The Sopranos
The Sopranos aired on HBO from the 10th of January 1999 to the 10th of June 2007. It ran for six seasons and 86 episodes. At its center is Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, a New Jersey Mafia boss who suffers panic attacks. Reluctantly, he starts seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco. In her office, he slowly talks about the strain of balancing a family with a criminal career. Media commentators have credited the series with ushering in the Second Golden Age of Television. How did a story first imagined as a movie, and turned down by Fox, become a landmark? Who were the largely unknown actors who carried it? And what did creator David Chase do in the final minutes that left viewers arguing for years?
By 1996, David Chase was a coveted showrunner. He had worked in television for more than 20 years, with credits on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Switch, The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away and Northern Exposure. He shared an Emmy in 1978 for The Rockford Files and won another for writing the 1980 television film Off the Minnesota Strip. Even so, he was frustrated at being unable to break out of television and into film.
Chase first imagined a feature film about "a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother". His manager, Lloyd Braun, offered input, and Chase decided to adapt the idea as a series. In 1995 he signed a development deal with the production company Brillstein-Grey and wrote the original pilot script.
Chase grew up in an Italian-American family in New Jersey, and he tried to apply his own "family dynamic to mobsters". Tony's stormy relationship with his mother, Livia, is partly based on Chase's relationship with his own mother. Chase was in psychotherapy at the time, and he modeled Jennifer Melfi on his own psychiatrist.
Organized crime had fascinated Chase since childhood, when he witnessed such people growing up. He was also raised on classic gangster films such as The Public Enemy and on the crime series The Untouchables. The show is partly inspired by the Richard Boiardo family, a prominent New Jersey crime family in his youth. It also draws on New Jersey's DeCavalcante family. Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams influenced the writing, while Federico Fellini shaped the cinematic style. The series took its name from high school friends of Chase.
Chase and producer Brad Grey pitched the show to several networks. Fox showed interest but passed after Chase presented the pilot script. According to Chase, CBS was "fine with all the break-ins and crime" but asked, "does he have to go to a psychiatrist?"
Chris Albrecht, president of HBO Original Programming, agreed to finance a pilot, and Chase directed it himself in 1997. After HBO executives saw it, the project sat on hold for several months. During that wait, Chase considered asking HBO for money to shoot 45 more minutes of footage and release The Sopranos as a feature film. Instead, in December 1997, HBO decided to make the series. It ordered 12 more episodes for a 13-episode first season, and the show premiered with the pilot, titled "The Sopranos".
Robert Baer, a North Jersey prosecutor and municipal judge, filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Chase in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey. Baer alleged that he had helped to create the show. He said he introduced Chase to Tony Spirito, a restaurateur and gambler with alleged mob ties. He also named Thomas Koczur, a homicide detective with the Elizabeth, New Jersey police department. Baer argued that Chase's interviews and tours with both men strongly inspired some characters, settings and storylines. Baer lost the suit but won a ruling that a jury should decide what he was owed as a location scout, researcher and story consultant. On the 19th of December 2007, a federal jury found against Baer and dismissed all of his claims.
The 1990 Martin Scorsese gangster film Goodfellas shares 27 actors with The Sopranos. They include main cast members Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico. Many of the actors are Italian American, and many come from the New York metropolitan area, like the characters they play. The casting directors were Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe, and the main cast came together through auditions and readings.
Michael Imperioli beat out several actors to play Christopher Moltisanti. Chase wanted him because of his performance in Goodfellas, but Imperioli could not tell. He said Chase had "a poker face, so I thought he wasn't into me, and he kept giving me notes and having me try it again, which often is a sign that you're not doing it right."
James Gandolfini was invited to audition for Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw a short clip of him in the 1993 film True Romance. Bracco had played the mob wife Karen Hill in Goodfellas, and she was first asked to play Carmela Soprano. She chose Dr. Melfi instead because she wanted to try something different. She felt the highly educated psychiatrist would be more of a challenge.
Tony Sirico had a criminal history, and he agreed to play Paulie Walnuts so long as the character was never a "rat". Sirico had originally auditioned for Uncle Junior alongside Frank Vincent, but Dominic Chianese landed that role.
Steven Van Zandt came to the show by a different route. Chase noticed his humorous presence when Van Zandt inducted The Rascals into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Van Zandt, a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, had never acted. He auditioned for Tony, but HBO felt the part should go to an experienced actor. Chase wrote him a new role as the consigliere Silvio Dante. Van Zandt's real-life spouse, Maureen, was cast as Silvio's on-screen wife, Gabriella.
The first-season cast was largely unknown, with the exceptions of Bracco, Chianese and Nancy Marchand. Later seasons added established actors Joe Pantoliano, Robert Loggia, Steve Buscemi and Frank Vincent. Guest stars included Lauren Bacall, Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Julianna Margulies and Sydney Pollack. One casting idea never happened. Chase approached Ray Liotta about appearing in the third or fourth season, but the plan did not work out. Liotta eventually played two of the Moltisanti brothers in the later prequel film.
David Chase served as showrunner and head writer for all six seasons. He is noted as a very controlling, demanding and specific producer. He wrote or co-wrote between two and seven episodes per season. He oversaw all the editing, consulted with episode directors, gave actors their character motivation, and approved casting choices and set designs. He also did extensive but uncredited rewrites of episodes written by others. Brad Grey was an executive producer alongside him but had no creative input on the show.
Chase handpicked many of the creative team, including old friends and colleagues. Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, a married couple, worked as writers and producers from the first to the fifth season. They had worked with Chase before on Northern Exposure. Terence Winter joined the writing staff during the second season and became an executive producer from season five onwards. He had practiced law for two years before turning to screenwriting, and writer Frank Renzulli brought him to Chase's attention.
Matthew Weiner arrived for the fifth and sixth seasons as a staff writer and producer. In 2000 he wrote a script for the series Mad Men, and it was passed to Chase. Chase was so impressed that he immediately offered Weiner a writing job. Two cast members also wrote for the show. Michael Imperioli wrote five episodes across seasons two through five, and Toni Kalem, who played Angie Bonpensiero, wrote one episode in season five.
In total, 20 writers or writing teams are credited with episodes. Eight of them wrote a sole episode. The most prolific were Chase with 30 credited episodes, including story credits, and Winter with 25. Green and Burgess wrote 22 together, Weiner wrote 12, and Renzulli wrote nine.
Tim Van Patten directed the most episodes, with 20. John Patterson directed 13, Allen Coulter 12 and Alan Taylor nine, all with television backgrounds. Steve Buscemi and Peter Bogdanovich, both recurring cast members, also directed episodes. Chase himself directed the pilot and the series finale. Both were photographed by the original director of photography, Alik Sakharov, who later alternated episodes with Phil Abraham.
The show's photography is noted for its feature film quality. Chase described how he and Sakharov achieved it: "From the pilot, we would sit down with the whole script and break the scenes down into shots. That's what you do with feature films."
Chase personally chose every piece of music on the show, working with producer Martin Bruestle and music editor Kathryn Dayak. Sometimes they also consulted Steven Van Zandt. Songs were usually picked after an episode had been shot and edited, though on occasion a sequence was filmed to match a song chosen in advance.
The opening theme is the Chosen One Mix of "Woke Up This Morning", written, remixed and performed by the British band Alabama 3. With few exceptions, a different song plays over the closing credits of each episode. "Living on a Thin Line" by The Kinks plays repeatedly in the season three episode "University". "Glad Tidings" by Van Morrison does the same in the season five finale, "All Due Respect". Andrea Bocelli's "Con te partirò" returns several times whenever the story turns to Carmela. The show also has very little original incidental music, unlike most television programs.
Two soundtrack albums followed. The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series arrived in 1999 and reached No. 54 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The double-disc Peppers & Eggs came in 2001 with songs and selected dialogue from the first three seasons. It reached No. 38. The song choice for the series finale also drew attention. Journey granted the rights to "Don't Stop Believin'" with one request, that the scene contain no violence or deaths.
Most exterior scenes were filmed on location in New Jersey. Most interiors were shot at Silvercup Studios in New York City, including the Soprano home interiors, the back room of the strip club Bada Bing! and Dr. Melfi's office. In the pilot, the pork store was an actual butcher shop in Elizabeth, New Jersey, called Centanni's Meat Market. After HBO picked up the series, the producers leased a building with a storefront in Kearny, New Jersey, and renamed it Satriale's Pork Store. The building was demolished after the series ended.
The real Bada Bing! is a club called Satin Dolls on Route 17 in Lodi, New Jersey. It kept operating during the eight years of filming, under a business arrangement with the owner. Locations manager Mark Kamine recalls that the owner was "very gracious" as long as shooting did not "conflict with his business time". The exterior and some interior shots of the Soprano house were filmed at a private residence in North Caldwell, New Jersey.
The title sequence shows Tony emerging from the Lincoln Tunnel, passing a tollbooth for the New Jersey Turnpike, and driving past landmarks around Newark and Jersey City. It ends with him pulling into the driveway of his suburban home. Chase wanted to show that this mafia show was about New Jersey, not New York, where most similar dramas are set. In the first three seasons, a shot of the World Trade Center towers appeared in Tony's right side-view mirror. After the September 11 attacks, the shot was removed beginning with season four. In a 2010 issue of TV Guide, readers ranked the sequence No. 10 among TV's top credits sequences. The Simpsons later parodied it in the episode "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge", with Fat Tony driving out of a Springfield tunnel.
Carmela Soprano, played by Edie Falco, publicly denies her husband's business while enjoying the affluent lifestyle and higher social status it brings. His constant infidelity strains the marriage. Their children are Meadow, played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Anthony Jr., known as A.J., played by Robert Iler. Both eventually learn of their father's criminal activities and reputation.
Tony's blood relatives are no easier. His mother, Livia, played by Nancy Marchand, is narcissistic and manipulative. His sister Janice, played by Aida Turturro, is aimless and histrionic. His uncle Corrado, called Junior and played by Dominic Chianese, is chronically frustrated that he is not the boss, despite old-school mob traditions of seniority. His cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is immature and hot-headed, and he is a chronic substance abuser.
In Tony's closest circle are Silvio Dante, his consigliere and best friend, and Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, a short-tempered aging soldier who is fiercely loyal to Tony. Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, a veteran gangster, runs an automotive body shop. In New York City, the Lupertazzi crime family does a lot of business with Tony's organization. Its figures include Johnny Sack, Phil Leotardo and Little Carmine Lupertazzi Jr. Johnny Sack prefers deals to war, but Phil Leotardo is less friendly and harder to do business with.
The first season turns on a family betrayal. Junior falls for Livia's subtle manipulation and orders an attempt on Tony's life. The assassination is botched, and Tony confronts his mother, who appears to have a psychologically triggered stroke. In season two, a food poisoning incident gives Tony vivid dreams, and he comes to terms with his suspicion that Big Pussy is an FBI informant. He searches Pussy's bedroom under false pretenses and finds damning evidence. Then he kills Pussy on a boat, with help from Silvio and Paulie, and the body is disposed of at sea.
Season three brings Ralph Cifaretto, a clever, ambitious top earner. In a cocaine-induced rage, he beats his pregnant girlfriend Tracee to death. Tony, who had come to care for her, beats Ralph in front of the entire family, violating the traditional mafia code. Livia dies of a stroke before she can testify against her son. Dr. Melfi is raped by a stranger in a parking complex. She considers asking Tony to deal out his brand of justice and ultimately decides against it.
In season four, Tony strangles Ralph to death after coming to believe Ralph set a stable fire that killed their racehorse, Pie-O-My. Adriana La Cerva, Christopher's girlfriend, learns that her friend is an undercover FBI agent. She is pressured into becoming an informant. Carmela throws Tony out, and Tony decides to quit therapy, parting amicably with Dr. Melfi.
Season five brings Tony's cousin Tony Blundetto out of prison, committed to going straight. A war between Johnny Sack and Little Carmine pulls him back in. Adriana confesses her FBI role to Christopher, who tells Tony, and Silvio drives her into the woods and executes her. Tony later tracks his cousin to their Uncle Pat's farm and executes him.
Season six runs from 2006 to 2007. A senile Uncle Junior shoots Tony at home, and in a coma Tony dreams he is a salesman who has swapped identities with a man named Kevin Finnerty. Vito Spatafore is outed as gay, and Phil Leotardo brutally executes him. Christopher dies when Tony suffocates him after a car accident that Christopher caused while driving under the influence of narcotics. A.J. attempts suicide in the backyard pool. Colleagues convince Dr. Melfi that Tony may be using therapy to excuse his own actions, and she drops him as a patient. When Tony assaults a Lupertazzi soldier, Phil starts an open war that costs Bobby Baccalieri his life and leaves Silvio in a coma. Tony visits Junior for the first time since the shooting. He does not forgive him, but he understands the full extent of his dementia. Tony's lawyer then tells him that subpoenas are being delivered to New Jersey and New York crews alike.
HBO was available in significantly fewer American homes than the regular networks. Even so, The Sopranos was a major ratings success, and it frequently drew audiences equal to or larger than those of popular network shows. Nielsen figures show a season one average of 3.46 million, while the season four premiere reached 13.43 million. Before January 2004, Nielsen reported aggregate numbers for cable networks. That means the first four seasons' estimates include people watching HBO channels other than the main one.
The series holds a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 94 out of 100 on Metacritic. Vanity Fair contributor Peter Biskind called it "perhaps the greatest pop-culture masterpiece of its day". New Yorker editor David Remnick called it "the richest achievement in the history of television." In 2002, TV Guide ranked it fifth on its list of the Top 50 TV Shows of All Time, when the series was only in its fourth season. In 2007, the UK's Channel 4 named it the greatest television series of all time.
The rankings kept coming. The Writers Guild of America named it the best-written television series of all time in 2013. Rolling Stone ranked it first on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows in 2016 and again in 2022. The Guardian put it first on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century in September 2019. Empire placed it at number one in 2021. Critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked it the second greatest American series in their 2016 book TV (The Book), behind only The Simpsons.
At the Emmys, The Sopranos was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series every year it was eligible, and it was the first cable series ever nominated. It lost in 1999, 2000-2001 and 2003. The Practice won the first time, and The West Wing won the last three. In 2004 The Sopranos won, becoming the first cable series to take the award. It won again in 2007, the first drama series since Upstairs, Downstairs in 1977 to win after it had finished airing.
The writing earned 21 Emmy nominations and six wins, three of them for Chase. James Gandolfini and Edie Falco were each nominated six times and each won three awards. Joe Pantoliano won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2003. Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo won supporting Emmys in 2004. The show won at least one Emmy for acting in every eligible year except 2006 and 2007.
The show also won Peabody Awards in 1999 and 2000. Only Northern Exposure and The West Wing have also won in consecutive years. It won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2000. In 2001 the American Psychoanalytic Association honored the producers and writers for "the artistic depiction of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy". It also honored Lorraine Bracco for creating "the most credible psychoanalyst ever to appear in the cinema or on television."
Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad, said in 2013, shortly after Gandolfini's death, "Without Tony Soprano, there would be no Walter White." Time editor James Poniewozik wrote in 2007 that the show "showed just how complex and involving TV storytelling could be, inspiring an explosion of ambitious dramas on cable and off." Hal Boedeker of PopMatters named Six Feet Under, The Shield, Rescue Me and Big Love among the series it ushered in.
Matthew Weiner said his own Mad Men pilot changed after he saw how seriously David Chase took real human behavior. He pointed to the episode "Maidenform" and how Peggy Olson's baby affects her. The series also helped establish HBO as a producer of critically acclaimed original series.
The show has also faced sustained criticism. The National Italian American Foundation, Order Sons of Italy in America, Unico National and the Italic Institute of America voiced concern that it presents a distorted and harmful stereotype of Italian Americans. In 2000, Essex County Executive James Treffinger denied the producers permission to film in the county-owned South Mountain Reservation. He argued that the show depicts Italian Americans "in stereotypical fashion". In 2002, organizers of the New York City Columbus Day Parade won an injunction preventing Mayor Michael Bloomberg from inviting cast members.
A national survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind in August 2001 polled 800 people. Of them, 37 percent said they watched regularly. Of those viewers, 65 percent, or 192 people, disagreed that the show portrayed Italian Americans negatively. Professor Camille Paglia, who is Italian American herself, called the depiction inaccurate, inauthentic and dated. Chase defended the show, saying, "It is not meant to stereotype all Italian Americans, only to depict a small criminal subculture."
The parodies stretched widely. Tony Sirico appeared in commercials for Denny's as Paulie Gualtieri, a nod to the chain's mention in the episode "Pine Barrens". On the 2nd of October 2004, James Gandolfini appeared on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update as an unnamed "New Jersey Resident".
The finale is the part most argued over. Tony plans a quiet dinner at a diner with his family. As Meadow arrives at the door, a bell signals it opening, Tony looks up, and the show cuts to black. After a few seconds of silence, the credits roll. Chase insists he did not mean to stir controversy. Whether Tony was murdered has been debated for years, and it has spawned numerous websites devoted to finding his true intention. Seitz considers it the greatest ending of any television show.
In March 2018, New Line Cinema announced it had bought a film about the show's background story. The Many Saints of Newark, released in 2021, was written by Chase and Lawrence Konner and directed by Alan Taylor. It is set in the 1960s and 1970s, during and after the Newark riots, and Gandolfini's son Michael plays the young Tony Soprano.
Up next
Continue browsing
Updated
Common questions
When did The Sopranos air on HBO?
The Sopranos aired on HBO from the 10th of January 1999 to the 10th of June 2007. It ran for six seasons and 86 episodes.
Who created The Sopranos and who played Tony Soprano?
David Chase created The Sopranos for HBO, and James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano, a New Jersey Mafia boss. Lorraine Bracco played his psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi.
How did The Sopranos get picked up by HBO?
Fox passed on the pilot script, and HBO's Chris Albrecht financed a pilot shot in 1997. In December 1997, HBO ordered 12 more episodes for a 13-episode first season.
Where was The Sopranos filmed?
The Sopranos was filmed mostly on location in New Jersey, with most interiors shot at Silvercup Studios in New York City. Bada Bing! was the real club Satin Dolls in Lodi, New Jersey.
What awards did The Sopranos win?
The Sopranos won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2004 and 2007, becoming the first cable series to win. It also won Peabody Awards in 1999 and 2000 and the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2000.
Why was The Sopranos criticized?
Groups including the National Italian American Foundation and Order Sons of Italy in America said the show presented a distorted stereotype of Italian Americans. Chase replied that it depicts only a small criminal subculture.
What happens in the final scene of The Sopranos?
In the final scene, Tony looks up as a bell signals the diner door opening, and the show cuts to black. Whether Tony was murdered has been debated for years.
All sources
248 references cited across the entry
- 1James Gandolfini: 'The Sopranos'January 17, 1999
- 2The dark origins of the SopranosDorian Lynskey — September 24, 2021
- 3Black Comedy and the MobJanuary 16, 2024
- 4BookTelevision CriticismVictoria O'Donnell — SAGE Publications — 2016
- 5NewsSopranos Undergoes Cosmetic Surgery for Basic CableJacques Steinberg — May 9, 2006
- 62000: "The Sopranos" Welcomes the Golden Age of TVJenny Cooney — December 18, 2022
- 10News'Mad Men' Has Its MomentAlex Witchel — June 22, 2008
- 11NewsInterview: 'Boardwalk Empire' creator Terence WinterAlan Sepinwall — September 9, 2010
- 12NewsThe Sopranos: Where are they now?Taylor Adams — June 1, 2009
- 13NewsThe Sopranos: Where are they now?March 23, 2009
- 14David Chase Revives 'The Sopranos' With New Line Prequel Movie 'The Many Saints Of Newark'Mike Jr. Fleming — March 8, 2018
- 15'Sopranos' Prequel Movie Taps Director Alan TaylorDave McNary — July 3, 2018
- 17The Sopranos – "Oh Poor You!"Bert Ehrmann — March 20, 2006
- 18Wiseguys: A conversation between David Chase and Tom Fontana.Mark Lee — Writers Guild of America, west — May 2007
- 19NewsAlmost Grown: tells story of growing upKathryn Baker — November 23, 1988
- 20Family ManJesse Oxfeld — 2002
- 22VideoThe Sopranos – The Complete First Season: David Chase interviewHBO — 1999
- 23NewsChasing TVRobin Dougherty — January 20, 1999
- 24Magazine"Sopranos" Creator Shoots StraightWill Dana — March 10, 2006
- 25NewsDa Jersey boys who inspired The SopranosSteven Malanga — May 13, 2007
- 26News"The Sopranos": David Chase fesses upStuart Levine — April 23, 2008
- 27Chris Albrecht: A former standup comic found his true calling: turning HBO into an Emmy magnetJoel Topcik — October 22, 2006
- 28It was originally referred to as "Pilot" but was renamed "The Sopranos" on the DVD release.
- 29NewsSopranos signoff marks end of eraMichael Flaherty — June 8, 2007
- 30Jury hears from alleged real-life model for Tony SopranoWhelan, Jeff S. — December 14, 2007
- 31BookIntroduction to Business LawBeatty, Jeffrey F. et al. — Cengage Advantage Books — February 1, 2012
- 32Jury rules in favor of 'Sopranos' creatorDecember 19, 2007
- 33Goodfellas 30th anniversary: All 27 actors who later featured in The Sopranos and their rolesAnnabel Nugent — September 15, 2020
- 34MagazineSopranos casting call turns into a mob sceneEd Tahaney — July 26, 2000
- 35How two 'Sopranos' wise guys launched a podcast from their coronavirus quarantineMargy Rochlin — April 9, 2020
- 36A Real Tough Guy : Tony Sirico's rap sheet: 28 arrests and 27 acting jobsPatrick Goldstein — July 15, 1990
- 37Will Tony Flip? Is Paulie a Rat? 'New York' Staffers Predict the 'Sopranos' Finale, Part IIVulture — June 8, 2007
- 38How Tony Sirico's Criminal Past Prepared Him To Play Paulie Walnuts On 'The Sopranos'Christian Long — August 24, 2015
- 39David Chase & 'The Sopranos' Gang Look Back 20 Years Later: Part IMike Jr. Fleming — January 10, 2019
- 40MagazineThe Family Hour: An Oral History of The SopranosSam Kashner — April 2012
- 41NewsA Hit Man In More Ways Than OneMarch 18, 2007
- 43NewsOne Final Whack at That HBO MobBill Carter — June 10, 2007
- 44MagazineBurying the SopranosJosh Wolk — April 6, 2007
- 47NewsProfile: Peter RiegertCynthia Robins — September 18, 2001
- 48David Strathairn BiographyYahoo! Movies
- 49NewsCharles S. Dutton Filmography2013
- 50Ken Leung BiographyYahoo! Movies
- 51NewsSopranos finale begins on downbeat noteRichmond, Ray — April 9, 2007
- 52Ray Liotta Says He Never Turned Down Role In The SopranosChristopher Tsang — September 24, 2021
- 53VideoThe Sopranos – The Complete Series: Supper with The SopranosHBO — 2008
- 56BookDifficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking BadBrett Martin — Penguin Books — July 3, 2013
- 57VideoThe Sopranos – The Complete Series: Alec Baldwin interviews David ChaseHBO — 2008
- 59NewsIn Act 2, the TV Hit Man Becomes a Pitch ManJacques Steinberg — July 18, 2007
- 64MagazineChase Directing First FeatureMay 9, 2008
- 66Bada Bye To The SopranosLorna Cooper — MSN — 2007
- 67The hits keep on comingAlan Sepinwall — March 8, 2006
- 68NewsSharps & FlatsJoe Gross — January 4, 2000
- 69Music another member of the Sopranos' crewMichael Ventre — MSNBC — April 2, 2006
- 70MagazineThe Sopranos; Peppers & EggsDavid Browne — May 18, 2001
- 71The Family that Preys TogetherPeter Biskind — March 13, 2007
- 72Alabama 3 tastes some success, especially with 'Sopranos' themeGilbertson, Jon M. — July 2, 2008
- 73BookThe Sopranos on the Couch: Analyzing Television's Greatest SeriesYacowar, Maurice — Continuum — 2003
- 74Sopranos: One of the Most Popular TV Dramas of All Time!Jim McDonald — findinarticles.com — June 10, 2007
- 75The Sopranos: Music From The HBO Original SeriesJanuary 29, 1999
- 76The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series: Billboard Albums at Allmusic
- 79The Sopranos' Cut to Black Ending ExplainedJames Hunt — July 7, 2019
- 80"The Sopranos" finale made Journey hot again — and the timing couldn't have been worseDavid Hamilton Golland — February 24, 2024
- 81The LocationsRosemary Parrillo — March 4, 2001
- 82News'Sopranos' Pork Store DemolishedNovember 12, 2007
- 83NewsThe Sopranos behind the scenes photos you've never seen beforeFebruary 1, 2026
- 86Location, location, locationMatt Zoller Seitz — January 16, 2000
- 88VideoThe Sopranos – The Complete First Season: "The Sopranos" commentary trackHBO — 1999
- 89Tomashoff, Craig. "Credits Check" TV Guide, October 18, 2010, Pages 16–17
- 99Alessandro Nivola In Talks For Lead Role In 'Sopranos' Prequel MovieAnthony D'Alessandro — November 20, 2018
- 119NewsHBO Pushes End of 'The Sopranos' to 2007Bill Carter — August 11, 2005
- 120Nielsen Plan Would Whack 'Sopranos,' Other Pay Cable RatingsJoe Mandese — MediaPost — December 23, 2003
- 121NewsThe comebackMaureen Ryan — March 14, 2006
- 122"Sopranos" ends with a ratings bumpSusan Young — June 12, 2007
- 123Crushing CamelotAllan Johnson — March 8, 2001
- 124News'Sopranos' season finale takes a hit in the ratingsScott Collins — June 7, 2006
- 125News"Sopranos" ratings slip againRichard Huff — April 27, 2007
- 126'Sopranos' Body Count: 11.9 MillionZap2it — June 12, 2007
- 140NewsThe Guardian's top 50 television dramas of all timeTim Lusher — January 12, 2010
- 141NewsBill Mann: TV Critic's Call: Here Are The Decade's 10 Best SeriesBill Mann — December 14, 2009
- 14250 Best TV Dramas EverAOL TV
- 143NewsThe best TV show of all timeRebecca Traister — September 15, 2007
- 144The 10 Greatest TV Dramas Of The CenturySam Parker — December 14, 2015
- 145NewsGlobe TV critic Matthew Gilbert says goodbye to his job of 27 years, and to you, his readersMatthew Gilbert — July 10, 2024
- 146BookMade Men: The True Rise-and-Fall-Story of a New Jersey Mob FamilyGreg B. Smith — Berkley — February 4, 2003
- 147JournalCounselling the Mafia: The SopranosNeil A. Wynn — 2004
- 148JournalWhy I Love Carmela Soprano: Ambivalence, the Domestic and Televisual TherapyKristyn Gorton — 2009
- 150The Sopranos
- 151MagazineAn American FamilyPeter Biskind — April 2007
- 152MagazineFamily GuyDavid Remnick — June 4, 2007
- 153NewsTV Guide Names Top 50 ShowsCBS News — April 26, 2002
- 154The 50 greatest TV dramasScott Matthewman — March 6, 2007
- 155MagazinePart 4 – Feasts from the FringePopMatters Staff — October 11, 2007
- 156The Sopranos: Season Six, Part IIAndrew Johnston — October 25, 2007
- 157Best. Drama. Ever.: The Wire versus The Sopranos versus DeadwoodAndrew Johnston — March 6, 2008
- 158BookTV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All TimeAlan Sepinwall et al. — Grand Central Publishing — September 6, 2016
- 159The Best TV Shows of 2009 ... and the DecadeJason Dietz — January 2, 2010
- 160Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". TV Guide. pp. 16–17.
- 161The Sopranos is the best show of all time, WGA saysUPI — 2013-06-03
- 162MagazineTV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All TimeBruce Fretts et al. — December 23, 2013
- 163NewsHollywood's 100 Favorite TV ShowsSeptember 16, 2015
- 164Magazine100 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeRob Sheffield — September 21, 2016
- 165MagazineThe 100 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeAlan Sepinwall — September 26, 2022
- 166The 100 best TV shows of the 21st centurySeptember 16, 2019
- 167The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeMarch 24, 2021
- 168The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeDecember 20, 2023
- 169NewsTop 10 Sopranos EpisodesJames Poniewozik — April 4, 2007
- 170MagazineThe Sopranos' 10 best episodesJanuary 8, 2019
- 171NewsGame Time: The 10 Greatest Sopranos Episodes Of All TimeSean Pendergast — November 19, 2009
- 172The Sopranos' Top 10 hitsAlan Sepinwall — June 6, 2007
- 173The Sopranos (The Complete Series) DVD / Blu-ray Disc ReviewLiam Cullin — Empire Movies
- 174MagazineThe Sopranos: The Top Ten EpisodesPatrick Meaney — June 7, 2007
- 175NewsThe 10 Greatest Episodes of The SopranosMatt Zoller Seitz — January 10, 2019
- 176Magazine'Sopranos' Creator Takes on Angry FansBrett Martin — October 18, 2007
- 177Onion rings and other things, one year laterAlan Sepinwall — June 9, 2008
- 178How and Why Tony Soprano DiedMichael Weiss — Gawker — June 16, 2008
- 179News'Arrested Development,' 'Sopranos' win EmmysSeptember 20, 2004
- 180News'The Sopranos' Wins Emmy for Best Dramatic SeriesSeptember 17, 2007
- 181The SopranosAcademy of Television Arts & Sciences
- 182AFI Awards go for Lord of The Rings, SopranosMike Goodridge — January 6, 2002
- 183The Sopranos (HBO)The Peabody Awards — May 2000
- 184The Sopranos (HBO)The Peabody Awards — May 2001
- 185"Sopranos," "West Wing" Peabody'dGrossberg, Josh — E! Online — March 29, 2001
- 186MagazineGood as GoldenWolk, Josh — January 23, 2000
- 187NewsDGA announces TV nominationsDave McNary — January 10, 2008
- 188MagazineCrime PaysGary Susman — January 23, 2003
- 189NewsWriters Guild Awards go on despite strikeEdward Wyatt — January 28, 2008
- 190NewsScreen Actors Guild awards glitterEdward Wyatt — December 13, 2007
- 191BookPsychology of The Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster FamilyGlen Gabbard — Basic Books — 2002
- 192NewsThe Sopranos – The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME – TIMEJames Poniewozik — September 5, 2007
- 193MagazineThe Sopranos Is the Most Influential Television Drama EverMaureen Ryan — April 23, 2007
- 194MagazineHow will 'The Sopranos' end?Hal Boedeker — June 4, 2007
- 196NewsThe 20 Best TV Dramas Since 'The Sopranos'January 10, 2019
- 197Press releaseNational Italian American Foundation Condemns 'The Sopranos'National Italian American Foundation — January 12, 2000
- 198Press releaseOfficial Statement on the New York Columbus Day Parade with Soprano Cast and Mayor Bloomberg's Inappropriate Choice of GuestsNational Italian American Foundation — October 10, 2002
- 199Press releaseItalian American Coalition Applauds 'Sopranos Dis-Invite'The National Italian American Foundation — September 18, 2000
- 200'Sopranos' fail in effort to film scenes on N.J. siteDecember 17, 2000
- 201MagazineMarching BannedGary Susman — October 14, 2002
- 202New Jersey and The Sopranos: Perfect Together?Fairleigh Dickinson University — August 15, 2001
- 203New Jersey and Nation in Tune with The SopranosFairleigh Dickinson University — June 6, 2007
- 204NewsIn "Glittering" return, Paglia lets looseKerry Lauerman — October 10, 2012
- 205Italian-American targets stereotypesJeffrey C. Mays — May 20, 2001
- 206Tony Sirico's Commercial Acting, Ranked from 'Plausibly Sane' to 'Totally Fucking Walnuts'Brian VanHooker — October 2, 2021
- 207James Gandolfini Never Hosted 'SNL'... But He Did Drop By Once VideoDave Nemetz — June 19, 2013
- 208How Chevrolet Drove 'The Sopranos' and David Chase to Super Bowl LVIBrian Steinberg — February 13, 2022
- 209NewsMichael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa: ‘People say The Sopranos is their comfort food – even though it’s about killers and drug addicts’Annabel Nugent — February 15, 2026
- 210HBO hits video stores with 'Sopranos'David B. Wilkerson — September 14, 2000
- 211Explore 'Sopranos' off the screenAugust 12, 2002
- 213The Sopranos on DVD, Release Info, Reviews, NewsTV Shows On DVD
- 214'The Sopranos' Coming to Blu-ray for First Time (Exclusive)Lesley Goldberg — June 2, 2014
- 215The Sopranos Is Finally Getting a 4K Remaster With a New Limited-Edition Set Releasing This YearBlythe Dujardin — July 8, 2026
- 216The Sopranos – Series 1Play.com
- 217The Sopranos – Series 2Play.com
- 218The Sopranos – Series 3Play.com
- 219The Sopranos - Season 4 Announcement!David Lambert — TVShowsOnDVD.com — August 2, 2003
- 220The Sopranos - The Complete Fifth SeasonJohn Sinnott — DVD Talk — May 30, 2005
- 221The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 1 (Blu-ray)John Sinnott — DVD Talk — January 17, 2007
- 222The Sopranos - It's All Over For Tony! Season 6, Part 2 Finishes The SopranosDavid Lambert — TVShowsOnDVD.com — July 29, 2007
- 228'Talking Sopranos' Duo Michael Imperioli And Steve Schirripa Score Book Deal With William MorrowDeadline — September 17, 2020
- 229'Sopranos' actors pen definitive look at HBO show: 'You're getting it from two guys who were there'Melissa Ruggieri — November 2, 2021
- 231A Review of 'The Sopranos,' According to the PlayStation 2 GameJordan Pearson — January 25, 2019
- 232Everything I know about The Sopranos I learned from Sopranos pinballWilliam Hughes — 2024-01-11
- 233The SopranosFebruary 3, 2005
- 234'Talking Sopranos' Podcast Launching In April With Series Stars Michael Imperioli & Steve SchirripaAnthony D'Alessandro — February 28, 2020
- 235Talking SopranosApril 6, 2020
- 237NewsDrea De Matteo On Revisiting 'The Sopranos' & The Evolving Depiction Of Italian Women In Mob DramasMike Jr. Fleming — May 18, 2020
- 238Drea de Matteo discusses her new podcast and why The Sopranos is still the 'richest role' of her careerMarissa Desantis — October 2, 2020
- 239'Sopranos' Prequel Film Finds Young Tony: Michael Gandolfini Is Chip Off Old BlockMike Jr. Fleming — January 22, 2019
- 240NewsAlessandro Nivola Eyed to Star in 'Sopranos' Movie as Dickey Moltisanti (EXCLUSIVE)Justin Kroll — November 20, 2018
- 241Vera Farmiga & Jon Bernthal Join New Line's 'Sopranos' PrequelAnthony D'Alessandro — January 14, 2019
- 242Ray Liotta Returns To Mob Movie Fold With 'Sopranos' Prequel 'The Many Saints Of Newark'Mike Jr. Fleming — February 27, 2019
- 243John Magaro Joins 'The Many Saints Of Newark' In Reteam With David ChasePatrick Hipes — March 12, 2019
- 244Warner Bros Dates 'Sopranos' Prequel 'The Many Saints Of Newark' For Fall 2020 – UpdateAnthony D'Alessandro — March 15, 2019
- 245Warner Bros Shuffles Fall Release Deck With 'Dune', 'Cry Macho' & 'The Many Saints Of Newark'Anthony D'Alessandro — June 25, 2021
- 246David Chase On Reviving 'Sopranos' Spirit With 'The Many Saints Of Newark' And High Interest In Another Prequel FilmMike Jr. Fleming — September 7, 2021
- 247Terence Winter Sparks To David Chase's Invitation To Script Another Formative Film On 'The Sopranos' To Follow 'The Many Saints Of Newark'Mike Jr. Fleming — September 7, 2021
- 248BookThe Sopranos: The Complete BookBrett Martin — HBO — October 30, 2007
- 249BookDifficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking BadBrett Martin — Penguin Press — July 9, 2013
- 250NewsDavid Chase Can't Escape 'The Sopranos' FinaleSuskind, Alex — May 1, 2014