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Boardwalk Empire

Of the five shows on this list, the last two need the least help. Not only are both on HBO - one of only a few networks that doesn’t need to worry about satisfying advertisers, as subscribers are pretty much king - but both have been renewed for another season. Still, I wanted to bring light to both of these shows, especially Boardwalk Empire. Boardwalk Empire is arguably the most hyped show of the entire year (Conan O’Brien’s new talk show, Conan, would be first had the advertising begun further in advance). The creator, Terence Winter, wrote for The Sopranos. The pilot episode was directed by Martin Scorsese. The cast, including Steve Buscemi, Michael Shannon, and Kelly Macdonald, is huge. Though the ratings have been impressive, some people have been a bit turned off, because the hype just didn’t match the show.

Despite this, Boardwalk Empire is one of the most fascinating pieces of entertainment on television. Like Mad Men on AMC, this show knows how to place us in a different time period without hammering us over the head with references to the time that essentially say, “Get it? Things were different in the 1920s!” The cast isn’t just huge; they’re as exciting to watch here as they’ve ever been. Buscemi has become something of a charismatic romantic as the lead character, Nucky Thompson, the boss of Atlantic City during Prohibition. As famous gambler Arnold Rothstein, Michael Stuhlbarg is as hypnotic a villain as they come. I could go on and on, but the point is this: you may not have HBO because you figure it’s worth waiting for the DVD. You may have HBO but bailed on Boardwalk Empire. If you wait, that’s fine - you’re in for a treat. If you bailed, give this show another chance.

Bored To Death

If there’s one thing a television show can do well, it’s to build a world that the audience didn’t know existed, and to make that world enviable to anyone who can’t live there. Bored to Death, airing on HBO (and just recently picked up for a third season), is one such show. Set mostly in the hip, Park Slope part of Brooklyn, Bored to Death is a show with a plot it often doesn’t really care about. Created by writer Jonathan Ames, the show stars Jason Schwartzman as…Jonathan Ames. In the show, Jonathan has written one novel but has been stagnant ever since. In the first episode, he put out an ad on Craigslist to be a private detective. The show revolves around his attempts at being a writer, being a private detective, and living a normal life. His two best friends are Ray (Zach Galifianakis), a mopey comic-book artist; and George (Ted Danson), his immature publisher, and they’re often involved in Jonathan’s exploits.

The one thing to know right away is that, as based on the critical reaction, Bored to Death is not for everyone. Some weeks are certainly stronger than others, but thanks to a burgeoning cast of guest stars (ranging from John Hodgman to Oliver Platt to Kevin Bacon), silly storylines, and three great performances from Schwartzman, Galifianakis, and especially Danson, this is a show you should at least give a few episodes to try. But part of what makes Bored to Death so much fun to watch is that I want to live in the world this show has created. Is Park Slope really as laid-back and cool as it is on this show? I almost don’t want to know, and just assume that it’s a fantasy Ames concocted for the purposes of the program. Still, Bored to Death makes me want to live in Brooklyn; that’s gotta count for something.

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