The Sopranos
Un article de Vev.
Modèle:Cleanup Modèle:Otheruses4 Modèle:Infobox Television The Sopranos is an award-winning American television drama series created by David Chase and originally broadcast on the HBO network. The show revolves around New Jersey mafia boss Tony Soprano 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 stars include James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli and Dominic Chianese.
The series aired on HBO from January 10, 1999 to June 10, 2007, spanning six seasons and 86 episodes. The show has also aired internationally.
It has been called "perhaps the greatest pop-culture masterpiece of its day" by Vanity Fair.<ref name="vanity"> Biskind , Peter
(April 2007) . An American Family . Vanity Fair
. Retrieved on 2007-09-21. </ref> The show has been credited for bringing a greater level of artistry to the television medium and paving the way for many successful drama series that followed.<ref name="popmatters"> Ryan , Maureen
(2007-04-23) . The Sopranos Is the Most Influential Television Drama Ever . PopMatters
. Retrieved on 2007-07-23. </ref> The show has won numerous awards including twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes, and has been the subject of much parody and analysis.
The Sopranos has spawned video games, books, high-charting soundtrack albums<ref name="albuma"> The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series: Billboard Albums at All Music Guide
. All Music Guide
. Retrieved on 2007-07-30. </ref><ref name="albumb"> The Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs (Music From the HBO Original Series): Billboard Albums at All Music Guide
. All Music Guide
. Retrieved on 2007-07-30. </ref> and a large amount of assorted merchandise.
Sommaire |
Characters
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Anthony "Tony" Soprano (James Gandolfini) is the quick-tempered and fierce boss of the New Jersey-based DiMeo crime family and patriarch of the Soprano household.<ref name = "Character Profile Tony Soprano"> Character profile - Tony Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> Tony begins to have many panic attacks after years of stress over his "business" and a difficult childhood. He seeks treatment from Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco).<ref name = "Character Profile Jennifer Melfi"> Character profile - Dr. Jennifer Melfi
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> Adding to Tony's complicated life is his strained relationship with his wife Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco)<ref name = "Character Profile Carmela Soprano"> Character profile - Carmela Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> and their two children, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler)<ref name = "Character Profile Meadow Soprano"> Character profile - Meado (Meadow) Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> and AJ (Robert Iler).<ref name = "Character Profile AJ Soprano"> Character profile - AJ Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref>
The starring cast includes members of Tony's extended family including his mother Livia (Nancy Marchand),<ref name = "Character Profile Livia Soprano"> Character profile - Livia Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> sister Janice (Aida Turturro),<ref name = "Character Profile Janice Soprano"> Character profile - Janice Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano (Dominic Chianese),<ref name = "Character Profile Junior Soprano"> Character profile - Corrado "Junior" Soprano
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> , cousin Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi)<ref name = "Character Profile Tony Blundetto"> Character profile - Tony Blundetto
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> and nephew Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli).<ref name = "Character Profile Christopher Moltisanti"> Character profile - Christopher Moltisanti
. HBO
. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. </ref> Both Livia and Janice are shrewd manipulators with emotional problems of their own. Tony's Uncle Junior is involved in his criminal organization and their family bond vies with their criminal ambitions. Both his cousin Tony and nephew Christopher are also involved with his "other" family and their actions are a further source of conflict. Christopher struggles with a desire to gain respect and a drug addiction while Tony Blundetto hopes to go straight but has a violent streak.
Tony's close circle within the DiMeo crime family includes Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt), Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) and Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore). Silvio is Tony's consigliere and best friend. Paulie and Big Pussy are longtime soldiers who have worked with Tony and his father. Also in Tony's criminal organization are Patsy Parisi (Dan Grimaldi) and Furio Giunta (Federico Castelluccio). Patsy is a quiet soldier with a head for figures. Furio is imported muscle from Italy.
Other significant characters in the DiMeo family include Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri (Steven R. Schirripa), Richie Aprile (David Proval), Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), Eugene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro) and Vito Spatafore (Joseph R. Gannascoli). Bobby is a subordinate of Junior's whom Tony initially bullies but later accepts into his inner circle. Cifaretto is a clever, ambitious top-earner but his arrogance and tendency to be obnoxious and disrespectful make Tony resentful. Richie Aprile is released from prison in season two and quickly makes waves in the organization. Pontecorvo is a young soldier who becomes a made man alongside Christopher. Spatafore works his way up through the ranks to become top earner of the Aprile Crew but has a secret in his personal life.
Friends of the Soprano family include Herman "Hesh" Rabkin (Jerry Adler), Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), Rosalie Aprile (Sharon Angela), Angie Bonpensiero (Toni Kalem), along with Artie (John Ventimiglia) and Charmaine Bucco (Kathrine Narducci). Hesh is an adviser and friend to Tony, and served in this role under Tony's father. Adriana is Christopher's long time girlfriend; the two have a tempestuous relationship. Rosalie is a close friend of Carmela's. Angie is Salvatore Bonpensiero's wife who later goes into business for herself. Artie and Charmaine are school friends of the Sopranos and owners of the popular restaurant Vesuvio. Charmaine wishes to have no association with Tony and his crew due to his criminal activities, and often has to insist because Artie--a law-abiding and hard-working man--is drawn to Tony's way of life.
John "Johnny Sack" Sacrimoni (Vince Curatola), Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) and "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi, Jr. (Ray Abruzzo) are all significant characters from the New York-based Lupertazzi crime family, which shares much of its business with the Soprano organization. Although the Lupertazzis' and DiMeos' interests are often at odds, Tony maintains a cordial business-like relationship with Johnny Sack, preferring to make deals that benefit both families. His second-in-command and eventual successor, Phil Leotardo, is less cordial and is harder for Tony to do business with. Little Carmine is the son of the family's first boss and vies for power with the others.
Plot synopsis and episode list
Modèle:See also Modèle:Expand-section
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Season 1
The series begins with Tony Soprano collapsing after suffering an anxiety attack. This prompts him to begin therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi. Gradually, the storyline reveals that Tony's mother was manipulative and possibly psychotic, his children have troubled futures, someone in his organization is talking to the FBI, and his own Uncle is plotting his death. Tony's Uncle Junior had been installed as boss of the family while Tony controls things from behind the scenes. Furious at Junior's plan to have him killed, Tony responds to the attempt on his life with a violent reprisal and confronts his mother for her role in plotting his downfall. She has a psychologically triggered pseudo-stroke. Junior is arrested by the FBI.
Season 2
At the beginning of the second season, Richie Aprile is released from prison and proves to be uncontrollable in the business arena as well as starting a relationship with Tony's sister Janice. Tony's friend "Big Pussy" returns to New Jersey after a conspicuous absence and Tony realizes he is an FBI informant. Tony, Silvio Dante, and Paulie Walnuts kill Big Pussy on a boat then wrap him up in chains and throw him overboard. Janice kills Richie in a violent argument before Tony is forced to deal with him.
Season 3
The third season sees the return of the ambitious Ralph Cifaretto after a long absence in Florida. He gets involved with Rosalie Aprile, widow of the former boss, Jackie Aprile, Sr. Despite a personal animosity, Tony promotes him because of his professional success. Jackie Aprile, Jr. becomes involved with Meadow, Tony's daughter, and then descends into an increasingly reckless life of crime. Tony initially attempts to chalk up Jackie Jr.'s erratic behavior to a forgivable incident of his youth, and tries to prevent an escalation by having a frank and direct talk with Jackie. Despite Tony's counsel--and warning--Jackie crosses a line by organizing a botched robbery attempt on Tony's own borgata. Tony decides to give Ralph the decision regarding Jackie Jr.'s punishment. Despite his role as a surrogate father, Ralph ultimately decides to have Jackie Jr. killed.
Season 4
In the fourth season, Tony murders Ralph in a violent rage because he believes Ralph killed their racehorse Pie-O-My in a stable fire. Ralph's behavior up to that point had become increasingly erratic and senselessly violent, including the murder of one of Silvio Dante's working girls. Tension between Tony and Carmela comes to a head when Tony's former mistress calls the house. Their marriage finally breaks down and Carmela leaves him. Tony is approached by Johnny Sack, his friend in the powerful New York based Lupertazzi Crime Family, with a proposal to murder Carmine Lupertazzi, which he eventually turns down.
Season 5
In the fifth season, Tony's cousin Tony Blundetto is released from prison alongside other mob figures. Carmine dies unexpectedly and his failure to nominate a successor leads to a power struggle in New York. Despite trying to avoid returning to organized crime, Blundetto gets involved in the conflict against Tony's orders. When Blundetto kills the brother of Phil Leotardo, Johnny demands that Tony turn him in. Refusing to do so provokes the New York faction, and eventually Tony elects to kill Blundetto himself rather than hand him over to be tortured.
Christopher Moltisanti discovers that his girlfriend Adriana is an FBI informant and tells Tony. Tony, with Christopher's understanding, orders Silvio to kill Adriana. Tony eventually manages to convince Carmela to take him back. With one successful reconciliation achieved Tony approaches Johnny to put an end to the bloodshed between their families and get back to business. As they meet Johnny is arrested by the FBI.
Season 6
At the beginning of the sixth season, Tony is shot by the now senile and confused Uncle Junior. Following the shooting, Tony has numerous vivid dreams while in a coma. These change his outlook and he tries to change his ways. However, he is faced with more problems in his business life. Vito Spatafore is outed as a homosexual and Tony is urged to deal with the problem by Phil Leotardo, now acting boss of New York with Johnny Sack in prison. When Tony fails to act, Phil intervenes and kills Spatafore. Tony's crime family commits a reprisal murder and once more it appears that the families are on the verge of all-out war.
In the second part of the sixth season, themes of legacy and succession are darkened by Tony's vindictiveness and paranoia. Tony, having virtually abandoned his new philosophy, considers killing several of his associates for relatively minor infractions. Christopher is unable to leave the mob, deflecting his problems by relapsing into drug addiction and killing his old narcotics anonymous sponsor. He is then seriously injured in a car accident that he causes while driving under the influence of narcotics. Tony, the sole passenger, is unharmed and suffocates Christopher to death. AJ Soprano is dumped by his fiancee and slips deeper into depression, culminating in a suicide attempt in the backyard pool. Dr. Melfi is convinced by friends that Tony is making no progress and may even be using talking therapy for his own sociopathic benefit. She drops him as a patient.
Johnny Sack dies from cancer while imprisoned and Leotardo consolidates his position in the Lupertazzi family. He has his opposition for leadership killed and then officially takes over. In a resumption of their past feud Phil won't compromise with Tony on a garbage deal. When Tony assaults a Lupertazzi soldier for bothering Meadow on a date Phil seizes a chance for revenge. Phil orders the execution of Bobby Baccalieri, who is shot to death, Silvio, who ends up comatose, and Tony, who goes into hiding. A deal is brokered where the rest of the Lupertazzi family agree to ignore the order to kill Tony, and give Tony an opportunity to go after Phil. An FBI agent informs Tony of Phil's location and Tony has him killed. With Phil’s death, the threat from New York is extinguished and Tony, Carmela, Meadow, and AJ meet for dinner.
Themes and characteristics
The Sopranos is noted for David Chase's multifaceted, symbolism-heavy style of writing and the series has consistently been the subject of feverish analysis.<ref name="nytimes"> David Kelly
. " Deconstructing 'The Sopranos' " , The New York Times , 2002-09-15 . Retrieved on 2007-07-03 . </ref> The show operates on a rich number of levels. Chase and his co-writers have addressed a large number of psychological, philosophical and political themes throughout the series' run.
Dreams
- See also: Tony Soprano's Dreams
A distinctive aspect of The Sopranos is the dream sequences. Series creator David Chase, who writes most of the dream sequences,<ref name="Alan">Sepinwall, Alan. The stuff that Tony's dreams are made of, nj.com, March 6, 2006, accessed March 19, 2007. </ref> states of them, "We've used those dreams to further the narrative. For example, 'Funhouse' could have been a story in which Tony gets some information that Pussy's the rat and he tracks it down and we do some stultifying procedural until we have the proof in hand. And I just couldn't go through that. I can't stand that (stuff). So we just decided it would be more interesting, that on some level Tony knows this, that his friend is betraying him, and it makes him ill in combination with some bad chicken, and his subconscious erupts like that and gives him the information."<ref name="Alan"/> The dream sequence includes Tony talking to Big Pussy as a fish and realizing his friend is an FBI informant. In the dream, Pussy (the fish) tells Tony, "You knew. You passed me over for promotion." Another famous dream is the sequence in "The Test Dream" that is over 20 minutes in length.<ref name="Alan"/>
Season six contains the longest continuous "dream" sequence with Tony as a regular man having his identity mistaken for a man named Kevin Finnerty.<ref name="msnbc.com">Dehnart, Andy. Real, dream families blend for Tony Soprano, msnbc.com, March 20, 2006, accessed March 19, 2007. </ref> In the dream, Tony is stuck in Costa Mesa, California, a city he had traveled to for business, and because of mistaken identity, he cannot travel home. Finnerty is portrayed as a salesman who lives a conservative, law-abiding life. During this sequence, he has a memorable run-in with Buddhist monks at a nearby monastery <ref name="msnbc.com"/>
Ineptitude of mobsters
The mobsters in the series are depicted as tough, savvy, and street-smart but lacking heavily in formal education and common sense. The mobsters' educational and linguistic shortcomings, particularly those of Paulie Walnuts and Christopher, are often a source of humor.<ref>Goodman, Tim. A tidy finish? Fahgeddaboutit., San Francisco Chronicle, April 2, 2007, accessed May 24, 2007. </ref> The characters themselves are frequently oblivious of their use of malapropisms and misunderstandings of basic history and common knowledge.
The gangsters' incompetence is in some way displayed in every episode of the series. Some of the more notable examples include:
- Much of the episode "Pine Barrens" is devoted to the failings of Paulie and Christopher as they attempt to survive a single day and night in a snowy wilderness after a botched execution. Earlier in the same episode Christopher shows his poor knowledge of history when he expresses disbelief that the Cuban Missile Crisis actually occurred by saying: "That was real? I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit".<ref> "Pine Barrens".
Terence Winter . The Sopranos. HBO . 2001-05-06. No. 11, season 3. </ref>
- Bobby Baccalieri draws the ire of Tony while discussing world events and biblical prophecy by erroneously stating that "Quasimodo predicted all of this." Tony then corrects him by saying that he meant Nostradamus and that Quasimodo was the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Baccalieri then continues the conversation by mentioning the backfield of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, now thinking that a hunchback is like a full back.<ref> "For All Debts Public and Private".
David Chase . The Sopranos. HBO . 2002-09-15. No. 1, season 4. </ref>
- Although more intelligent than his cohorts, Tony often uses malapropisms and repeats things that Dr. Melfi says to him elsewhere, only to get the phrase entirely wrong or to completely miss the point. Some of his more famous malapropisms include "revenge is like serving cold cuts" (a mangling of the expression "revenge is a dish best served cold")<ref name="cc"> "Cold Cuts".
Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess . The Sopranos. HBO . 2004-05-09. No. 10, season 5. </ref> and describing "amour fou" (a french expression meaning "crazy love") as "our mofo."<ref> "Amour Fou". Frank Renzulli, David Chase . The Sopranos. HBO . 2001-05-13. No. 12, season 3. </ref>
- Recurring character "Little Carmine" Lupertazzi's delusions of eloquence are a consistent source of comedy for viewers.<ref>Goodman, Tim. A tidy finish? Fahgeddaboutit., San Francisco Chronicle, April 2, 2007, accessed May 24, 2007. </ref> He often muddles metaphors, once telling Tony that "You're at the precipice of an enormous crossroad."<ref> "The Second Coming".
Terence Winter . The Sopranos. HBO . 2007-05-20. No. 19, season 6. </ref> "I have nine pictures under my sub-species," he at one time says of his movie-producing.<ref name="cc"/> He also explains the final scene of the fictitious mafia/slasher movie Cleaver as a mix of "the sacred and the propane."<ref> "Stage 5". Terence Winter . The Sopranos. HBO . 2007-04-15. No. 14, season 6. </ref>
Some mobsters are portrayed as intelligent and well-spoken in contrast, though they appear to be exceptions to the rule. For instance, Silvio Dante, Johnny Sack, Ralph Cifaretto, and Tony Blundetto are all highly intelligent (Blundetto allegedly has an IQ of 15Image:Cool.gif and almost never use malapropisms.<ref>Goldberg, Jeffrey and Capeci, Jerry. Mob Experts on The Sopranos, Week 10, slate.com, May 10, 2004, accessed March 27, 2007. </ref>
References and allusions
Goodfellas
Chase has stated that the Martin Scorsese gangster film Goodfellas was a source of inspiration for him, calling the 1990 movie his "Koran".<ref>Stark, Jeff. "Jersey Cases Inspire New Season", Newark Star Ledger, April 5, 2001.</ref>
The Sopranos began with four starring cast members (Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico and Vincent Pastore) who had appeared in Goodfellas. Later Frank Vincent, another Goodfellas cast member, joined the cast as Phil Leotardo. Joseph Gannascoli, who can be seen briefly in the film as an uncredited extra, joined the cast as Vito Spatafore. Recurring characters played by actors who also appeared in Goodfellas include Barbara Soprano Giglione (Nicole Burdette), Larry Boy Barese (Tony Darrow), Carmine Lupertazzi (Tony Lip), FBI Chief Frank Cubitoso (Frank Pellegrino), Albie Cianflone (John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia), Mary De Angelis (Suzanne Sheperd), Beansie Gaeta (Paul Herman), Joanne Moltisanti (Marianne Leone, also played by Goodfellas alumna Nancy Cassaro in one earlier episode), Doc Santoro (Dan Conte) and Pat Blundetto (Frank Albanese). Anthony Caso appeared in The Sopranos episode "46 Long" as Martin Scorsese and had a small part in Goodfellas. Actor Chuck Low appeared as Jewish character Morrie in Goodfellas and Hasidic hotel owner Mr. Teitlemann in The Sopranos. Actors who have had small roles in The Sopranos and Goodfellas include Tobin Bell, Gene Canfield, Gaetano LoGiudice, Vito Antuofermo, Frank Adonis, Anthony Alessandro, Victor Colicchio, and Angela Pietropinto. A total of 27 actors have appeared in both productions.
Goodfellas star Ray Liotta was also an early candidate to play Tony Soprano. Later on, Liotta also turned down the role of Ralph Cifaretto, which eventually went to Joe Pantoliano.
Michael Imperioli (who, in Goodfellas was shot in the foot), shoots a store attendant in the foot. As he screams in pain, yelling "You shot me in the foot!", Imperioli exits, saying "It happens..."
Also, Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) kills Angelo Garepe (Joe Santos) in "The Test Dream"—similar to the way he died in "Goodfellas" as Billy Batts.
The Godfather
Modèle:Original research
Many of the characters are interested in The Godfather series of movies and some of the actors who portray them also appear in the films. For example in The Godfather Part II, Dominic Chianese (Corrado "Junior" Soprano) plays Johnny Ola. In The Godfather, Tony Lip (Carmine Lupertazzi) and Lou Martini, Jr. (Anthony Infante) appeared as wedding guests. In The Godfather Trilogy (a re-edited version of all three Godfather movies), Richard Maldone (Albert Barese) had a small role as Joey. Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) claims to have been in The Godfather Part II<ref> Gardner, David
(2001-03-25) . Not-So-Goodfella; Sopranos star was real-life gangster . The Sunday Mirror
. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. </ref> but he is not visible in the film.
Christopher Moltisanti is also fascinated with the films' depictions of the Mafia. They have all watched the films so often that Paulie, for example, refers to The Godfather star Al Pacino in conversation simply as "Al," Paulie's car horn plays "Love Theme From The Godfather", and several of the characters refer to the movies by their numbers: the first movie in the trilogy is simply referred to as "one." Tony and his crew sometimes discuss favorite scenes from the films. Silvio Dante in the early seasons would impersonate Al Pacino, from The Godfather Part III, saying, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." He has done impersonations of the scene in The Godfather Part III between Michael Corleone and Al Neri where Michael says "Our true enemy has yet to reveal himself," (followed, tellingly, by an immediate cut to a shot of Big Pussy). The mobsters compare themselves to the cinematic images of organized crime in The Godfather trilogy, as well as other well known films about the Mafia, such as Goodfellas. Late in Season One, Christopher bonds over the Godfather movies with hip-hop mogul Massive Genius, who insists that the third one is "misunderstood."
There are also various visual homages to the Godfather trilogy.Modèle:Or Just before Tony is shot at in a failed assassination attempt in Season One, he buys a bottle of orange juice, a reference to Vito Corleone buying oranges during a similar attempt on his life.[citation needed] In addition, following the death of Livia Soprano in Season Three, there is a point-of-view shot of Tony taking an elevator to the funeral home basement. The scene is a direct homage to the scene in The Godfather where Vito calls on a favor to Bonasera following the murder of his son, Santino.[citation needed]
In Season Five, Carmine Lupertazzi suffers a fatal stroke while eating brunch. At the table, all the glasses are filled with water, except Carmine's, which has orange juice. In Season Six, in the episode "Member's Only", Tony is seen pouring orange juice into a coffee mug, and just after drinking it, he tells AJ that the only people you can really count on are family. Later in this episode Tony is shot by Junior, a family member. In the final episode, "Made in America", where it is conjectured that Tony may have been killed, Tony is seen eating an orange at Carmela's safe house. In The Godfather, Vito Corleone dies shortly after placing an orange wedge in his mouth in order to playfully frighten his grandson. In episode 10 of season 5 during the dream sequence Tony Soprano reaches for a gun behind the lavatory which is reference to the scene in the Godfather where Michael Corleone retrieves the gun to shoot the police captain from where it is strapped to the back of the lavatory.
In the Season Six, Part 1 episode "Mayham," Anthony Junior plans to avenge the shooting of his father by killing Uncle Junior. A.J. tells Bobby and Christopher that getting to Junior would be "difficult, not impossible" (Rocco Lampone made this identical remark to Michael Corleone concerning the assassination of Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II). When A.J. does in fact get caught in Junior's mental institution-jail with a knife in his revenge attempt, he later screams at Tony that Michael's restaurant revenge scene was always Tony's favorite, and Tony says, "It's a movie, A.J."
During the final scene of the series, in the episode "Made in America," an unknown man whom Tony watches closely walks into the bathroom of the restaurant they're in. The scene ends abruptly before the man returns, leading to speculation that the man came out of the bathroom and shot Tony. In The Godfather, Michael Corleone gets a gun from the bathroom and shoots Virgil Sollozzo and his policeman bodyguard, Captain McCluskey.
In the first episode of the series, when Chris Moltisanti waits with Big Pussy after killing Emil Kolar, he says "Louis Brasi sleeps with the fishes", and Big Pussy replies "It's Luca Brasi".
And Tony Soprano's wife is called Carmela—the same name as Vito Corleone's wife in the Godfather.
Product placement
The Sopranos has been consistent in the frequent depiction of actual brand names for products on the program. This practice is widely regarded within the media as product placement.<ref>"Sopranos Product Placement Watch", BusinessWeek Online, 2006 </ref><ref> "HBO shows use real brands", USA Today, December 12, 2002 </ref><ref>"Advertisers find "Sopranos" hard to refuse", Reuters, October 11, 2002 </ref>
Criminality of cast members
Modèle:Importance-sect As of the sixth season, there have been arrests for many of the actors that appear on the series. Because of the popularity and subject matter of the show, these arrests were widely reported by the news media:
- Robert Iler — In July 2001, the actor who plays Anthony Soprano, Jr. was arrested for the armed robbery of two Brazilian tourists and possession of marijuana. He pled guilty to a charge of larceny and received three years' probation.<ref>New York State documents, thesmokinggun.com, accessed March 28, 2007. </ref>
- Richard Maldone — The actor who played Acting Capo Albert Barese had previously been arrested and convicted for assault, grand larceny, forgery, and criminal possession of stolen property. In April 2003, he was arrested on a drug charge that could have landed him 15 years, but the case was dismissed.<ref>Dewan, Shaila K. (compiled by Anthony Ramirez). Metro Briefing | New York: Queens: 43 Arrested In Drug Raids, The New York Times, April 4, 2003, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref>
- Vincent Pastore — In April 2005, the actor who played mob-soldier-turned-rat Big Pussy Bonpensiero was charged with assaulting his girlfriend during an argument in a car. He allegedly smacked her head and slammed it into the auto's gear shift. He then yanked her out of the car. He was sentenced to perform community service.<ref>"Big Pussy" Acts His Name, thesmokinggun.com, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref>
- Lillo Brancato Jr. — In May 2005, the actor who played Soprano associate Matthew Bevilaqua in the second season was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs.<ref>'Sopranos' Murder Suspect Had L.A. Drug Arrest, cbs2.com, December 13, 2005 accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> In June 2005, he was arrested for possession of heroin.<ref>Associated Press. One-Time 'Sopranos' Actor Brancato Jr., Friend Face Charges in Officer's Murder, December 11, 2005, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> In December 2005, he was arrested and charged with second degree murder. He was an accomplice in a robbery, which resulted in a police officer's death when Brancato's partner Steven Armento engaged in gunfire with the off-duty officer.<ref>"Actor and 2nd Man Are Charged in Officer's Killing" from The New York Times, December 12, 2005</ref>
- Louis Gross — Portrayed bodyguard Perry Annunziata in the sixth season. In May 2006, he was arrested and charged with criminal mischief after breaking into a woman's home claiming he was there to take back possession of his belongings.<ref>'Sopranos' Bodyguard Cuts A Deal, showbuzz.cbs.news.com, August 12, 2006, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref>
- John Ventimiglia — In May 2006, the day after Gross's arrest, the actor who plays Artie Bucco was charged with DWI and drunk driving. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.12 and was also carrying a bag that had cocaine residue.<ref>Artie Bucco In Hot Soup, thesmokinggun.com, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref>
Additionally, Tony Sirico, the actor who plays mob underboss Paulie Walnuts, was charged with numerous criminal activities totaling twenty-eight arrests and a prison term before turning to acting in the mid-1970s. Some of his more notable arrests were for a chain of nightclub hold-ups.<ref>From Sing Sing to Bada Bing, thesmokinggun.com, accessed March 28, 2007. </ref>
Reception
| This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
The Sopranos appears as the fifth highest show on TV Guide's Top 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time list (behind only Seinfeld, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and All in the Family).<ref>[1]</ref> Upon its debut in 1999 the New York Times declared that it "just may be the greatest work of American popular culture of the last quarter century".<ref name="Stanford">Oxford, Jesse. Family Man, standfordalumni.org, accessed May 8, 2007. </ref> Newsweek has said that it was "far and away, the best show on television".<ref name="Stanford"/> Vanity Fair called The Sopranos the greatest show in TV history.
In 2007, Channel 4 (UK) ranked "The Sopranos" #1 on their list of the "50 Greatest TV Dramas".<ref name = "Channel 4 top 50"> [2]</ref> Also that year, TIME magazine included the show on their list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time".<ref>[3]</ref>
The Sopranos is the most successful cable series of all time, reaching a peak of 13.4 million viewers for the fourth season premiere.<ref name="Desperate">Hollywood Reporter. 'Sopranos' may have harmed 'Housewives', cnn.com, April 17, 2007, accessed May 9, 2007. </ref> As a sign of its popularity, advertisements for the show starting with the fourth season feature just a promotional shot of the regular cast with the title of the show omitted from the advertisement.<ref>Romano, Allison. Chris Albrecht's goombas, bpradcastincable.com, September 9, 2002, accessed March 25, 2007.</ref> Early sixth season promotional posters just had the premiere date of "March 12" with a hand holding a gun replacing the "r" in March. Despite diminished ratings for the sixth season due to competition from the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives, The Sopranos was the #1 cable series for the season.<ref name="Desperate"/>
However, the show has faced a variety of criticisms. It has been called anti-Italian,<ref>Iaconis, Rosario A. 'Sopranos' Stereotypes Must Be Wiped Out, italystl.com, October 14, 2002, accessed March 25, 2007. </ref><ref>Parenti, Michael. That's Italian?, zmag.org, June 13, 2005, accessed March 25, 2007. </ref><ref>"Kids and Italians deserve better script", Chicago Tribune, November 16, 2006 </ref> with accusations of defamation directly aimed at Italian-Americans due to the mob stereotype. The defamation claim, which has been mentioned throughout the show's entire run, resulted in the cast being banned from participating in the Columbus Day ParadeModèle:Huh weeks after the airing of "Christopher," an episode that revolved around the threat of mob violence when local Native Americans threatened to protest a Columbus Day parade.<ref>"Soprano Parade Plans Iced", E! Online, October 10, 2002</ref> The National Italian-American Foundation, a frequent critic of The Sopranos and what it views as negative depictions of Italian-Americans on the series, supported the decision made by The Columbus Citizens Foundation to exclude cast members from the parade. The NIAF also expressed dismay at Mayor Bloomberg's decision to include cast members from the series in New York City's annual Columbus Day Parade. The show has referenced these criticisms, including a satirical portrayal of an organization similar in nature to the NIAF, in various episodes, particularly those written by Michael Imperioli.
The show has never been successful in Italy. Due to its violent and sexual contents, it was aired only late at night and was not advertised. It was initially broadcast as a Saturday late night show on Canale 5, achieving low ratings. However, it moved to SKY Italia's Fox but the series remains almost disowned in Italy.
The first part of the sixth season, in particular, has been criticized for being slow-moving and unfocused. The meandering nature of the season left many fans and critics unsatisfied about the lack of resolution in many episodes.[citation needed] Immediately following the airing of the final episode, the HBO web site crashed from an excess of visitors. Media reports speculated that the surge consisted of viewers disappointed by the finale.<ref>Marconi. Mitch. Sopranos Ending Crashes HBO Web Site: Fan Outrage On Message Boards, The Post Chronicle, June 11, 2007, June 16, 2007. </ref>
HBO and David Chase have maintained that the sixth season is an extended 21-episode season split into two parts, not two separate seasons of 12 and 9 episodes.<ref>Sepinwall, Alan. "Defining a season", Newark Star Ledger, August 12, 2005, accessed April 24, 2007. </ref><ref>Dunn, Geoffrey. "American Metaphor", Metroactive, March 8-March 14, 2006, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> The practice of separating a long season into two parts has been used for the final season of HBO's Sex and the City which also split its 20-episode final season into 12- and 8-episode parts. Still, the sixth season was acclaimed for the most part by the critics, tying for top show of the 2006 season in the TelevisionWeek Critics Poll with Lost.<ref>"Summer 2006 Critics Poll: A Photo Finish at Top of Ballot", TVWeek.com, July 17, 2006.</ref>
It was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Award at the Emmys; Season 6 (Part 1) received fewer nominations than the previous five seasons. Together with Part 2, Season Six's Emmy nomination total amounts to 21 nominations.<ref>Awards and nominations, IMDb.com, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref>
Awards
The Sopranos has been nominated for most Outstanding Drama Series every year of its run, including 2007, its final season. James Gandolfini and Edie Falco have also been nominated every year but one and have also been nominated in 2007. After being nominated for and losing the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003 (losing the first time to The Practice, then the latter three to The West Wing), The Sopranos finally won the award in 2004, and again in 2007, becoming the first and only cable series to win the award. It also joined Sex and the City as the only cable show to pick up a best series Emmy. In 2003, after picking up Emmys for Writing, Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Joe Pantoliano), Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco), and Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Gandolfini), many experts thought the show would be a shoo-in for Drama Series. The show has dominated the writing categories at the Emmys, picking up 17 nominations over five seasons and winning the award four times. It is also a perennial nominee at the Golden Globes (winning the Best Drama Series in 2000) and the major guild awards (Directors, Producers, Writers, and Actors).
The Sopranos has also won at least one Emmy Award for Acting in every season with the exception of the year 2006. Edie Falco and James Gandolfini have each been nominated five times for the leading roles in the show, each winning a total of three awards. Joe Pantoliano won an Emmy (for Supporting Actor) in 2003, and Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo also won Emmys in 2004 for their supporting roles on the show. Other actors who have received Emmy nominations for the series include Lorraine Bracco (in the Lead Actress and Supporting Actress categories), Dominic Chianese, Nancy Marchand, Aida Turturro, Steve Buscemi (who was also nominated for directing the Pine Barrens episode), John Heard and Annabella Sciorra.
In 2006, The Sopranos received its sixth Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, but lost the award to 24. Three-time Emmy winners James Gandolfini and Edie Falco were snubbed in the Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama Series category, respectively. Michael Imperioli was the only cast member to receive a nomination (his fifth nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series). The show did pick up a trophy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for Terence Winter for the episode "Members Only".
On July 19, 2007, it was revealed that "The Sopranos" was nominated for fifteen Emmys, including its seventh Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. Gandolfini and Falco were once again nominated for their lead roles of Tony and Carmela Soprano, and Michael Imperioli picked up his second Outstanding Supporting Actor nomination in a row. Rounding out the actor categories, Aida Turturro was nominated for her role of Janice Soprano; Lorraine Bracco received her fourth Emmy nomination for her performance of Dr. Melfi (her first since 2001); and an Outstanding Guest Actor nomination went out to Tim Daly for his performance as writer J.T. Dolan. David Chase, Matthew Weiner, and Terence Winter were nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, among the other well-entitled nominations for the show's direction, sound mixing, editing, and cinematography.
On September 16, 2007, the show received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for the second time, becoming the first drama show in history to win the award in its final broadcasting season. While the show was shut out of all acting awards, Alan Taylor also won Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode "Kennedy and Heidi", and David Chase was awarded Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the final episode, "Made in America".
Production
Pre-production
The show was originally intended to air on the FOX network<ref name="Salon"/> and a pilot had been produced for the network.[citation needed] However, FOX rejected the show and HBO picked up the series.<ref name="Salon"/> When the show was in production at FOX, it was known as Made in Jersey. Other titles that were considered included Family Man and New Jersey Blood.<ref name="vanity" /> The character of Tony Soprano was originally named Tommy. HBO was concerned about the title The Sopranos because they did not want viewers to think it was about music. The show's logo therefore features a gun in place of the letter "r."
The tumultuous relationship between Tony Soprano and his mother, Livia Soprano, is based partially on David Chase's relationship with his own mother, Norma.<ref name="Salon">Dougherty, Robin. Chasing TV, salon.com, January 20, 1999, accessed May 8, 2007. </ref>
The show has become notorious for its long hiatuses. Whereas most TV programs are off the air for 3–5 months in between seasons, and HBO dramas are usually 9 months, because of their shorter episode order, The Sopranos' production breaks have been consistently longer. This is mainly because of scheduling conflicts for the actors and David Chase's requests to HBO for time to develop storylines. Chase has said in the past that he intended the show to last only one or two seasons (hence the shorter gap between the first two seasons as compared to later ones), but its success led to a lengthier run, and thus he had to write most of the later episodes from scratch.
- Seasons 1–2: 9 months
- Seasons 2–3: 11 months
- Seasons 3–4: 16 months
- Seasons 4–5: 16 months
- Seasons 5–6: 21 months
- Seasons 6 part 1–6 part 2: 10 months
Casting
Gandolfini was cast as Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw a short clip of his performance in the Quentin Tarantino-written film True Romance.<ref name="vanity" /> Tony Sirico, meanwhile, signed on to play Paulie Walnuts as long as his character was not to be a "rat."<ref>Tony Sirico, sopranos.com, accessed March 19, 2007.</ref>
Lorraine Bracco, who had previously played the role of mob wife Karen Hill in Goodfellas, was originally asked to play the role of Carmela Soprano. She took the role as Dr. Melfi because she felt that would be more of a challenge for her. Coincidentally, Suzanne Shepherd, who played Karen Hill's mother in Goodfellas, was cast as Carmela's mother. Nancy Marchand was cast, in part, due to her similarities to Chase's own mother, on whom the character of Livia Soprano was based.<ref name="Salon">Dougherty, Robin. Chasing TV, salon.com, January 20, 1999, accessed May 8, 2007. </ref>
David Chase loved Drea de Matteo's acting and enthusiasm as a maitre d' in the pilot so much that he made her a series regular in "Denial, Anger, Acceptance."
Steve Van Zandt (Silvio Dante) and David Proval (Richie Aprile) auditioned to play Tony Soprano. Ray Liotta was a prime candidate for the role of Tony Soprano but he turned it down.<ref>Ray Liotta Turned Down Sopranos, IMDb.com, 2001-03-15, accessed 2007-06-13. </ref>
Seven members of the cast of The Sopranos appeared in Mickey Blue Eyes in the same year that The Sopranos began: Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts), John Ventimiglia (Artie Bucco), Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano), Vincent Pastore (Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero), Frank Pellegrino (Bureau Chief Frank Cubitoso), Joseph R. Gannascoli (Vito Spatafore), and Tony Darrow (Larry Barese).<ref>Goodman, Lee-Ann. 'The Sopranos' final season promises more thrills, heartbreak and whackings, Canadian Press, online on yahoo.com, April 3, 2007, accessed May 24, 2007. </ref>
Title sequence
One of the most recognizable parts of The Sopranos is the program's opening, which is accompanied by the theme song "Woke Up This Morning" (Chosen One Mix) by the British band Alabama 3 (the band is known as A3 in the U.S. for legal reasons). Tony Soprano is seen emerging from the Lincoln Tunnel and entering the New Jersey Turnpike. Numerous landmarks in and around Newark, New Jersey are shown. The sequence ends with Tony pulling into the driveway of his suburban home. David Chase said that a goal of the title sequence was to show that this particular Mafia show was about New Jersey, as opposed to New York where most such dramas have been set. <ref>DVD commentary for Season 1, Episode 1</ref>
In the first three seasons, between Tony leaving the tunnel and entering the New Jersey Turnpike, an image of the World Trade Center towers can be seen in his rear view mirror. Just prior to the start of the fourth season, The Sopranos creator David Chase removed this shot in response to the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 which destroyed the Twin Towers.
Sets and locations
Though outdoor scenes were filmed on location in New Jersey, a majority of the interior filming was done at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Queens, New York. The Sopranos live at 633 Stag Trail Road in North Caldwell, New Jersey, however the address of the actual house is 14 Aspen Drive, North Caldwell, NJ 07006-4557.
The show often used actual businesses as filming locations. In "The Sopranos" Satriale's Pork Store is located in Kearny, New Jersey. In the pilot episode, the Pork Store was an operating meat market called Centanni's located in Elizabeth, NJ. Scenes depicting Vesuvio were filmed in a restaurant in Elizabeth. Pizzaland, also depicted in the opening sequence, is located on the Belleville Turnpike in North Arlington, NJ. All Bada Bing interior and exteriors were filmed on location at Satin Dolls,<ref>Welcome to Satin Dolls, satindollsnj.com, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> an actual go-go bar in Lodi, New Jersey. Adriana's club, The Crazy Horse, was known as The Lollipop Club and was previously owned by cast member Vincent Pastore. Most of the hospital scenes were filmed in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The exterior shots of the hospital used in season six were filmed at NJIT in Newark, NJ.
Series finale
The series ended its run on HBO on the night of June 10, 2007. The closing scene of the episode generated considerable controversy and speculation about its meaning.<ref>Carter, Bill. Fans Online Sift for Clues in the ‘Sopranos’ Finale June 16,2007</ref>
According to TV Blogger, an HBO source revealed the possibility of an alternate ending, "comprising of the same scenes ordered differently and with a few omissions." <ref> 'HBO Source Confirms Alternate Sopranos Ending'
. Retrieved on 2007-7-29.
</ref>
Music
The show has been noted for its eclectic music selections. David Chase, producer Martin Bruestle, and music editor Kathryn Dayak hand pick every song, sometimes in consultation with Steven Van Zandt.<ref>Sepinwall, Alan. "The hits keep on coming", The Star Ledger, March 08, 2006, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> Many songs are repeated multiple times through an episode, such as "Living on a Thin Line" by The Kinks in "University" and "Glad Tidings" by Van Morrison in "All Due Respect" or "Sposa son disprezzata" by Vivaldi, performed by Cecilia Bartoli, also "World Destruction" by Time Zone, the duo of John Lydon and Afrika Bambaataa. Other songs are heard several times throughout the series, such as "Con te partiro" performed by Andrea Bocelli. Music selection is as diverse as Doo-Wop from the late 1950s and early 1960s to modern tunes. The creators of the show have also used several artists more than once, including: Dean Martin, Annie Lennox, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Blur, Paul Simon and Little Charlie and the Night Cats.
An original aspect of the show is its sparse, often minimalist use of incidental music. While most TV series rely on musical scores to emphasize tension or dramatic moments, The Sopranos rarely uses this resource. The most brutal scenes are often unaccompanied by any sort of background music.
There is often background "classic rock" music when Tony is driving, sometimes interrupted by his turning the car off or getting out, and with a station identifier as well, giving the appearance that he is listening to the radio.
Rapper Nas used The Sopranos' theme song (performed by Alabama 3) as a sample in his song "Got Ur Self A..." from his album Stillmatic in 2001.
Different songs are played over the closing credits of each episode, and have often been playing over the last few scenes of the show to allow more of the song to be heard before the show ends.
In 2006, HBO.com and iTunes began offering a Sopranos "iMix," a playlists of songs featured in Season Six episodes.<ref>HBO: Music, HBO.com, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> The website also features playlists of actors who star on the show, such as Robert Iler and Joe Gannascoli.
DVD releases
Modèle:Update All seasons of The Sopranos have been released on DVD. The first half of Season 6 was released on November 7 2006.<ref>Lambert, David. Sopranos Season 6 Split into two volumes, tvshowsondvd.com, July 21, 2006, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> Although the series was mastered in HDTV (High Definition Television, 16:9 widescreen from 35 mm film negatives) from its inception (with the exception of the Pilot episode), the show wouldn't be broadcast in this format until the fourth season (2002). The DVDs are shown in widescreen.
The Sopranos were among the first television programs to be released on HD-DVD and the Blu-ray format in late-2006. Other Sopranos Seasons are due to be released on HD-DVD and Blu-ray in 2007.<ref>Lambwert, David. The Sopranos to be released on HD-DVD, tvshowsondvd.com, August 10, 2006, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref>
| DVD Name | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Season 1 | December 12 2000 | November 24 2003 | November 24 2003 | November 24 2003 |
| Complete Season 1 (Original UK Release) | N/A | April 16 2001 | N/A | N/A |
| Complete Season 2 | November 6 2001 | November 24 2003 | November 24 2003 | November 24 2003 |
| Complete Season 2 (Original UK Release) | N/A | June 25 2001 | N/A | N/A |
| Complete Season 3 | August 27 2002 | November 24 2003 | November 24 2003 | November 24 2003 |
| Complete Season 4 | October 28 2003 | November 3 2003 | November 3 2003 | November 3 2003 |
| Complete Season 5 | June 7 2005 | June 20 2005 | June 20 2005 | August 17 2005 |
| Season 6 Part 1 (Episodes 1 - 12) | November 7 2006 | November 27 2006 | TBA | March 7 2007 |
| Season 6 Part 2 (Episodes 13 - 21) | October 23 2007 | November 19 2007 | TBA 2007 | November 12 2007 |
References in popular culture
The show has been referenced in many forms of media. The opening sequence was parodied in an episode of The Simpsons in 2002, with Fat Tony standing in for Tony Soprano in "Papa's Got a Brand New Badge," followed by a sequence in which characters similar in appearance to Silvio Dante, Paulie Gualtieri, and Christopher Moltisanti appear as the "Jersey Muscle," though without speaking.<ref>Papa's Got A Brand New Badge, tv.com, accessed May 9, 2007. </ref> The first episode of The Simpsons' eighteenth season called "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer" has several references to The Sopranos.<ref name="tv.com">The Mook, the Chef, the Wife, and Her Homer, tv.com, accessed May 9, 2007. </ref> Actors Joe Pantoliano and Michael Imperioli appear on the same episode as the voices of Dante and Dante Jr.<ref name="tv.com"/>
The Sopranos was also parodied in the Adult Swim show Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, in 2003, in an episode in which Fred Flintstone is a mob boss.<ref>The Dabba Don, tv.com, accessed May 9, 2007. </ref> During the 2001 Fox NASCAR coverage of the Coca-Cola 600, a segment called "The Pit Reporters" was played in which Chris Myers is Tony Soprano and Jeanne Zelasko is Dr. Melfi. It was inspired by an incident where FOX NASCAR studio host Chris Myers and analyst Jeff Hammond were attacked by Super Soaker water gun-wielding pit reporters Dick Berggren and Matt Yocum during a rain delay at The Winston. Myers commented, "They should appear in The Sopranos." For the 600, Tony Soprano (Myers) makes an appearance at Dr. Melfi's (Jeanne Zelasko) office previewing the 600. The show has many other references in a wide variety of media resources. Arthur also did a parody of it once, in the episode "Bleep" but it was called "The Altos." Attack of the Show! did a parody called "The Marios" where Mario and Luigi acted out scenes from The Sopranos and other mafia movies/series.
The Sopranos was parodied in a Saturday Night Live skit, in which Molly Shannon's character Sally "I'm Fifty!" O'Malley auditions to be a dancer at Bada Bing (all the while wearing her red "dance pants"). Uncle Junior also shows up brandishing a banana ("I was gonna shoot you again but I forgot my gun").
The Sopranos was also parodied by Mad TV, in a skit where a censored version of the show appeared on the PAX Network. It goes through typical scenarios of Sopranos episodes, with all adult themes censored out: Carmela and Tony arguing with all the swearwords cut out, Tony at Dr. Melfi's office with all the swearwords cut out, Tony being seduced by a stripper with the nudity completely removed, Meadow screaming at Tony with the swearwords removed, and finally Tony and his top captains screaming at each other with every second word being left out. To parody the amount of this content it had, the entire episode was only around 3 minutes, the amount of time the parody lasted.
Sun Sports, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team, did two different Sopranos-like intros, one with The Lightning Bug team mascot as the driver, and another with Sun Sports' on-air personality Paul Kennedy as the driver. New Jersey was replaced with well-known Tampa locations, such as Bayshore Boulevard, Ybor City, and the Crosstown Expressway. The credits were names of team players, the coach, and front office staff.
The Sopranos season two promotional poster was parodied in the video game Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine, with the "Peraltos" replacing The Sopranos. Several characters from the game assume poses that are similar to those of the Sopranos characters in the original poster. Additionally, the letter 'r' in the word 'Peraltos' is substituted for a Western-style revolver.
The series is also referenced in the novel The Watchmen (2004, G.P. Putnam's Sons) by John Altman, in which an Italian-American character wryly reflects that the TV series encourages negative stereotypes of Italians.
The character of Christopher Moltisanti is referenced in the animated show Family Guy, where he helps Stewie to dig a hole in the season four episode "Sibling Rivalry." Afterwards, Stewie and Brian appeared at the 2007 Emmy Awards, singing a song about current TV shows; the line about the Sopranos goes: "Now the Sopranos is a show I'd recommend, because you never know just how it's gonna - " followed by a sudden stop and a blank screen, lampooning the show's abrupt ending. It was also parodied at the end of Lois Kills Stewie, when Brian tells Stewie that the ending of that episode is like a "giant middle finger to (the audience)," while Stewie replies: "At least it didn't end like the Sopranos, where they just cut in mid-sen - " followed, again, by a sudden stop and a blank screen.
The final segment of Made in America, the series finale, has been parodied by several diverse groups such as ABC News<ref>World News Now - The Sopranos Ending</ref>, the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton,<ref>HillaryClinton.com - Our Campaign Song</ref> and the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.<ref>The Parrot - Final Episode</ref>
Games and toys
The Sopranos has spawned several video games and toys based on the series.
PlayStation 2 game
In May 2006, a videogame based on the show was announced entitled The Sopranos: Road to Respect. The story was partly written by David Chase and was developed by 7 Studios and published by THQ Inc.<ref> "The Sopranos: Road to Respect.", gamespot.com, May 5, 2006, accesssed April 7, 2007. </ref> Voice acting was contributed by the show's stars, including James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Joseph Gannascoli, Vincent Pastore, and Robert Iler. The game was released in November 2006.
The game's storyline takes place between the fifth and sixth seasons and centers around Big Pussy's illegitimate son, Joey LaRocca, as he makes his way through the family business. The character is voiced by Christian Maelen, who was David Chase's second choice to play Christopher Moltisanti. The player is able to take missions from the main characters during this era. The Sopranos differs from other mob-influenced games in that it is in a linear, story driven action game as opposed to Grand Theft Auto's open-world type gameplay. However, players are able to play Texas Hold 'Em with members of the Family and visit the Bada Bing. Unlike the TV show, the game focuses almost exclusively on the Mafia aspect of The Sopranos rather than the blend of family/business/therapy that Sopranos fans have become accustomed to. The game was not well-received; as of January 2007, it had a Metacritic score of 46%, characterized as "generally negative reviews."<ref> "Sopranos: Road to Respect", metacritic.com, accessed April 7, 2007. </ref> One chief complaint among gamers is that the game is very short and can be completed within four hours or less.
Other games
A web-based game was created in 2006 in support of the broadcast of the first season of The Sopranos on A&E Network.[citation needed] Described as a "fantasy sports meets scavenger hunt" experience, The Sopranos A&E Connection combines real-world media – such as billboards, phone kiosks and magazine ads – with an online game board synched to A&E’s real-time broadcast of the show.[citation needed]
Cingular (now AT&T Mobility) also markets a downloadable game for its branded cell phones titled, "The Sopranos Bada Bing! Manager."[citation needed]
A Sopranos pinball machine was also released by Stern Pinball in 2005.[citation needed]
Collectibles
In 2002 Matchbox released a Sopranos collectible car: Tony Soprano's Chevy Suburban.[citation needed]
In June of 2005 inkworks released a set of collectibles trading cards featuring season 1.[citation needed]
In 2006, Jada Toys released a collectible 1/64th scale diecast two-car vehicle set.[citation needed] It features a custom-version of Tony Sopranos's white Cadillac Escalade and Christopher Moltisanti's silver Hummer H2 in front of the famous Satriale's.[citation needed]
Film
There has been talk of a Sopranos feature film that was to be released after the series had ended. While this idea was reportedly scrapped in favor of "The Final Nine" episodes that debuted in April 2007, creator David Chase did not rule out the possibility of a Sopranos movie at a future date. However, he has noted in numerous interviews that the movie would be a prequel, and that he would never continue where the series had stopped.[citation needed]
When asked about this topic, all of the actors except James Gandolfini said they would gladly come back if there were ever a movie.<ref>"Tony Soprano Ready for His Close-Up?", E! Online, February 27, 2006</ref>
On November 21, 2007, Chase said in GQ magazine that there were no plans to make a movie based off of the series and that it was not likely to happen.<ref>Source: http://www.hollywood.com/news/Chase_No_Sopranos_Movie/4997438</ref>
See also
References
External links
- The Sopranos at the Internet Movie Database
- Modèle:Tv.com show
- [The Sopranos Catégorie Arts/Television/Programs/Dramas/Sopranos,_The/] de l’annuaire dmoz.
- Sopranos locations and sightings
- The Sopranos and the American Dream
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