'Boardwalk Empire' Rolls The Dice, Gets Renewed For A Second Season After One Episode

7.1 million HBO viewers can’t be wrong.

Boasting the largest numbers of a debut show on HBO since “Deadwood” in 2004, the network has gone ahead and renewed the Martin Scorsese-produced “Boardwalk Empire” for a second season, after just one episode.

The series, written by “The Sopranos” scribe Terence Winter, uses Nelson Johnson’s book, “Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City,” as a jumping off point to explore Atlantic City in the roaring ’20s. The series will detail the life and exploits of Nucky Thompson, who is based on the real-life Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the “boss” of the Republican political machine that controlled Atlantic City from 1911 to 1941. The ridiculously stacked cast includes Steve Buscemi, Gretchen Mol, Michael Shannon, Michael Pitt, Michael K. Williams and Dabney Coleman. Martin Scorsese directed the pilot that got everyone excited.

We were already looking forward to this and it looks like this is another HBO series we’re going to have to try and find some time for.