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Steve Buscemi as political fixer and backroom dealer Enoch Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire, premiering on M-Net at 9.30pm today.

An acclaimed new drama series, scheduled to start at 9.30pm today on M-Net, features a pilot episode of note for being the most expensive to produce in television history.

The pilot for the 12-part season is also remarkable in that it has been directed by Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese, who is also the executive producer for the show.

The series is BOARDWALK EMPIRE, a late addition to the M-Net schedule, which stars Steve Buscemi as a political fixer and backroom dealer in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era, when the sale of alcohol became illegal across the United States.

The drama was adapted from a chapter about historical criminal kingpin Enoch “Nucky” Johnson in Nelson Johnson’s book, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City.

The series was created by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producer Terence Winter, of The Sopranos.

Boardwalk Empire has received widespread critical acclaim and high ratings for America’s HBO channel.

The show has been nominated for two Writers’ Guild of America Awards, for best writing in a dramatic series and best writing in a new series.

Also, Boardwalk Empire was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for best dramatic series, while Buscemi was nominated for the award for best actor in a dramatic series. In addition, Kelly MacDonald was nominated for best supporting actress in a series, mini-series or motion picture made for television.

The show revolves around Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson – the surname was changed from Johnson to free the series from having to stick to the man’s real-life path.

Nucky is presented as a political figure who rose to prominence and controlled Atlantic City in the 1920s and 1930s.

According to Wikipedia, Nucky interacts with several historical figures in both his personal and political life, including mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look up to him.

The federal government also takes an interest in the bootlegging and other illegal activities in the area, sending agents to investigate possible mob connections and also looking at Nucky’s lifestyle, which is lavish for a county political figure.

Like the historical Enoch L Johnson, the Nucky of the television series is the second of three crime bosses who head the Republican machine and use racketeering and power politics to control Atlantic City, adds Wikipedia.

However, Terence Winter has stated: “Nelson Johnson’s book was really just a jumping-off point.”

Talking to Total Film magazine, director Scorsese said he had long been looking for “the right project” to make his entry into television drama.

Boardwalk Empire was his inroad, he added, “because it was intelligent, thoughtful and brilliantly put together”.

Boardwalk Empire, which was recently given the nod for a second season, also features Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon, Gretchen Mol, Kelly Graham and Michael Stuhlbarg. - The Mercury