Nucky Thompson wasn't just a bootlegger; he was a mood. When Boardwalk Empire wrapped up its run on HBO back in 2014, it left a massive, tailor-made hole in the television landscape. You know the feeling. It’s that specific craving for crisp three-piece suits, the smell of salt air mixed with expensive cigars, and the kind of slow-burn political maneuvering that makes your head spin. Finding TV series like Boardwalk Empire isn't just about finding another show with guns and fedoras. It’s about finding that rare intersection of historical precision, Shakespearean tragedy, and the brutal reality of how American power is actually built.
Honestly? Most "prestige" dramas fail at this. They either lean too hard into the action or get bogged down in dry history lessons.
Terence Winter, the mastermind behind the show, had a secret weapon: he understood that the 1920s weren't just about the Mafia. They were about the transition of America from a rural backwater to a global titan. If you’re looking for something that hits those same notes—that intoxicating mix of corruption and charisma—you have to look beyond the surface level.
The Prohibition Hangover: Why We Can't Get Over Atlantic City
There’s a reason Atlantic City worked so well as a setting. It was a "playground," a place where the rules didn't apply. Most shows try to replicate this by just moving the setting to Chicago or New York, but they miss the soul of the thing. The soul was the bureaucracy. It was the way a city treasurer could hold more power than a general.
When searching for TV series like Boardwalk Empire, you’re likely looking for that specific "Empire" building. It’s the thrill of watching someone take a chaotic situation—like a sudden ban on alcohol—and turning it into a literal goldmine.
Peaky Blinders: The British Cousin
You’ve probably seen the memes. Thomas Shelby with a cigarette, looking broodingly into the distance. But if you haven't actually sat down with Peaky Blinders, you’re missing the closest spiritual successor to Nucky’s world. It’s set in the same era, starting just after the Great War.
While Nucky was a politician pretending to be a gangster, Tommy Shelby is a gangster pretending to be a businessman. It’s a subtle flip, but the result is the same: a family-run criminal enterprise trying to go "legit" while the ghosts of their past keep pulling them back into the mud. The cinematography is arguably even better than Boardwalk, though it trades the bright lights of the boardwalk for the soot and grime of Birmingham. Steven Knight, the creator, based much of the lore on his own family's stories, which gives it a grit that feels earned.
The Knick: For the True Period Piece Junkies
If what you loved about Boardwalk Empire was the sheer "lived-in" feel of the past, you need to watch The Knick. It’s directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Clive Owen as a cocaine-addicted surgeon in 1900s New York.
It’s visceral.
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It’s messy.
It’s brilliant.
While it isn’t a "mob show" in the traditional sense, it captures the same feeling of a world on the brink of massive change. The corruption isn't in the booze; it’s in the hospitals, the city councils, and the very blood of the patients. It’s a masterpiece of technical filmmaking and historical world-building.
Breaking Down the "Great Man" Myth
We love a complicated anti-hero. Nucky, Tony Soprano, Don Draper—they all fit the mold. But Boardwalk Empire was unique because it showed how these men were often just cogs in a much larger, much more indifferent machine.
The Wire: The Blueprint of Corruption
If you want to understand the systemic rot that allowed a guy like Nucky Thompson to thrive, you have to watch The Wire. Yeah, I know, everyone tells you to watch The Wire. They tell you because they're right.
It’s not a period piece. It’s Baltimore in the early 2000s. But the DNA is identical. David Simon’s exploration of how the drug trade, the docks, the city hall, and the school system are all interconnected is the modern-day version of the Atlantic City political machine. It’s less about the individual and more about the "game." And as we saw with Jimmy Darmody, the game is rigged.
The Forgotten Gems and New Contenders
Sometimes the best TV series like Boardwalk Empire aren't the ones on the front page of Netflix. You have to dig into the archives of cable networks that took big swings a decade ago.
- Magic City: This was Starz’s attempt at the genre. Set in 1950s Miami, it deals with the transition of power as Castro takes over Cuba and the mob looks for a new base of operations. It’s stylish, sun-drenched, and features Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a role that feels very "Nucky-esque." It only lasted two seasons, but they are a high-octane two seasons.
- Godfather of Harlem: Forest Whitaker plays Bumpy Johnson. It’s set in the 60s, so a bit later than the Prohibition era, but it captures the intersection of crime and the Civil Rights movement. It’s got that same historical "cameo" energy that Boardwalk had—where you’d see a young Lucky Luciano or Al Capone pop up. Here, you get Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
- Warrior: Based on the writings of Bruce Lee and produced by his daughter, Shannon Lee, this show is a sleeper hit. It’s set during the Tong Wars in San Francisco in the late 1800s. It’s got the suits, the corruption, the ethnic tensions, and some of the best choreography on television. It feels like Boardwalk Empire met John Wick in a saloon.
Why "The Sopranos" is Still Relevant Here
It feels redundant to mention, but since Terence Winter wrote for both, the connection is undeniable. If Boardwalk is about the birth of the American Mob, The Sopranos is about its long, slow, depressing funeral. Watching them back-to-back is like reading a two-volume history of a dying empire.
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Tony Soprano is the logical conclusion of the path Nucky started.
The Visual Language of Power
One thing Boardwalk Empire did better than almost anyone was use clothing and architecture to tell the story. The costumes weren't just "old-timey"; they were armor. When Nucky puts on his carnation, he's putting on his mask.
Succession: The Modern Boardroom as the New Boardwalk
You might think I’m crazy for putting a show about media moguls on a list of TV series like Boardwalk Empire. I'm not.
Succession is a gangster show.
The weapons are NDAs and stock buybacks instead of tommy guns, but the stakes are the same: legacy, family betrayal, and the desperate scramble to stay at the top of the mountain. Logan Roy is just Nucky Thompson with a private jet and a foul mouth. The way the Roy children jockey for position mirrors the way the "Young Turks" (Luciano, Lansky, Capone) tried to move in on the old guard.
It’s about the psychology of the 1%. Whether they’re selling illegal gin or 24-hour news cycles, the pathology remains unchanged.
Common Misconceptions About the Genre
People often think that for a show to be like Boardwalk, it has to be about the Mafia. That’s a mistake. The show was actually about the death of the "Victorian" era and the birth of the "Modern" one.
It was about:
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- The changing role of women (Margaret Schroeder’s arc is one of the best in TV history).
- The racial tensions of the Great Migration (Chalky White’s storyline).
- The psychological trauma of WWI (Richard Harrow, the tragic heart of the show).
If a show only gives you guys in suits shooting each other, it’s a shallow imitation. You need the social commentary to make the violence matter.
Perry Mason (The HBO Reboot)
Forget the old black-and-white show your grandparents watched. The HBO reboot starring Matthew Rhys is a dark, noir-soaked look at 1930s Los Angeles. It deals with the aftermath of the oil boom, religious cults, and the deep-seated corruption of the LAPD. It has that same "golden hour" cinematography and a lead character who is fundamentally broken by his past. It’s a detective story, sure, but the atmosphere is pure Boardwalk.
Navigating the History: How Accurate Is It?
One of the joys of watching these shows is Googling the characters afterward. Finding out that Andrew Mellon was a real person, or that the "Big Seven" bootlegging meeting actually happened, adds a layer of depth you don't get with purely fictional stories.
However, Boardwalk Empire took massive liberties.
The real Nucky Johnson (the inspiration for Thompson) didn't actually kill people himself. He was much more of a "glad-handing" politician than a brooding murderer. He was also much larger—a physically imposing man who wore a red carnation every day. Steve Buscemi was a brilliant choice because he brought a different kind of intensity, but the show definitely "mobbed up" the reality to keep things exciting.
When you watch these "similar" shows, keep an eye out for how they blend fact and fiction. Peaky Blinders uses the real-life Billy Kimber and Oswald Mosley, but it twists their timelines to fit the Shelby narrative. That’s the fun of the genre—it’s "history-adjacent."
What to Look for in Your Next Binge
If you’re staring at the "Continue Watching" screen and feeling uninspired, look for these three pillars. If a show has all three, it’ll satisfy that Boardwalk itch:
- Macro-Level World Building: The show should feel like it's about a city or an industry, not just a couple of people.
- Moral Ambiguity: There shouldn't be a "hero." Everyone should be a little bit gross.
- High Production Value: If the suits look cheap, the show will feel cheap. The 1920s-1950s were eras of high style; if the art direction isn't there, the immersion breaks.
Honestly, we might never get another show exactly like Boardwalk Empire. The budget alone for that pilot—directed by Martin Scorsese—was roughly $18 million. That’s insane for a TV episode. But the spirit of the show lives on in anything that dares to look at the ugly, beautiful, corrupt heart of the American Dream.
Actionable Next Steps for the Displaced Fan
To find your next obsession, start by diversifying your streaming search. Don't just look for "Crime." Look for "Period Drama" and "Political Thriller."
- Start with Peaky Blinders (Netflix) if you want the aesthetic and the "tough guy" energy.
- Move to The Knick (Max) if you want the historical grit and high-quality directing.
- Try Warrior (Max/Netflix) if you’re tired of the East Coast and want a fresh perspective on American history with incredible action.
- Watch Succession (Max) if you want to see how the Nucky Thompsons of the world evolved into the billionaires of today.
The boardwalk might be gone, but the hustle remains. Get a good pair of headphones, dim the lights, and dive back into the grey areas of history. You've got plenty of worlds left to explore.