my issue with boardwalk empire, and i have been advised to pick it back up, is that it seems very contrived. Seems like a cross between The Godfather epic and Hello Dolly, and Hello Dolly is more prominent. It just seemed as though they were trying TOO hard to make you believe it was a period piece. I know that sounds weird because it is a period piece, but i cannot get past the feeling i am watching a broadway musical in most of the crowd scenes, specifically.