omar, Center and Right

[Brankles]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

Omar is the coolest, glad to see him back with a significant role. Will be interested to see how they use black actors in a show that takes place in the 1920s in New Jersey

[JayBee74]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

Omar is the coolest, glad to see him back with a significant role. Will be interested to see how they use black actors in a show that takes place in the 1920s in New Jersey

Good question. He is listed as Chalky White, the de facto mayor of Chickenbone Beach. I know one of the BWE trailers shows hooded Klansmen, so it will get confrontational. Looks like a great role.

[JayBee74]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

This Sunday-here's a good video I haven't seen yet.

Boardwalk Empire Video

[JayBee74]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

Just a bump-on in 48 hours.

[johnnyg713]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

Idk if any of you guys have seen "the making of" or any of the short little documentaries they have on the show. I just watched them all on demand and the set for the board walk is unbelievable. I had no idea they had characters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. This show is going to be the best on television

[steelcurtain311]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

We're slowly but surely getting into the next golden age of TV. The 2000's had the greatest shows ever, in my opinion, with The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Shield, Rome, Band of Brothers, it was a new age of TV, thanks to HBO, in large part.

Ever since those shows ended, there's been a void that's slowly getting filled with great shows like Mad Men. True Blood is a lot of fun to watch, so is Justified. Sons of Anarchy gets on my nerves mostly, since it's a massive missed opportunity given how good the cast is and they throw in these Walker Texas Ranger action sequences and cliched crap with the writing. Treme was excellent in its first season, lets hope HBO gives it the Wire treatment and ignores low ratings to tell a story. The Pacific was excellent, really enjoyed that, especially the second half of the series. Now we have Boardwalk Empire coming up, which most people are already sold on just by the trailers and I don't blame them.

I cannot wait to see this show tonight, shame it's the same night as the ManningBowl. I might have to catch the replay. They put together a great cast, they have great talent in the writing/directing slots, this is going to be very special. With how big of a hit True Blood is, Boardwalk Empire has gotten a LOT of exposure. This should be a huge hit, too. Those two shows could very well make HBO bigger than it's ever been.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

I'm definitely excited to watch!

[sven]

Re: Boardwalk Empire

We're slowly but surely getting into the next golden age of TV. The 2000's had the greatest shows ever, in my opinion, with The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Shield, Rome, Band of Brothers, it was a new age of TV, thanks to HBO, in large part.

Ever since those shows ended, there's been a void that's slowly getting filled with great shows like Mad Men. True Blood is a lot of fun to watch, so is Justified. Sons of Anarchy gets on my nerves mostly, since it's a massive missed opportunity given how good the cast is and they throw in these Walker Texas Ranger action sequences and cliched crap with the writing. Treme was excellent in its first season, lets hope HBO gives it the Wire treatment and ignores low ratings to tell a story. The Pacific was excellent, really enjoyed that, especially the second half of the series. Now we have Boardwalk Empire coming up, which most people are already sold on just by the trailers and I don't blame them.

I cannot wait to see this show tonight, shame it's the same night as the ManningBowl. I might have to catch the replay. They put together a great cast, they have great talent in the writing/directing slots, this is going to be very special. With how big of a hit True Blood is, Boardwalk Empire has gotten a LOT of exposure. This should be a huge hit, too. Those two shows could very well make HBO bigger than it's ever been.

Game of Thrones has the chance to be something special too.