boardwalk-empire-final-season-hbo-eight-episodes-8-sept-7.jpg

As expected and going along with HBO's other swan song series finales like "True Blood" and "Treme," the final season of "Boardwalk Empire" will only have eight episodes when it returns Sept. 7.

(HBO)

Home Box Office announced today that Season 5 of "Boardwalk Empire" will begin Sunday, Sept. 7.

As expected and going along with the pay channel's other swan song series finales like "True Blood" and "Treme," the Prohibition drama's final season will only have eight episodes.

Last month, it was announced that the award-winning drama will jump ahead seven years into the future. "The Depression has set in. The days of the shiny shoes and fancy suits are long gone," Michael Kenneth Williams said at a recent press junket.

Fans of the show have been lamenting its demise and the fact that 'Empire' creator Terrence Winters will be shifting his focus to another HBO project — the Mick Jagger bio series set in the Big Apple during the gritty 1970s. It, too, will be produced by Martin Scorsese and star 'Empire' alum and Emmy-winner Bobby Cannavale (who portrayed psychopath Gyp Rosetti).

A short teaser trailer which debuted a few weeks ago certainly conveyed the message that the final season will be bleak and that politician-turned-gangster Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) may stand alone.

On Thursday, the drama snagged seven Emmy nominations, including one for veteran director and series producer Tim Van Patten in the category of Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode "Farewell Daddy Blues."





FOLLOW STAR-LEDGER ENTERTAINMENT: TWITTER | FACEBOOK