5. Boardwalk Empire
Boardwalk Empire is HBO's latest attempt to make the amount of violence and nudity look class and refined. Starring Steve Buscemi in the main role, Boardwalk Empire is a prohibition gangster piece which means it is not short on violence. Boardwalk Empire has a reputation for killing off main characters in a particularly grisly fashion. The series features scalping, throat slitting, people getting lit on fire and many, many beatings. Boardwalk Empire is heralded as a series with a lot of violence but with a lot of drama and good writing as well. Often called the next Sopranos, we can hopefully continue to see the rare mixture of quality storytelling and exceptional violence in the seasons to come.