Boardwalk Empire To Have Reduced Final Season?

Do you have your salt handy, because you may be needing a pinch.

But Screen Crush are reporting that Boardwalk Empire's fifth season may be its last - and that it may only stretch for eight episodes.

Before you panic too much, Screen Crush are claiming that this comes from "a reliable source at 4Chan" [a contradiction in terms if ever there was one...], so it's not official, although apparently the leaker has been bang on the money with HBO scoops before.

According to the report, showrunner Terence Winter’s interest in moving on to his Mick Jagger-produced, Bobby Cannavale-starring record executive drama could take Winter off ‘Boardwalk Empire’ after the fifth season, while HBO works internally to set a number of episodes for the likely final season.

Says the 4Chan source: "It’s not official yet. It’s just rumblings I’ve heard throughout the office. First it was 10 episodes, then maybe 9 and now I believe they’ve settled on 8. This probably won’t be announced for some time until HBO figures out their schedule and budgets I’m sure but I’ve been told that 5 will be the last season." He probably then went on to show everyone the drawing he'd done of Fluttershy being gang-raped by a horde of mutant octopi.

The source may be dubious to say the least, but the scenario itself is actually pretty damn plausible, worryingly enough.

I'm a firm believer that no show should go on longer than the creators want, and I hate things to get dragged beyond their sell-by date, but seriously...

...Is eight episodes really enough to wrap all this up in?