There's a reason there are laws to regulate when cigarette smoking is shown on TV and in movies: watching it is addicting. Now a new study found viewing a character smoke on screen stimulates the brain's action-planning center, leaving us contemplating a walk to the nearest corner store.
Smoking has a short but sexy history, so when you watch shows like Mad Men or Boardwalk Empire, nostalgic for a time before all the smoke got in our eyes, do you want to light up?
You know we're consummate and prolific Mad Men fans — we're just swooning over the "restraining order" Valentine its cast sent us — but we were happy to see the Golden Globe for best TV drama go to Boardwalk Empire. With the gangster plot lines of The Sopranos and period detail of Mad Men mixed with the very real history of Prohibition in the United States, it had a slow start but quickly became one of my favorite shows of 2010. If awards aren't enough, here are five sexy reasons to check it out.
Wow — back-to-back wins for Boardwalk Empire! The new HBO series is taking home the Golden Globe for best dramatic television series! It beat Mad Men, Dexter, and The Walking Dead. Do you agree with this win?
Don't forget to weigh in on all of the winners by voting in my polls!
The HFPA sure loves to honor new kids on the block: Steve Buscemi is taking home the Golden Globe for best actor in a TV drama series for Boardwalk Empire! He beat out Bryan Cranston, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, and Hugh Laurie. Do you agree with this win?
Don't forget to weigh in on all of the winners by voting in my polls!
The following post was written by ShaynaLeah on OnSugar blog Life Forward.
Last week I finally got to watch the first season of the latest HBO night time soap, ahem, drama, Boardwalk Empire. If you are unfamiliar, it takes place in 1920s Atlantic City, NJ, and follows the corrupt Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (played by Steve Buscemi) as he rules Atlantic City, living in the boardwalk Ritz-Carlton Hotel as he makes money as a bootlegger at the start of the Prohibition, and skillfully plays politicians like marionettes as women (finally) get the vote.
Though the show, at its heart, is about the men who ran Atlantic City, with bits and pieces about Chicago and New York (Meyer Lansky, "Lucky" Luciano, and Al Capone all have minor roles as characters in the series), the portrayal of women is fascinating. The Women's Temperance League is shown as a strong political force, though the leader is often mollified by Thompson, who profits greatly from the increased prices he can charge for the liquor he sells by the barrel to casinos and others, thanks to the Prohibition. Nucky congratulates women on getting the vote — though he continues to show that their ignorance of world politics makes them easy marks for his manipulations, in his quest to gain total power over Atlantic City.
Read more of ShaynaLeah's thoughts after the jump.
Though Fall 2010 may have been a bad season for new shows, there are at least one or two gems that have stood out. Many of you have declared your love for The Walking Dead and Hawaii Five-0 (remember this reader's passionate post?), but don't forget we had a few series debut earlier this year too! Give this list a look, and select your favorite of the Freshmen.
Don't forget to vote on all of our Best of 2010 polls!
Photos courtesy of NBC, Fox, The CW, CBS, AMC, HBO, and copyright 2010 ABC, Inc.
After over a year of anticipation, we were finally treated to the season premiere of Boardwalk Empire last night. As to be expected, Martin Scorsese's pilot is jam-packed with gorgeous costumes, astute cinematography, and great acting. It's got style to spare, but I'm interested to hear how many of you are hooked after seeing the first episode. There's plenty of eye candy, but is there enough drama to keep you coming back for more? Are you feeling Steve Buscemi as a leading man? The show has a lot to live up to since critics have been dubbing it the new Sopranos for months now, so sound off — what did you think of Boardwalk Empire?
Photo courtesy of HBO
True Blood may be off the air for now, but HBO has found an equally exciting Fall TV replacement to fill its time slot. Premiering tonight, Boardwalk Empire has been building hype for months. Martin Scorsese directed the pilot and writer Terence Winter of The Sopranos serves as creator, so to say critics' hopes are high is putting it mildly (it's already one of my five new shows to watch).
The story takes place during 1920s prohibition in Atlantic City as a corrupt public official (Steve Buscemi) uses his clout to keep the town boozed and put money in his pockets — even if it means throwing a few dead bodies into the river in the process. It promises to be a juicy tale of wealth and power, but with an ensemble of familiar faces, gorgeous costumes, and elaborate sets, the series delivers plenty of eye candy as well. To help tide you over until Sunday's big debut, just click here to watch the trailer again, then check out these photos from the premiere!
More pics when you read more
