‘Boardwalk Empire’ season 5 will be its last, HBO, executive producer confirm

Who knew that Thursday was going to mark such a rainstorm of HBO-related news? First we had the premiere date confirmed for “Game of Thrones” season 4, and now we have the confirmation that “Boardwalk Empire” is going to come to a close after its fifth season airing this fall.

We have to say first of all that this really surprised us. We know that the show is very expensive to make and isn’t necessarily a ratings monster, but it does well in alternative viewing throughout the week. Plus, it has a diehard following. Maybe this was just a decision by the parties involved that they don’t want the show to be driven into the ground to the point where viewers stop caring.

In a statement, executive producer / showrunner Terence had the following to say:

“We’re thrilled to get the go-ahead for a fifth season of BOARDWALK EMPIRE. After much discussion with my creative team and HBO, we’ve decided to wrap up the series after such a great run and look forward to bringing it to a powerful and exciting conclusion.”

Now what does make this announcement very risky is this: With “Boardwalk Empire” and “True Blood” ending, “Game of Thrones” is suddenly the only drama on the schedule that is a sure thing. You better be super confident that you have some hits with the likes of “True Detective” and “The Leftovers,” since you are otherwise riding a massive fire-breathing dragon year-round … and that dragon is going to need to take a breather here and there if George R.R. Martin hasn’t finished his next book within the next couple of years. (Ironically, Martin will transform into a fire-breathing dragon if you try to ask him when the next one of his books is going to be completed.)

What do you think about this announcement? Surprised? Share below.