Champagne flutes overflow for superb ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Season One

“BOARDWALK EMPIRE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”

Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2011, unrated but this is HBO, so no holds barred regarding violence, nudity and language

Best extra: The high-definition “Atlantic City” documentary

WHAT A PACKAGE HBO has put together in this box set! A five disc set containing 12 episodes boast such producers and directors such as Martin Scorsese, Tim Van Patten and Mark Wahlberg, as well as writing by “Sopranos” alum Terence Winter. Back that up with fine performances by Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Pitt, Dabney Coleman and Gretchen Mol, to name the most familiar, and you’ll be irresistibly hooked.

The series takes place in 1920s Atlantic City, starting at the dawn of Prohibition. Buscemi stars as Nucky Thompson, the county treasurer who gets progressively richer thanks to his involvement in rum-running, speakeasies, gambling and prostitution. Along the way, he encounters young thugs named Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. And while, at times, it may seem that “Boardwalk Empire’s” creators try to too hard to include every issue and take every liberty conceivable, the series is certain to keep viewers entranced by its high production values, good writing and layered characters.

As far as the video and audio qualities of the Blu-ray discs, they look and sound state-of-the-art perfect. Within seconds of Episode One, viewers feel immersed in the seedy, glittery, dangerous, gaudy world of the “adult Disneyland” of the 1920s. It all seems, in a word, real, down to the tiniest detail. The soundtrack has the feel of authenticity as well, from the Eddie Cantor and Sophie Tucker sound-alikes to the constant clamor on the daytime boardwalk and the small hours, when it’s quiet save for squawking seagulls and breaking waves.

HBO went out of its way to make this set stand out from the rest with terrific extras. The “Enhanced Viewing” feature on each episode includes frequent picture-in-picture video, textual or photographic reference material. Viewers can even select a scene with music in it and hear the entire piece performed. “Character Dossiers” provide back stories on the many cast members (historical and fictional), with links to the other characters in their orbits. Six commentaries are done by a variety of actors, writers, directors or producers. The documentaries, all in HD and rarely repetitive, include a lively “Speakeasy Tour” in which selected “BE” actors appear in Chicago and New York, visiting sites or surviving nightspots that served as 1920s and ’30s bars.

A brief “making-of” documentary is meaty, and “Creating the Boardwalk” describes how the production and CGI team worked to fabricate the marvelous set. Most comprehensive is a documentary on the history of Atlantic City. Interviews with historians, archivists, producers, writers, directors and actors provide a rich background and context to the drama. Most fun is discovering how much of the series is based on fact, down to the real Nucky (Johnson). Insights into the lure of Atlantic City’s respite from the grimy slums of New York City summers, into Prohibition’s reality (“to discipline the working class; the wealthy knew they could always get booze”) and the birth of organized crime, make this feature essential viewing.

No date has been given by HBO for the release of “Season Two” on Blu-ray and DVD, but judging from the first, they’re sure to fly off the shelves.

— Peggy Earle

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