'Boardwalk Empire' Gets a Second Season

Two days after its premiere, HBO has picked up 'Boardwalk Empire' for a second season.

It's not surprising, considering the great numbers that the Prohibition drama posted on Sunday night.

The live viewership total was impressive, with 'Boardwalk' bringing in 4.8 million viewers in the 9PM hour. All told, 7.1 viewers watched the HBO drama on Sunday night, in its first airing and repeat outings.

That's the "largest premiere audience of any program in over six years," according to HBO. The previous record-setter was "Deadwood," which had "The Sopranos" as a lead-in.

"All the ingredients aligned for this one, from Mark Wahlberg and Steve Levinson's initial pitch, to Martin Scorsese's enormous contributions as director and executive producer, to the genius of Terry Winter and the expertise of Tim Van Patten, to a stellar cast led by Steve Buscemi," HBO president Michael Lombardo said in a statement released by HBO. "The response from the media and our viewers has been nothing short of amazing."

Did you enjoy 'Boardwalk Empire'? Check out this review of the show, an Episode 1 recap and an interview with 'Boardwalk Empire' creator Terence Winter, which is here and here.