Courtesy of HBO

Including one very exciting one co-organized and co-presented by Atlantic City Weekly called “Conversations & Storytelling,” which will be followed by a free and open-to-the-public Viewing Party at Caesars on Sept. 19, the night of the premiere of HBO’s upcoming series Boardwalk Empire.

Click here for all the info, plus info about some of the major events planned for the Atlantic City area over next couple months in relation to the show.

While you’re at it join the AC Weekly Boardwalk Empire Fan Club on Facebook to keep up to date on all the news and promotions surrounding the Cable TV series.

The Making of Boardwalk Empire premieres Monday, Aug. 23, on HBO.

Aside from the premiere of the first season of Boardwalk Empire (yes, we said first season because from what we’ve seen, it’s going to be a tremendous success) set for Sunday, Sept. 19, at 9pm on HBO, Atlantic City Weekly has learned that the cable station will also be running a couple of programs related to the new series, based on local judge Nelson Johnson’s book.

According to a spokesperson for HBO, Making Boardwalk Empire will premiere on Aug. 23 at 8:45pm.

And then on Sept. 16 at 9pm,  Atlantic City: The Original Sin City will premiere. This will be a documentary on the city itself. Word has it that several Atlantic City historians — including Atlantic City Weekly columnist (”Waltz Through Time“) Jim Waltzer — have been interviewed over the past few weeks for the program. To read Waltzer’s columns on our Web site, type in the words “Waltz Through Time” in the search bar and you’ll get a list of Waltzer’s articles. (And for all you Atlantic City history buffs out there, look for new “Waltz Through Time” columns starting up in our paper and online soon. Jim Waltzer and Tom Wilk will both be contributing to the column.)

Click here to watch the trailer for the Making Boardwalk Empire show.

Meanwhile, Harrah’s Entertainment has a really cool Web site for its contest, in conjunction with HBO and Boardwalk Empire, for a chance to win access to a Caesars suite for a year (three days a month) and other prizes.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s lawyer appeared in a Seaside Heights courtroom on her behalf Wednesday to enter a not guilty plea for her disorderly persons arrest last month.

Snooki, a star of The Jersey Shore was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and creating a public nuisance, just a day after the show’s second season premiered, but was released a few hours later.

Prosecutors say Polizzi will also face an additional charge of annoying beachgoers.

(Just a note. If “annoying” beachgoers is a crime, sea gulls, as a species, are perpetual felons.)

Jersey Shore is now airing its second season, which was filmed in Miami. Taping of a third season is currently underway back in Seaside.

Snooki’s trial will begin September 8.

And considering how well her mug shot went over the last time we posted it, we had to show it again. Enjoy.

In an interview with the New York Daily News. Michael Lombardo, HBO’s programming president, says that officials at the cable giant feel “strongly” about the soon-to-debut Boardwalk Empire HBO series, which is based on the book by Atlantic County judge Nelson Johnson and which premieres on HBO Sunday, Sept. 19, at 9pm EST.

“We didn’t want to hold it,” Lombardo tells the paper of the series, which gives a close account of Atlantic City in the 1920s and the Prohibition era. “This is a show we felt strongly about and we think it will resonate even in the fall.”

The article, published today, also includes an interview with director Martin Scorsese, who directed the pilot and is one of the show’s executive producers. Scorsese says he would “love” to direct more episodes of Boardwalk Empire — are we talking second season already? — if his busy schedule allows.

He also tells the Daily News why he thinks Prohibition benefited the criminal element.

“It allowed crime figures at the time, Luciano and Capone and Rothstein, to organize to become more powerful,” Scorsese tells the Daily News, “something that pulled all the way through until the 1970s.”

Having watched the first episode, all we can say is that although some of the names have been changed in the cable TV series from the non-fiction book, you’ll hear all of the names mentioned by Scorsese above in the series. Meanwhile, the main character of the series, Enoch Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi (pictured above in the series’ first episode) is based on Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the one-time main man of Atlantic City during its early 20th century heyday.

Read the entire story and interview with Scorsese here.

Reports are that the Jersey Shore cast, who are filming season three in Seaside Heights right now, are so recognizable, they’re having trouble moving around without attracting crowds of fans.

Snooki de-poofed

And yet, that doesn’t seem to have slowed them down at all.

It’s pretty common knowledge that Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was arrested Friday in Seaside for disorderly conduct.

According to the New York Daily News, Snooki gave the Seaside cops hell, cursing and screaming the whole way.

“Do you know who I am? I’m f-ing Snooki! You guys are going to be sorry for this — release me!”

The police did eventually release her that evening. And now they’ve released this delightful mug shot of her.

We can’t help but notice that Snooki’s hair “poof” definitely seems to have been affected by the ordeal.

Michael K. Williams of 'The Wire' is one of many stars in the HBO series.

HBO has finally let the cat out of the bag, officially announcing the premiere date for its new series based on old Atlantic City, Boardwalk Empire.

HBO’s Web site shows that Sept. 19 will be the much anticipated date when the cable station launches its “New Drama Series Coming This Fall. From Terrence Winter and Martin Scorsese Comes an epic drama series set in Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition” — Boardwalk Empire.

In addition to the date, the HBO “Boardwalk Empire” page on its site includes some really cool video clips and additional information on the show based on the book by Nelson Johnson.

Read this AC Weekly interview with Terence Winter from a few months back, this tasty tidbit on the launch of the show and its relation to Atlantic City area restaurants, and this post catching Boardwalk Empire author and Atlantic County judge Nelson Johnson at a book signing in Margate in late March 2009. In fact, if you type in “Nelson Johnson” in the main search box on the acweekly.com home page, you get “24″ results, all of which include coverage of the soon-to-be-debuted TV series, the pilot of which was directed by Martin Scorsese.

Now here’s a fascinating thought; I’m just thinking how small the world actually is: Marty Scorsese is involved in this HBO project, which takes place in Atlantic City.

Now, back in 1978, Scorsese directed the classic rock film The Last Waltz, which featured the Band, a group that came together only after Levon Helm and his band the Hawks were playing a summer-long Jersey Shore gig in the town of Somers Point (about 15 minutes outside of Atlantic City) at a club called Tony Mart’s. Bob Dylan, in the summer of 1965,  heard about them and would eventually recruit them to become his first touring electric band on a tour that would literally change the course of rock ‘n’ roll history.

But Scorsese knows this story all too well. He’s interviewed the members of the Band many times ( and became very close with one of its members, Robbie Robertson) and made two films relating to the subjects: The Last Waltz (1978) and Bob Dylan:No Direction Home (2005).

And here’s another connection! The Band — and Levon Helm especially, even to this day — is famous for its version of the classic Bruce Springsteen song “Atlantic City.” (And another connection within a connection. Atlantic City Weekly editor Jeff Schwachter played the song “Atlantic City” at Atlantic City Weekly’s 35th birthday party last year at The Pool at Harrah’s, but getting a little carried away now…)

But it’s interesting to think about how strong Scorsese’s connection to our area actually is — he also filmed 1986’s The Color of Money in Atlantic City — and how much of that contributed to, affected or helped his work as executive director of the series and the director of the series’ pilot.

Back to the date: Yes, you will start seeing Atlantic City area folks getting very excited about this show soon. And with everybody calling Boardwalk Empire the “next Sopranos,” Sept. 19 is going to be one important date.

Boardwalk Empire. Sunday, Sept. 19. 9pm. See you there.

Craig Kilborn is returning to TV

With this week’s cover story interview with charasmatic late night TV show host Craig Ferguson, we thought you might be interested in this related news update.

Craig Kilborn is coming back to TV!

That’s right, the King of 5 Questions will be back on the air soon.

the cast of Jerseylicious

This Wednesday (June 30), everyone is invited to Resorts’ retro nightclub Boogie Nights as the cast of Jerseylicious will be partying and filming an episode of the new reality show
that airs on The Style Network on Sundays at 10pm. Scenes will be filmed at Boogie Nights 10pm-midnight Wednesday, and everyone is encouraged to attend and act as “extras” alongside the cast members. Admission to Boogie Nights is free and entrance to the club will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Additionally, the show producers will be speaking with anyone who might like to be a part of the show in the future. Jerseylicious will also be taping in Resorts’ hotel, casino, and its acclaimed Capriccio restaurant both Wednesday and Thursday nights, June 30 and July 1.

Seems the upcoming HBO series Boardwalk Empire, based on the book by local judge and author Nelson Johnson, and co-created by Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — who Atlantic City Weekly chatted with earlier this year — has inspired local restaurants in the Atlantic City region to join together and do something very special a week prior to the first episode of Boardwalk Empire, which should be sometime in Septemeber according to HBO.

What we’ve heard from a very reliable source is that about 30 local restaurants will offer “Prohibition-style prix-fixe menus” with $19.20 specials during the week leading up to the Boardwalk Empire premiere. Sounds like a really cool idea and something similar to what Atlantic City Weekly columnist Pinky Kravitz wrote about a little while back.

Stay tuned for more Boardwalk Empire related news at acweekly.com.

Michael K. Williams in the days of Omar

We stopped in for lunch at the always enticing Megan’s Good Grub & Pub on the Atlantic City Boardwalk today.

While nibbling on one of those amazing pickles that Megan’s serves up , we noticed an awfully familiar looking man outside the restaurant, coming up the Boardwalk’s stairs with a little black dog.

Turns out it was none other than Michael Kenneth Williams, who played “Omar” in one of the best shows in the history of the world, The Wire on HBO. Williams was in Atlantic City today for a photo shoot for GQ magazine — some of which was shot upstairs at Megan’s on the Boardwalk — in relation to his starring role in the upcoming HBO series, Boardwalk Empire, based on the story of the same name by local author Nelson Johnson.

One of the show’s producers, the pilot of which was directed by Martin Scorsese, Terry Winter, was in Atlantic City in March at the Atlantic City Hotel and Lodging Association’s Spring Gala with some other folks from HBO. Nelson Johnson, who was also at the March gala, spoke to an audience and signed copies of Boardwalk Empire back on March 28 at the Margate Public Library.

As HBO tells Atlantic City Weekly, the first episode of Boardwalk Empire, which was not shot in Atlantic City, but in Brooklyn rather, is slated for sometime in September. We are psyched.