HBO sets ‘Boardwalk Empire’ season 4 premiere date, cancels ‘Eastbound & Down’

Well, how’s this for bringing both good and bad news to the table? Let’s start with what you may actually be excited to hear about: The return of “Boardwalk Empire” to HBO!

The network has confirmed that the fourth season of the Steve Buscemi series will premiere on Sunday, September 8, which is what we feel to be a pretty interesting and strategic date. In starting the show off before “Homeland” on Showtime or any of the major networks’ fall series, the objective here is to clearly get as many people as possible hooked before they move over to any other options across the TV schedule. Will it work to bring excitement back to what was once a show that had awards buzz everywhere it went? That still remains to be seen.

Fans of Stephen Merchant may also be thrilled to know that on Sunday, September 29, the premiere of “Hello Ladies” ends up arriving on the network. The show’s about a British man looking for the love of his life in Los Angeles, and we immediately expect hilarity. We also have to say that no network is better to any two people than HBO is to Merchant and his good friend Ricky Gervais.

Finally, we turn to the bad news: After the end of its upcoming fourth season, HBO is going to close the doors on “Eastbound & Down.” It’s a strong series that has never gotten what it deserved, but it also seems like this is the right time to end it, before the scripts become stale and it remains the little cult gem that it has long been considered.

What do you think about all this news? If you want to find out who from “Boardwalk Empire’s” history is coming over to “Homeland,” be sure to visit the link here.

Photo: HBO