By David Flynn

 

Audiences were totally unprepared for the drama that occurred in The Sopranos series which premiered in 1999, but they took the series to their hearts and to this day it is considered one of television’s most successful and popular series.

The mafia, gangsters and violence had existed on television in many US drama shows, like the late 1980s show, Wise Guy starring Ken Wahl and featured on almost all police series, e.g. Hill Street Blues. However there was nothing on television before like The Sopranos.

The lead character Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini was living between family life encompassing his wife, two children and overbearing mother, and his world as a New Jersey mob boss, who was involved in crime, including murder. His psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco was the person he regularly went to for discussions on his life, or the life that he chooses to tell her about.

Edie Falco played Tony’s wife, Carmela, and his mother, Livia Soprano was played by Nancy Marchand, who was a popular character actress. She had played Mrs. Pynchon on the tv drama series, Lou Grant, from 1977 to 1982, where she won four Emmy awards.

Tony’s young cousin and associate, Christopher, was played by Michael Imperioli. His uncle, Junior Soprano was played by Dominic Chianese, and his close friend, Silvio Dante was played by Steven Van Zandt. There were many others in the cast of characters who became household names with Sopranos fans when the series was on throughout the early 2000s, and they are still fondly remembered by fans who sometimes re-watch the hit series.

The Sopranos pilot episode premiered on the Home Box Office (HBO) network in America on Sunday, January 10th 1999. It climbed the ratings on the premium cable network, and by the end of its run in April, it was hitting over five million viewers.

Murder, mayhem, violence and not forgetting sex were the constants that took place in every episode of The Sopranos, and there were many dollops of comedy along the way.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own