HBO RENEWS EMMY(R)-WINNING DRAMA SERIES "BOARDWALK EMPIRE" FOR THIRD SEASON

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12, 2011 - Following resounding critical approval for the series' second-season debut on Sept. 25, HBO has renewed BOARDWALK EMPIRE for a third season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.

"Following a triumphant first season, I was eager to see what Terry Winter, Martin Scorsese and the rest of their stellar team had in store, and they continue to surpass our highest expectations," said Lombardo. "The response from the media and our viewers has been extremely gratifying."

From Terence Winter, Emmy(R) Award-winning writer of "The Sopranos" and Academy Award(R)-winning director Martin Scorsese, BOARDWALK EMPIRE is set in the 1920s in the early days of Prohibition, and chronicles the life and times of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, the undisputed leader of Atlantic City, who was equal parts politician and gangster.

The renewal of BOARDWALK EMPIRE is the latest in a number of recent drama series pickups, following "True Blood," "Game of Thrones" and "Treme," as well as commitments to the new series "Luck," "Veep," "Girls," "Life's Too Short" and Aaron Sorkin's as-yet untitled project.

Among the early critical raves for the new season of BOARDWALK EMPIRE, New York's Daily News called the show "delicious entertainment" and "one of the best shows on television," while Daily Variety termed it "consistently bold and lusty," as well as "good to the last illicit, intoxicating drop." The Boston Globe hailed BOARDWALK EMPIRE as "a must-see show" and "remarkable," and Entertainment Weekly noted that "drama this good should be illegal."

BOARDWALK EMPIRE ranks among HBO's most popular series with an average gross audience of 10.7 million viewers.

At the recent Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, BOARDWALK EMPIRE led all programming with eight awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Martin Scorsese).

In Jan. 2011, BOARDWALK EMPIRE received two Golden Globe Awards, for Best Television Series - Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama (Steve Buscemi)

The series also received two Screen Actors Guild awards, for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi).

Season two credits: Created by Terence Winter, BOARDWALK EMPIRE is executive produced by Terence Winter, Martin Scorsese, Tim Van Patten, Stephen Levinson and Mark Wahlberg; co-executive produced by Gene Kelly and Howard Korder; produced by Joseph Iberti and Rick Yorn.