--- title: "Boardwalk Empire: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/boardwalk-empire/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/boardwalk-empire" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Boardwalk Empire (2010): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 7 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly favourable, and the praise gathers around the look of the series and the man at its centre. Most critics single out the recreation of 1920s Atlantic City, down to the period detail in every room, and credit Martin Scorsese’s direction of the pilot with setting the tone. Steve Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson is widely taken as a proper leading-man performance, and several reviews reserve a line for Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg in support. The reservations are about company rather than craft. Almost every review reaches for The Sopranos, The Wire or Mad Men, and the cooler notices decide it does not yet belong beside the first two. The Telegraph finds the first episode a little disappointing beneath the style, and Den of Geek spots some familiar gangster beats it is willing to forgive. The spread is narrow, and the two mildest verdicts come from British papers writing months after the American ones. ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2010. The critic praises the series as television at its finest, highlighting its rich atmosphere, impeccable period detail, sprawling Prohibition-era story in Atlantic City, and an outstanding ensemble cast led by Steve Buscemi. Scorsese's pilot direction and the organic mix of violence, sex, and historical figures are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/tv/reviews/boardwalk-empire-1117943535/) ## The Hollywood Reporter Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. The review calls the pilot a new benchmark for television due to its stunning production design and spectacle recreating 1920s Atlantic City, with Scorsese's direction and a strong cast including standout turns by Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg. It notes the series builds on story after the visual grandeur while comparing it favorably to Mad Men in historical recreation. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/boardwalk-empire-tv-review-30016/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2010. The critic finds the HBO series exceptional in aspects large and small, praising Martin Scorsese's direction of the pilot and its quality as a rival to Mad Men, while noting it falls short of being the greatest television ever made. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/sep/20/boardwalk-empire-martin-scorsese) ## The Times — Andrew Billen Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2011. The critic praises the classy, beautiful pilot for its atmosphere, Buscemi's leading-man performance, and production values that surpass The Sopranos, while noting it is not quite in that league. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/last-nights-tv-boardwalk-empire-rbggh226v72) ## The Telegraph — Andrew Pettie Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2011. The critic calls the lavish first episode a Michelin-starred tasting menu for its style and production values but finds it slightly disappointing and not quite as brilliant as The Wire or The Sopranos. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8296886/Boardwalk-Empire-Sky-Atlantic-review.html) ## Collider — Ethan Anderton Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2010. The critic praises Boardwalk Empire as one of the greatest television dramas, highlighting its gritty depiction of 1920s Atlantic City organized crime, Prohibition, and an exceptional ensemble cast led by Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson. They single out the strong writing, performances (especially supporting turns like Michael Shannon and Stephen Graham), and substance across the first six episodes while noting the pilot's Scorsese direction sets a high bar. [Read the review](https://collider.com/boardwalk-empire-review-hbo-steve-buscemi/) ## Den of Geek — Paul Martinovic Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2010. The pilot is one of the most entertaining and fully formed television pilots ever seen, with lavish period detail and a standout performance from Steve Buscemi as Nucky. The script has some clichéd gangster moments that are easily forgiven in a first episode. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/boardwalk-empire-episode-1-review-pilot/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/boardwalk-empire.md