‘Boardwalk Empire’ series finale: Can HBO replace series with ‘True Detective,’ something else?

In just a matter of minutes now, the series finale for “Boardwalk Empire” is going to be upon us. With that in mind, we have to wonder something that goes beyond just this great series: What HBO is going to do without it.

There are many who feel like the show is underrated creatively, but in addition to that, there is also plenty who feel like it is also underrated creatively. We also feel that in a way, the series has been relatively underrated from a commercial standpoint. For the past five years, this show has not only been forced to compete against premieres and the best of the best from the major networks in primetime, but also NFL football airing every single Sunday.

Ultimately, this is not going to be an easy show to replace.

Right now, one of the biggest contenders to take this timeslot would have to be “True Detective,” but we feel like ideally, HBO would much rather launch that show in the summer, where there were most-recently some new episodes of “True Blood” on the air. Going against football is something that they probably do not want to wish on it.

Instead, we imagine that the network will use a new drama series for this spot, but they have quite a difficult transition ahead. Basically, the network has lost “Treme,” “True Blood,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “The Newsroom” within a tiny window of time. “The Leftovers” and “Game of Thrones” are really their two most-prominent anchor shows left.

What do you want to see in the “Boardwalk Empire” series finale, and what show do you think should be the best possible replacement for it? Share your thoughts now with a comment. (Photo via HBO.)