More from my interview with Terence Winter, who hopped on the phone last week to talk about his new HBO series, “Boardwalk Empire,” which kicks off Sept. 19 with star Steve Buscemi as a (slightly) fictionalized version of Atlantic City kingmaker Enoch “Nucky” Johnson (he’s called Nucky Thompson in the series).
The series, based on Nelson Johnson’s book of the same name, encompasses the Flapper-era “Roaring ’20s,” with Prohibition and women’s rights taking center stage.
Martin Scorsese is also an executive producer and directed the pilot.
“There are a lot of similarities to the present day,” says Winter, who wrote many episodes of “The Sopranos” (including “Pine Barrens,” the favorite of many “Sopranos” fans).
“The 1920s feel amazingly modern and accessible to me. It was almost 100 years ago, but you look at these people and they drove cars and spoke on the phone and went to the movies. They did pretty much what we do today so it’s easy to relate to them.
“Of course a guy like Nucky working in an illegal ‘industry’ [bootlegging alcohol] is different than being a crack dealer . . . but he could still make a lot of money right way.”
“Boardwalk Empire” also gives a glimpse into the beginnings of organized crimes in this country.
“They were unbelievably corrupt but for me, in terms of the organized crime stuff . . . they didn’t start to break off into factions based on race for a few more decades.”
Winter says he hopes the show will return for several more seasons, since the real Nucky Johnson ran Atlantic City for several decades (he died in 1968).
“Ideally we’ll run through the decade of the ’20s and bookend that with Prohibition then go through to the end of Prohibition to 1933,” he says. “I don’t know if I would jump ahead one year for every season; we could jump ahead several years [per season].
There’s certainly a lot of story to tell.”
Last, but not least:
* “One Life to Live” cast members Melissa Archer (Natalie) and Kristen Alderson (Starr) will be at the (take a deep breath) Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents The Coney Island Illuscination on Saturday, Aug. 28. They’ll sign autographs (1 p.m.) and open the show as guest ringmasters . . . Death watch: I would be remiss if I didn’t note that Cameron Death, my all-time “Favorite Starr Report Industry Name,” has been promoted to senior VP/GM of NBC Universal Digital Studios . . . Thursday on truTV: “Dumb-Ass Daredevils,” a new episode of “Top 20 Most Shocking” from my pal Bruce Nash . . . Diane McInerney (“Inside Edition”) has ditched the blond look and is now back to her natural light-brown hair color (yeah, yeah, I know — but it’s slow out there) . . . MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow will receive the 2010 Walter Cronkite Faith & Freedom Award (coverage of religion and politics) Oct. 24 . . . Congrats to Katie Cocco (MTV) and husband Sal (NBC Sports) on the arrival of Sabrina Grace Cocco . . . Enough with all the coverage of Laura Linney already. It’s reaching “Mad Men” proportions, and no one wants that, believe me.
The Starr Report will return on Wednesday, Sept. 1.