Terence Winter, Boardwalk Empire

At this month’s Golden Globes, the first person actor Steve Buscemi named on the red carpet was Terence Winter.

Winter, one of the key writers on US mobster drama The Sopranos, is the executive producer and showrunner on the most critically acclaimed series of 2010, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, in which Buscemi stars.

The drama, set amid corrupt politicians and hoodlums in 1920s Atlantic City, included the most expensive pilot in TV history, at a cost of $18m (£11.4m).

It was also the first episode of scripted TV directed by Oscar-winning film-maker Martin Scorsese in nearly 25 years, and made such an impact that broadcaster HBO ordered 11 more instalments - at a rumoured cost of $65m - and announced a second season less than two days after it aired.

The gamble has paid off. Buscemi, who plays corrupt politician and central character Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson, picked up the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama series, while the show was named best drama series.

For Winter, it is the latest highlight in a career that started with writing for Bill Cosby and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Dream collaboration

Broadcast caught up with Winter ahead of Boardwalk Empire’s UK premiere on new channel Sky Atlantic, asking first how the series came about.

“Near the end of my time on The Sopranos, HBO approached me with this book, Boardwalk Empire, which had been optioned by Mark Wahlberg and his business partner Steve Levinson,” says Winter.

“They asked me to read it and get my thoughts on whether there was a series in there. The book goes through the history of Atlantic City from the 19th century, when it was a swamp, to the present, so anything could have come of it.

“As I was on my way out, they said, ‘By the way, if you find a series in there, Martin Scorsese is attached’. Believe me, I was going to find a series.”

As David Chase’s long-time number two on The Sopranos, it is no surprise to learn that Winter had long been interested in the world of gangsters. Focusing on the prohibition era and the real-life character of Nucky Johnson (fictionalised as Thompson) meant an opportunity to move away from The Sopranos’ contemporary world, but stay in his area of expertise.

Scorsese, who stunned Winter with Taxi Driver in 1977 and has had his share of gangster film-making with modern classics such as Goodfellas and Casino, was a dream collaborator.

“Meeting Marty was a big moment for me, but he was extremely approachable and full of ideas,” Winter recalls. “Our producers and [director] Tim Van Patten would watch countless gangster films with him, while he gave his own personal commentary. From designing the look of the show to the tone, set design and costumes, Marty was very hands-on.”

Scorsese and Winter continued to speak every Sunday throughout production of the series, discussing what had been filmed during the week and future scripts.

Winter was also reunited with production designer Bob Shaw, who not only worked on The Sopranos, but also award-winning AMC drama Mad Men, set in the world of 1960s ad men on Madison Avenue.

Despite the mammoth budget, there were still restrictions on what could be tackled during production. “Every time we’re on the Boardwalk set, it’s hugely expensive,” says Winter. “There are extras and CGI as well as our actors, all on this gigantic set. It just involves a lot of planning.”

With the show’s US debut gaining the highest ratings for any HBO premiere since 2004’s Deadwood, and its place at the heart of Sky Atlantic’s schedule in the UK, it is clear Winter has made the successful transition from writer to showrunner. The work now turns to developing season two, building on the momentum of the first and mining more of Nucky’s story.

“I feel like I came in at the end of something,” said Tony, early on in The Sopranos. For Winter and Boardwalk Empire, this is just the beginning.

Boardwalk Empire premieres on Sky Atlantic at 9pm on 1 February