HBO Announces 'Boardwalk Empire' Will Premiere Sept. 19.

HBO followed its big sweep of Emmy nominations Thursday with  some news Friday about its next major project expected to be a big  awards contender. The network announced that “Boardwalk Empire,”  a period drama set in tumultuous, Prohibition-era Atlantic City, N.J.,  will premiere Sept. 19. That means the series will be launching just as the broadcast networks are premiering all their new fall shows — a sign HBO must feel particularly confident in its prospects.  [LA Times]

The idea for the new show comes from an unlikely source: a book written by a New Jersey  historian. [Huffington Post]