The 2010s have become known as the Golden Era of Television. In no less than 20 years, shows such as “Breaking Bad,” “Game of Thrones,” “Mad Men,” “House of Cards,” “Lost,” “The Americans” and many others have revolutionized what was formerly thought of as a sound formula. They made it possible for different kinds of stories to be told in a medium that was accessible to more people and did not face the same kind of restrictions that feature films did. All of these shows, however, owe their allegiance and existence to one show. In 1999, HBO, at the time really only known for comedy and boxing specials, as well as a few lesser-known TV series, took a gamble on a show about a New Jersey mafia boss and family man, which would go on to revolutionize the TV landscape. That show was “The Sopranos.”
“The Sopranos” was conceptualized by creator David Chase in the mid ‘90s, during his time working on shows like “Northern Exposure” and “The Rockford Files.” Originally picturing it as a movie, Chase explained in interviews that it would be about a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother. Upon input from his manager Lloyd Braun, he decided to adapt it into a TV series. After signing a development deal in 1995 with production company Brillstein-Grey, he wrote the original pilot script, drawing heavily from his personal life and his experiences growing up in New Jersey.
The pilot was shot in 1997, with James Gandolfini (“Enough Said”), at the time a character actor who had appeared in several bit-parts in major films throughout the ‘90s, being cast in the lead role of Tony Soprano. The rest of the cast featured the likes of Edie Falco (“Nurse Jackie”) as his wife, Carmela; Jamie Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler as his two children Meadow and Anthony Jr.; Lorraine Bracco (“Rizzoli and Isles”) as Dr. Jennifer Melfi, his therapist; and Nancy Marchand (“The Naked Gun 33: The Final Insult”) as his vindictive, domineering mother, Livia. On the crime side of things, Dominic Chianese (“Boardwalk Empire”) was cast as Tony’s uncle and mafia superior, Corrado aka Junior, while Michael Imperioli, Steven van Zandt, Tony Sirico and Vincent Pastore rounded out the cast as Tony’s mafia associates Christopher Moltisanti, Silvio Dante, Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri and Sal “Big P**sy” Bonpensiero.
The show premiered on Jan. 10, 1999, and would continue on for six more seasons until the infamous cut-to-black on June 10, 2007. The show drew praise from critics and audiences alike for its staunchly realistic yet darkly comical portrayal of gangsters. One of the key points that helped to define the show’s identity was to dive deep into what made these gangsters tick. An essential theme of the show that was presented constantly throughout its run was its ode to previous gangster films, as the characters would usually be seen either watching or referencing gangster classics as “The Godfather” trilogy, “Goodfellas” and others. Chase wanted to reinforce the idea that most of audience’s perceptions when it comes to these films are usually over-glorified and unrealistic, as these people’s lives are far from the romantic, idealized and almost epic struggles of Michael Corleone or Henry Hill.
But a TV show is only as good as its lead character, and long before Walter White graced people’s screens, there was Tony Soprano, and still to this day, Gandolfini’s portrayal of the capo turned crime lord is one of the best that TV has to offer. His subtle inflections combined with his larger-than-life size, personality and charm were all used as a brilliant cover for his larger blow-up moments, which became more and more frequent as the show went on. Gandolfini as Soprano simultaneously embodied the best and worst of all of us as human beings, one minute cheering for his kids at their sporting events, the next brutally beating up somebody who owes him money. One minute he is buying his wife some gaudy, overly expensive bit of clothing or jewelry, the next cheating on her with various women. But the thing that always kept him anchored down, that kept us coming back week after week, was the fact that above all else, he was a human being with flaws and insecurities, despite committing some pretty heinous acts over the years.
Twenty years later, and the show is still one of the most talked about facets of popular culture. Everything from the writing, to the cast, to the set design, to the themes still hold up to this day. Gandolfini sadly passed away in 2013, but his presence is still felt in arguably the greatest TV performance of all time. All the episodes are available to watch on HBO Now and Amazon Prime. Happy 20th, Sopranos.
Image from Variety via YouTube
