UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ On Track For $27M … 
‘Mike & Molly’ Creator Mark Roberts To … 
Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts Set For … 
Hammond On Cannes: Weinstein Brings Out Stars For 2013 … 
Cannes: Fake Gunshots Interrupt Canal Plus Live Broadcast … 
‘The Great Gatsby’ Starts With $5.4M … 
Cannes: Music Box Acquires Competition’s … 
Cannes: Bruno Wu & Pierre-Ange Le Pogam Kick Up Angel … 
UPDATE: Amazon Studios Begins Pilot Pickups; … 
Bruce Rosenblum Bids Classy Goodbye 
RATINGS RAT RACE UPDATE: ‘American Idol’ Hits … 
UPDATE: ‘Iron Man 3′ Box Office Crosses $1B … 
John Lesher’s Le Grisbi Teams With DCM Productions … 
Upfront Market: Will Auto Makers Subsidize TV … 
Cannes: Thief Makes Off With $1M+ In Chopard Jewelry Meant … 
Cannes: Cyrus Nowrasteh To Helm Film On Soviet Dissident … 
‘Scandal’ Finale On Small Screen And Onstage At … 
Cannes: Cassian Elwes, Robert Ogden Barnum Launch e2b … 
SPOILER ALERT! NBC’s ‘The Office’ Finale 
‘Modern Family’ Gets Cable Makeover For Launch … 
In its second airing, HBO’s period mob drama Boardwalk Empire drew 3.3 million viewers, down 31% from its premiere last week. The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, was watched by a combined 4.4 million viewers last night when the 11 PM rerun is factored in. The pilot episode, which was directed by Martin Scorsese has been seen by a total of 11 million viewers so far, including multiple plays on HBO, DVR and On Demand viewing, HBO said.
Following Boardwalk Empire was the second season premiere of off-beat comedy Bored to Death (1.1 million), which fell sharply from its lead-in but was still up 2% from its series premiere. Including the 12AM play, Bored to Death‘s cume audience was 1.5 million.
HBO’s best news of the night came at 10:30 PM where the second season debut of comedy Eastbound & Down averaged 1.7 million viewers, up 150% from the show’s series premiere and up 55% from its lead-in. The show’s total viewership for the night was 2 million.
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Those are really great numbers for Boardwalk Empire considering it had to go up against Desperate Housewives and Football. The show is very well written. HBO doesn’t care how people watch. If 11 million people watch live or OnDemand, HBO doesn’t care because they are based on subscriptions not advertising.
Totally agree. Last week not much was on and HBO shows repeat multiple times and are onDemand so audiences can miss the original airing and still catch up. Network TV not so much for those who dont like watching on their computers.
HBO is ABOVE catering to the lowest common denominator. Thank god!! They scoff at the beer commercial watching, american idol addicted fools that make up the majority of American society and for that I salute them.
Good work HBO!!
HBO caters only to a cerebral audience. They could care less about beer commercial watching american idol addicted fools who slavishly flock to network television and for that I salute them.
Thank You HBO!
Wait — you mean all the constant plugging of Boardwalk Empire in the Nikki Finke comments boxes didn’t work to create a hit? Whoda thought?
You’re an idiot. That’s a very good number for HBO.
Uh, Wallace…? 4.4 million viewers considering their competition that night means Boardwalk IS a hit.
Kenny Powers rocks!!!! Great to see the buzz around Eastbound & Down translate into ratings.
Great news on Eastbound & Down. Looks like another show that HBO will keep renewing as long as the creative team wants to keep making it.
Boardwalk was great, but I believe HBO was baiting the numbers. What do I mean? Well I don’t subscribe to HBO or any other premium station for that matter. But during the weekend Boardwalk premiered; down here in Orange County HBO was “FREE” to all Verizon FIOS subscribers from Friday A.M. to Monday A.M. and not only did BOARDWALK play, but it was scheduled to air a dozen times during the 3 day “free for all” weekend. Thanks FIOS!
Nice try David, but no viewership from homes receiving “free” previews of premium channels are counted in the HBO numbers from Nielsen. Not for HBO, not for Showtime, not for any premium when they do the free weekends. Nielsen’s protocol for this stuff. HBO doesn’t need to “bait” numbers, just keep their subscribers subscribing. To quote Kenny Powers, “You’re f#*king out!”
Love Boardwalk. The trailer for next week looks hot. I saw this weeks episode in repeat viewings cause I was watching the game. I watched the game last week too.
Bored To Death is hilarious.
The first episode of ‘Boardwalk Empire’ was horrible. HBO is not invincible, nor is Scorsese. This ill-conceived and poorly executed show will prove both points.
I was worried Eastbound was doomed to be a cult-only type deal. Glad to see it get the ratings it deserves.
Anyone else kind of disappointed in Boardwalk? It’s got great production values, but the first couple episodes have left me cold. It’s not really historical, but it’s also not great fiction either. Kinda weak.
Boardwalk Empire is a great show whose 2nd episode was a major improvement over the pilot.
Eastbound is my favorite comedy currently on television. Nothing makes me laugh harder and as frequently. Thrilled to see it have success.
Boardwalk is not as great as I expected based on all the rave reviews. I’m unscheduling it from my DVR.
I have seen episodes 3, 4, and 5 and they are excellent. Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar from The Wire) has a huge storyline, Lucky Luciano and Al Capone have fantastic arcs. The series starts slow and then takes off. It is completely worth it. Don’t tune out.
“Bored to Death” was the highlight of the night. “Boardwalk Empire” needs to step its game up to keep my interest, and I just plain hate “Eastbound & Down.”
Crazy renewal after ppl showed interest in seeing the pilot. So a 31 % dip is considered no big deal? Sounds quite high to my ears.
Boardwalk should be spelled Boredwalk – it’s not that good, but I hope they get better – lots of potential.
Boardwalk Empire is very, very, very great.
I really enjoyed the opening episode of Boardwalk Empire. The second one was even better. It’s already become the new show we don’t want to miss.
I think this will be an exciting season and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
With deep respect to HBO and everyone who contributed to BOARDWALK, it’s not working.
If I worked at HBO, or the production company, or was an agent for any of the great actors on the show, I’d be on this blog begging people to believe it will somehow rally. So much money and talent invested. I’d be scared too.
But sorry. It’s not working.
There are fundamental precepts of dramatic writing violated in nearly every beat. Underexploited conflict. Line after line of agreement instead of opposition. Laughably predictable dialogue. Baffoonishly one-dimensional cartoon characters.
MAD MEN wrings more gut-wrenching conflict out of the first 10 seconds of Peggy walking into a room of young male writers than we get from a whole episode of BOARDWALK. Every scene in MAD MEN is a “situation” from the instant it starts. The stakes are high and you have to know the answer, and of course, the answer is never what you expect.
There hasn’t been one unpredictable moment in BOARDWALK so far.
I was dying to love the show, but it isn’t there. I had to beg my friends to give the second week a shot and halfway through they insisted on turning the channel with hoots and groans. You can make snide remarks about my friends all you want. If you work in the industry you probably know them.
If possible, I’d appreciate a cogent rebuttal in defense of the writing and the cinematic choices. I’m just mystified that adjustments weren’t made long ago.
Is there a chance to save the show? I don’t know. I’ve never seen a new show that so many people wanted to like, but just didn’t. I’d start by shelving the concept behind the writing approach. Whatever ironic nostalgia thing that they’re maybe going for isn’t coming across. Retool if that’s possible. Maybe try CASINO during Prohibition era Atlantic City?
My hats off to anyone that gets a show off the ground. It’s so brutal. But let’s just all be honest. This show isn’t happening.
The majority of critics are in love with this show for a very good reason. The writing gets better from episode 2 onward.
Jump The Snark you have definitely jumped. Boardwalk Empire is working on multiple levels. The roots are buried deep in the ground and will be uncovered as it goes.
Good Fellas didn’t have characters playing opposites all the time. This isn’t Chekhov. It’s a mobster show set in the 1920′s.
You say hats off to anyone who can get a show off the ground and then you dump on this show after an episode and a half. Your posting reeks of professional jealousy. “You had to beg your friends to watch it.” What a generous person you are.
“What friends” I might add.
Dear “Whitefish”,
Pretty hard to claim I am “dumping” on Boardwalk when my tone is so respectful. Scorsese is the master and we are all his subjects. Of all the films/shows that get commented on here on NF, I’ve never seen a thread that displayed such universal expressions of desire to love, but people just couldn’t get behind it. That’s not snarky cheap industry jealousy. It’s reluctant expression of disappointment.
And Sir Whitefish, you obviously aren’t a writer as you have no idea what I mean when I talk about the lack of dramatic conflict in the writing — what is signaled when dialogue is full of agreement rather than opposition. That’s OK. It’s something every writer has to learn over time. But it is something absolutely essential to good drama, and it’s clearly missing in Boardwalk. In fact, it’s probably the single biggest problem with the show. When people say it’s boring, they are sensing the lack of consistent and heightened conflict that is at the source of ALL good dramatic writing. Whether it’s Chekhov or William Goldman or Tony Gilroy. Those writers all made sure that consistent conflict based on consistent character desire is honed into every single beat.
Ask any A-list writer friend of yours what I mean by that. In fact, I wish the HBO producers would ask the same question. Terrence Winter wrote some great episodes of Sopranos under David Chase, but I’m not sure he’s got it down without that supervision. I’m not bashing him, it’s just not on the page or on the screen in Boardwalk. And I think you’ll see the audience numbers reflecting that over time. It won’t hold interest. UNLESS the writing changes.
I hope it does. I want Boardwalk to succeed.
One more thing “Whitefish”…
Like many writers I have broken Goodfellas down. About 1600 beats of action/reaction. And let me tell you, that script is TIGHT. Conflict in every beat. Every action meets a reaction that thwarts the intended outcome, and when agreement comes, the story pivots into a higher and higher escalation of the narrative.
I say to you Whitefish, I know Goodfellas, and Boardwalk is no Goodfellas.
God I wish it was.
@jumpthesnark Did we watch the same show? I felt like the script consistently built up dramatic tension and essentially exploded into a clusterf**k. The Nucky Thompson character is more straightforward than Don Draper, but only at this point. The whole idea is this is a set up episode, and like mad men, we’ll get to uncover a whole history nuanced and conflicted relationships between all the characters. We are already seeing it with Nucky and his driver, Nucky and Rothstein, Nucky and Al Capone, Nucky and his mistress, Nucky and his brother. You have to have a little patience for set up. Also, this is set in the twenties, people were a little more direct back then. The dialogue wasn’t rife with unspoken conflict because the conflict his just about to happen. This episode shows Nucky’s transfer from crooked public servant, to full on Kingpin. Patience dude.
Only three words are necessary.
KENNY. F*&KIN. POWERS.
Word. KP is genius.
Love Boardwalk. Love it. Love it. Love it.
jumpthesnark: Why don’t they hire you to fix ALL the TV shows – it’s obvious you’re no “baffoon”. Maybe you haven’t heard, but critics and audience members OVERWHELMINGLY agree that Boardwalk Empire is magnificent in every way. And that includes your hooting and groaning industry friends, any one of whom would chop your b*alls off to be a part of it. Despite your obvious attempt to sh*t on HBO or the producers of Boardwalk, the fact is it’s a huge hit that will be nominated for every concievable award. So enjoy the next 10 Sunday nights as you gather with the other wannabees, dressing up like the girls on Mad Men while you s*ck each other off reading aloud from Robert McKee.
jumpthesnark,
Comparing BE to MM after only 2 episodes is disingenuous, since MM has had 4 seasons to establish the 10 seconds of dramatic conflict you refer to. HBO shows tend to find a niche, and if you’re not on board (cough) then so be it.
Thanks “videoretro”.
Finally an intelligent response to my plight of not feeling the love for Boardwalk yet. I totally agree. Thanks.
Dear “Nucky’s Mother”,
Your virulent profanity-filled tirade against my issues with Boardwalk are backed up with nothing more than playground insults and bimbo cheerleading that the show will win “every conceivable award”. You sound like a desperate agent. If that’s the best you can do to defend the creative merits of the show, well, there’s not much to talk about.
As to your claim that reviewers “overwhelmingly agree that Boardwalk Empire is magnificent in every way”, did you read the New Yorker review?
“…It’s a big production—the first episode alone cost nearly twenty million dollars—and it looks authentic in a way that, paradoxically, seems lifeless… “Boardwalk Empire” is at great pains to give viewers a sense that they are there, and yet rarely did I feel engrossed in the show. Even if its point is to show you the ugly side of fun, “Boardwalk Empire” should be much more fun to watch.”
Or the New York TImes review?
“…Boardwalk Empire” is a well conceived, beautifully made series that has every reason to be great. Who doesn’t want to watch rum runners and gangsters on HBO? Yet, surprisingly, given the extraordinary talent and money behind it, “Boardwalk Empire” falls short….“Boardwalk Empire” is an artful reworking of the gangster myth, but it isn’t a great work of art. After telling the Women’s Temperance League a poignant hard-luck tale, Nucky turns to Jimmy and says, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” “Boardwalk Empire” doesn’t always follow this advice.”
Obviously, you can quote just as many reviewers who love the show. Great. That’s just not my opinion. And this blog is really nothing more than a bunch of opinions. You have yours I have mine. But I’m not going to call you a bunch of names because you’re sticking up for a show you obviously have an economic interest in. All your cheap name calling and bullying can’t make me or anyone else like something that has clear creative issues.
You haven’t been able to refute a single creative complaint proffered by myself or anyone else, choosing instead to come back with childish insults. And your slag of Mad Men is a little ill-advised, since it is the show that has won “every conceivable award” for the last three years.
Finally, Nucky’s Mother is a funny nom de plume. Give you that. CAA must be proud. But you’re still a douchy agent. Sorry.
Only 2 reviewers were negative and that woman at the New York Times gave Outsourced a great review. So, consider the source.
Jump the snark you should go teach screenwriting and steal peoples money while you convince them they have no vision or talent and can’t succeed so you can feel good about yourself. Terence Winter has won a boatload of Emmys for his writing. I think he knows what he’s doing. And to compare the show to a single moment of Mad Men (which has had it’s share of masturbatory episodes in 4-5 years) is B.S.
Wow. A particularly vile and crass fusillade of non-rebuttals.
All because I dare to respectfully express my view that I’m not liking Boardwalk Empire. And give concrete reasons. And say I think the filmmakers are great filmmakers. And say I hope it gets better.
Something in the cheap insults coming back, with no actual rebuttal of my critique of creative choices, leads me to believe some mid-level industry hacks are worried about their jobs. For sure I know that none of the respondents are filmmakers, as they’d probably try to shed some light on the choices made.
You can always tell people who make things from people who sell things.
You resort to name calling because you can’t accept the fact that people like the show.
Jump the Snark please get some therapy. Find someone who loves you and put down the remote. If you don’t like a show don’t watch it. What did Boardwalk Empire ever do to you? The show is not your mother.
So is that what it’s devolved to on the comments section? People with economic stakes in a show insist “It’s great! It’s great! It’s great! Best show EVER!” and then if someone respectfully disagrees with that assessment they are bullied with cheap name calling and warnings to get off the playground?
Sorry Biff, that may have worked for you in high school, but not now.
That’s hypocritical of you to say that considering you’re a bully yourself.