If your favorite genre is TV drama, I believe you will not find a better series than "The Sopranos". Why does this series in its genre represent the same thing as the movie “The Godfather”, the album “Astral Weeks” or the novel “The Hunter in the Grain” in its? What makes "The Sopranos" so revolutionary?
Remember what drama TV series looked like before "The Sopranos": the plots were almost as predictable and naive, none of the main characters ever die, you could always draw a clear line between the positives and the negatives, there was no humor either " h”, there was no chance to see naked female breasts or a salvo of juicy swear words (even when it is completely in the function of the script) and perhaps most important of all, any series whose plot took place in modern times and which was based on ordinary mortals who torment ordinary problems - it was so unrealistic and full of illogical holes.
I have never encountered a series that so faithfully imitates life in all its segments before "The Sopranos". There are no sugary problems, forced dialogues, fair FBI heroes, romantic music or love at first sight. If the Italian mafia exists in New York today (rhetorical dilemma), there is no doubt that it looks exactly as Chase described it, letter by letter. And not just the mob - whether Tony Soprano teaches a lesson to his subordinates or quarrels with a woman, whether his team tortures someone or plays golf, whether he talks to his psychologist, has sex with a Russian mistress or punishes son because of bad behavior at school, everything is shown so realistically that at times you have the impression that you are watching a documentary and not a feature series.
In short for those who have not watched:
The Sopranos is an American television series by author and executive producer David Chase. The plot of the series follows the life of Anthony Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), the head of the Italian mafia family Dimeo (later Soprano) in New Jersey and his difficulties in maintaining a balance between his family life and business career in the mafia organization of which he is a member. The series also follows the lives of Tony's family members and his business associates.
The series has six seasons, or eighty-six episodes, and was broadcast from January 10, 1999 to June 10, 2007 on HBO television. Having achieved great commercial and critical success, "The Sopranos" is one of the most successful series in the history of cable television. She is known for her high quality at all levels of production, and is often praised for her screenplay and lead roles. She has won numerous awards, including 21 Emmys and 5 Golden Globes.
Facts you 100% didn't know about the Sopranos!
1. The word "F ... you" was used 437 times in the first season
And it should be borne in mind that this is only one of six seasons. The word is mostly used by Tony Soprano (134 times), Sil 20, Poli 25, Christopher 61, and Tony's wife Carmela five times.
In the second season, that number increased to 715.
2.One of the mobsters in the film was supposed to be Tony, and that role was also considered for Bruce Springsteen
As no one knew what would happen to the series, director David Chase didn't have much of a crowd at the door for the roles. For Tony's place, the choice was reduced to three characters. James Gandolfini (who got it), Michael Raspioli who later played another mobster and Bruce Springsteen. Gandolfini got the role because Chase wanted the series to be a bit dark.
3. Gandolfini was robbed of real gangsters because he wore shorts in the series
During the first season, Chase received a lot of positive reviews, but also a few that he did not hope for. Several real mobsters approved of Tony's appearance in a bathrobe, but not in shorts. The sentence "Don doesn't wear shorts" even entered the series.
4. The series was a hit among gangsters from New Jersey
Even the quality of acting was recognized by the most stubborn mobsters, which one of them told a police informant and all recorded by the FBI. The mobsters even bet which character from the series matched the real character from life.
5.Tony Siriko, one of the actors before the series, would really be a mobster
The man who plays Polly Galteria had connections with the mafia, and he was arrested 28 times before his career in Hollywood. The LA Times published his card which included robbery and possession of weapons. He decided to act in prison.
6. Many of the locations really exist
If you wanted to tour the places in the series, you can definitely do it - because there are. Pizzeria Picalend has had calls from fans of the series from other countries. But one store in the series is fictitiously closing, which excited its real customers, so they had to print an ad in which they say they are still in business.
7. The Sopranos were supposed to be a movie.
At a time when the series was not as popular as it is today, David Chase, author of The Sporano Family, came to HBO with the idea to make a film. HBO still wanted the series, but Chase even after filming the pilot hoped to shoot more material and turn it all into a movie. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for today's fans of the series), HBO did not give up and in the end 86 episodes were recorded.
8.The Sporano family is associated with the movie ,,Good Guys".
Maybe in the end it is good for everything that the series was made and not a movie, because many would probably call it a copy of one of the best gangster movies of all time - Good Guys. The Sporano family has always been compared to this film, and the connection between these two top parts is also in the actors. As many as 28 Good Guys actors have acted during the six seasons of The Sporane Family. Ray Liotta is not among them, but interestingly, he was one of the candidates for the role of Tony!
9.The secrecy of the series' outcome was so great that two versions of important scenes were filmed.
In most of the series, some information about the action is leaked to the public, which the Sporano Family team did not want. Therefore, they filmed two versions of important scenes so that no one, except the inner circle, would know which scene would be in the final version. Drea de Matteo thus filmed the scene in which he dies, but also the scene in which he survives. Until the episode aired, she herself did not know which version would be broadcast, and what her future fate in the series would be.
I hope you were reminded of this phenomenal series by reading my article ... And if you haven't watched it, now is the right time to do it - you won't regret it!
I have never watched this series. Maybe it's time to take a look.