Sopranos, The


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About

From Wikipedia:

The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. The series also features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and storylines, most notably his wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). The many conflicts in his life lead to an on-off professional relationship with psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco).

The series premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10, 1999 and ended its original run of six seasons and 86 episodes on June 10, 2007. The show has also been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally. The Sopranos was produced by HBO, Chase Films and Brad Grey Television. It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios, New York City and on location in New Jersey. The executive producers throughout the show's run were Chase, Brad Grey, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, Ilene S. Landress, Terence Winter, and Matthew Weiner. Chase also served as showrunner and head writer.

 A major commercial and critical success, The Sopranos is the most financially successful series in the history of cable television and is acknowledged as one of the greatest television series of all time. The series is noted for its high level of quality in every aspect of production and is particularly recognized for its writing, its cinematic style, and the performances of its lead actors. The show is credited with bringing a greater level of artistry to the television medium and paving the way for many successful drama series that followed. It also won a multitude of awards, including twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes.

 A staple of 2000s American popular culture, The Sopranos has been the subject of much parody, controversy, and analysis, and has spawned books, a video game, high-charting soundtrack albums, and a large amount of assorted merchandise. Several members of the show's cast and crew that were previously largely unknown to the public have had successful careers after The Sopranos.

 

Highlights
David Chase on how "no one was safe" from being killed on The Sopranos including "Tony Soprano"
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos finale, "Made in America" and the legacy of the series
05:14
Edie Falco on being cast as "Carmela Soprano" on The Sopranos
02:06
Terence Winter on directing and writing The Sopranos episode - "Walk Like a Man"
04:54
Matthew Weiner on the writers' room on The Sopranos; on David Chase's involvement
09:28
Chris Albrecht on programming The Sopranos
03:35
Who talked about this show

Dr. John Leverence

View Interview
Dr. John Leverence on the Emmys cutoff rule that almost made the final season of The Sopranos ineligible for an Emmy Award until the year after it aired and how the award year eligibility calendar always will result in some "orphan shows", and on how then-HBO chairman Chris Albrecht appealed to the Television Academy Awards Department for an accommodation which was made to allow the show to be eligible for an Emmy in its final year
02:32

Chris Albrecht

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Chris Albrecht on programming The Sopranos
03:35
Chris Albrecht on allowing The Sopranos to be filmed in New York and New Jersey rather than Los Angeles and allowing David Chase to shoot the pilot
01:46
Chris Albrecht on The Sopranos getting Emmy Awards
02:15
Chris Albrecht on the ending of The Sopranos
03:03
Chris Albrecht on the legacy of The Sopranos
00:57

Alan Ball

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Alan Ball on learning about tone from The Sopranos
00:19

Jim Cantore

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Jim Cantore on his voiceover aspirations and his appearance on The Sopranos
02:05

David Chase

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David Chase on how the original version of The Sopranos for Fox had no murder scenes and how that changed when it went over to HBO
David Chase on coming up with the idea for The Sopranos; on how it is based on his own mother and his relationship
David Chase on why he didn't want to do a "TV version of 'The Godfather'" but wanted to focus on the relationship between the mobster and the women in his life; on why the "mob wife" was important to the idea of The Sopranos
David Chase on how he knew The Sopranos  should be made at HBO when they understood why he had to shoot it in New Jersey
David Chase on what he wanted to accomplish with The Sopranos pilot
David Chase on how much of the story arc of The Sopranos he had pre-planned, on how he did not envision past the first 13 episodes
David Chase on the original premise for The Sopranos when it was a movie 
David Chase on why FOX passed on The Sopranos because it was too dark; on the compromise he made to have it made with no murders in the pilot for FOX
David Chase on knowing HBO was the right home for The Sopranos when Chris Albrecht immediately understood the need to shoot the series in New Jersey
David Chase on creating the look for the pilot of The Sopranos; on what he wanted to show about New Jersey
David Chase on shooting the pilot for The Sopranos and truly believing it was not going to test well; on not having planned past the first thirteen episodes
David Chase on how he originally wrote a script for The Sopranos movie in which "Tony" would go to confront his mother, but she was already dead (he changed this when it became a series and had cast Nancy Marchand as the mother)
01:45
David Chase on coming up with the names for The Sopranos; on how both his parents and The Rockford Files influenced the character development of "Tony Soprano"; on how James Gandolfini was cast
David Chase on how The Sopranos was a show in which everything the characters say is a lie
00:24
David Chase on the decisions he made about writing and directing the scenes between "Tony Soprano" and "Dr. Melfi" on The Sopranos pilot 
02:30
David Chase on shooting the scenes between "Tony" and "Dr. Melfi" on The Sopranos and why the therapy scenes looked different than the rest of the show
01:43
David Chase on why he felt The Sopranos was covering new ground with a mobster as a protagonist and why he and the crew enjoyed working on the show
David Chase on creating the backstories for each character on The Sopranos and keeping track of them on the show so that there were no gaffes
David Chase on how the character "Carmela Soprano" was "not realistic" for a mob wife and why the character was problematic for him
David Chase on the female characters on The Sopranos and whether or not they were in danger of being killed off
David Chase on how the character "Livia Soprano", "Tony's" mother on The Sopranos was based on his own mother; on some of the real-life quotes he used on the show; on how the character was originally supposed to die on the first episode but Chase changed his mind
David Chase on one of his favorite Sopranos characters - "Junior Soprano" and the portrayal of senior citizens on his show as real
David Chase on the names of The Sopranos characters like "Uncle Junior"
David Chase on the writing process on The Sopranos; on what he looks for in a writer
David Chase on how "no one was safe" from being killed on The Sopranos including "Tony Soprano"
David Chase on arguing with HBO over having "Tony Soprano" murder someone on The Sopranos
David Chase on how the Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'" came to be used on the last episode of The Sopranos; on the reaction to the finale

Ane Crabtree

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Ane Crabtree on "Tony Soprano's" robe in The Sopranos pilot and on "Tony" feeding the ducks
03:04
Ane Crabtree on becoming the costume designer for the pilot of The Sopranos
04:04
Ane Crabtree on David Chase sending her to New Jersey to do research for the pilot of The Sopranos
06:16
Ane Crabtree on getting Yves Saint Laurent clothes for Lorraine Bracco's character, "Dr. Melfi" in The Sopranos pilot and how her outfits aligned with the color of her office
05:35
Ane Crabtree on collaborating with other departments to finalize costume designs for the pilot of The Sopranos
04:08
Ane Crabtree on her first meeting with James Gandolfini for The Sopranos
02:32
Ane Crabtree on David Chase directing The Sopranos pilot
01:58
Ane Crabtree on how working on The Sopranos pilot impacted her career
03:44

Danny DeVito

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Danny DeVito on his fascination with watching The Sopranos, and on the value of watching it on DVD
01:15

Edie Falco

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Edie Falco on being cast as "Carmela Soprano" on The Sopranos
02:06
Edie Falco on her first impressions of The Sopranos creator, David Chase
00:43
Edie Falco on the other actors that were considered for lead roles in The Sopranos
00:46
Edie Falco on shooting the pilot of The Sopranos and when she heard the show had been picked up
01:57
Edie Falco on her character on The Sopranos, "Carmela Soprano"
01:01
Edie Falco on the hair and makeup for her character on The Sopranos, "Carmela Soprano," and "Carmela's" accent
01:42
Edie Falco on trusting the writers on The Sopranos
01:54
Edie Falco on the production schedule on The Sopranos
00:58
Edie Falco on "Carmela Soprano's" faith on The Sopranos and her relationship with her priest
02:20
Edie Falco on how The Sopranos balanced comedy and drama
00:55
Edie Falco on David Chase's presence on the set of The Sopranos
00:36
Edie Falco on violence on The Sopranos
01:11
Edie Falco on The Sopranos being shot at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Queens and around New Jersey
00:34
Edie Falco on running into James Gandolfini on the street on 9/11 and how 9/11 affected The Sopranos
01:30
Edie Falco on working with James Gandolfini ("Tony Soprano") on The Sopranos and the relationship between "Tony" and "Carmela"
02:16
Edie Falco on working with Robert Iler ("A.J. Soprano") and Jamie-Lynn Sigler ("Meadow Soprano") on The Sopranos
02:42
Edie Falco on working with Nancy Marchand ("Livia Soprano") on The Sopranos
00:58
Edie Falco on working with Lorraine Bracco ("Dr. Melfi") on The Sopranos
00:35
Edie Falco on working with Aida Turturro ("Janice Soprano") on The Sopranos
00:45
Edie Falco on working with Sharon Angela ("Rosalie Aprile") on The Sopranos
00:36
Edie Falco on working with Drea de Matteo ("Adriana La Cerva") on The Sopranos
00:21
Edie Falco on working with Michael Imperioli ("Christopher Moltisanti") on The Sopranos
00:45
Edie Falco on the portrayal of women on The Sopranos
00:43
Edie Falco on doing publicity for The Sopranos and being recognized on the street
01:51
Edie Falco on The Sopranos' popularity
00:54
Edie Falco on winning and being nominated for Emmys and other awards for The Sopranos
01:51
Edie Falco on The Sopranos episode "Second Opinion"
01:01
Edie Falco on The Sopranos episode "Whitecaps," when "Carmela" throws "Tony" out of the house
04:24
Edie Falco on being diagnosed with breast cancer during the run of The Sopranos
03:31
Edie Falco on The Sopranos episode "Sentimental Education," when "Carmela" has an affair
01:00
Edie Falco on The Sopranos episode "Long Term Parking," when "Tony" and "Carmela" reconcile
01:01
Edie Falco on The Sopranos episode "Cold Stones," when "Carmela" takes a trip to Paris with "Rosalie Aprile"
01:28
Edie Falco on some of her favorite moments from The Sopranos
01:33
Edie Falco on why she hasn't watched The Sopranos
00:55
Edie Falco on her feelings about the finale of The Sopranos
03:30
Edie Falco on filming the finale of The Sopranos and the audience reaction to the episode
01:50
Edie Falco on the legacy of The Sopranos
00:53
Edie Falco on being typecast after the end of The Sopranos
00:49
Edie Falco on the tribute to James Gandolfini that she presented at the Emmys in 2013
01:21

Michael Fuchs

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Michael Fuchs on HBO Sports programming and HBO post-his departure
05:32

Danette Herman

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Danette Herman on The Sopranos reunion at the Emmy Awards
03:06

Horace Newcomb

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Horace Newcomb on The Sopranos being a game changer
05:49

Timothy Van Patten

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Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos finale, "Made in America" and the legacy of the series
05:14
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Sopranos
14:43
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
03:53
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Sopranos (continued)
24:04
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos episode "Amour Fou"
01:34
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos episode "Members Only"
02:02

Lee Rich

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Lee Rich on staying home to watch TV shows
01:11

Matthew Weiner

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Matthew Weiner on the impact The Sopranos had on him and his writing for Mad Men
04:03
Matthew Weiner on writing for The Sopranos, and the hope it gave him for good television
07:22
Matthew Weiner on the time he took writing for The Sopranos and David Chase
01:41
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos episode, "Sentimental Education," where "Carmela" has an affair
07:34
Matthew Weiner on the writers' room on The Sopranos; on David Chase's involvement
09:28
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos episode "Luxury Lounge"
02:40
Matthew Weiner on the "Kennedy and Heidi" episode of The Sopranos, co-written with David Chase, and how the episode was about guilt
01:22
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos episode "Mayhem" which he was very proud to have written
01:51
Matthew Weiner on "The Blue Comet" - the second-to-last episode of The Sopranos
02:48
Matthew Weiner on the finale of The Sopranos; on the secrecy surrounding the series
08:18
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos' legacy
02:31

Terence Winter

View Interview
Terence Winter on getting hired to write for season two of The Sopranos
08:14
Terence Winter on moving back to New York to write for The Sopranos
01:11
Terence Winter on the early writing staff of The Sopranos on season two and the buzz surrounding the show
02:36
Terence Winter on The Sopranos' David Chase as a mentor and writing comedy and drama into the scripts
02:26
Terence Winter on the success of The Sopranos
02:28
Terence Winter on rules for writing The Sopranos and the writers' room
03:48
Terence Winter on the relationship between "Christopher" and "Paulie" in the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
04:57
Terence Winter on Steve Buscemi's work on The Sopranos
04:17
Terence Winter on writing characters for The Sopranos - "Tony Soprano"
04:46
Terence Winter on writing characters for The Sopranos - "Dr. Melfi"
01:16
Terence Winter on writing the relationship between "Tony Soprano" and "Dr. Melfi" on The Sopranos
01:50
Terence Winter on the relationship between "Tony Soprano" and "Carmela Soprano" on The Sopranos
01:43
Terence Winter on the children on The Sopranos and writing the parent-child relationships on the show
02:36
Terence Winter on writing characters for The Sopranos - "Junior Soprano"
00:51
Terence Winter on writing characters for The Sopranos - "Livia Soprano"
00:53
Terence Winter on his favorite characters to write for on The Sopranos  
01:09
Terence Winter on story ideas on The Sopranos taken from his real life
01:39
Terence Winter on appearing on camera on The Sopranos  
02:21
Terence Winter on memorable episodes of The Sopranos - "Long Term Parking" in which (SPOILER) "Adriana" gets killed
04:58
Terence Winter on The Sopranos getting darker as the seasons progressed
00:38
Terence Winter on the impact of 9/11 on The Sopranos
04:25
Terence Winter on memorable episodes of The Sopranos - "Members Only" in which (SPOILER) "Junior" shoots "Tony"
04:58
Terence Winter on memorable episodes of The Sopranos - "Live Free or Die"
02:08
Terence Winter on directing and writing The Sopranos episode - "Walk Like a Man"
04:54
Terence Winter on working with David Chase, creator of The Sopranos
05:53
Terence Winter on working with the other writers on The Sopranos
03:48
Terence Winter on planning the final season of The Sopranos
02:32
Terence Winter on the series finale of The Sopranos
03:27
Terence Winter on the legacy of The Sopranos and his biggest takeaway from the show
02:18

Dick Wolf

View Interview
Dick Wolf on James Gandolfini's contract negotiations with the producers of The Sopranos
03:24

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