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The cultural impact ofThe Sopranosremains unparalleled to this day as the New Jersey mob and their daily shenanigans forever altered the course of television history. The ripple effect of the HBO show can be found in modern prestige shows likeMad Men,Breaking Bad,The Wire, and evenGame of Thrones.But it’s the real-life mobsters who remain at the top of the list.
Taking a page out of fiction’s greatest mob stories, David Chase crafted a perfect story about the Italian-American Mafia based out of New Jersey. With James Gandolfini in the lead, the series introduced a golden age of television that left the audience wide-eyed with fascination and wonder.
But no amount of lessons fromThe GodfatherandScarfacecould prepare Chase and Gandolfini for what came next.
The SopranosGets a Life Lesson from a Real Gangster
The ups and downs that accompaniedJames Gandolfini‘s term as the fictional don of the Italian mob onThe Sopranoswere too numerous to count. From his impending panic attacks to Chrissy’s drug problem to the never-ending power struggles, the HBO series packed a punch, delivered some of the greatest scenes on television, and left the audiences feeling hollow and rudderless after it ended the greatest 9-year run of television crime drama.
Amid all the scenes that could easily be labeled as the greatest moments of the show, James Gandolfini’sTony Soprano hosting a barbecuehas to rank among the best for one very specific reason. The scene itself had no incredible hurdle to overcome in terms of production and filming, and there were no memorable turning points in the narrative arc of the drama. But Gandolfini left the wrong impression on certain real-life mobsters for his poor wardrobe choice instead.
James Gandolfini: ‘I got punched right in the nose’ on The Sopranos Fame That Made Him Almost Quit the Show Every Other Day
In the week that followed, Gandolfini received a very serious visit from a man on the set who pointed out the error of his ways and relayed to him the Do’s and Dont’s of career criminals and mob bosses. Looking him dead in the eyes,he claimed,“Dons don’t wear shorts,”and James Gandolfini paid attention.
Since then, Tony Soprano has never been seen wearing a short, and that little detail was invoked in a later episode of the series where Tony receives an earful from another mob boss for wearing shorts to the barbecue.
The SopranosRemains the Backbone of TV Industry
Despite the indomitable impact ofThe Sopranoson television history, it is not the only show that has left the foundations of the industry forever altered. However, the crime drama has certainly led to the creation of some of the best series in its aftermath, impacting the medium on the basis of its storytelling, cinematography, narrative devices, character arcs, and moral boundaries.
Shows that were later influenced byThe Sopranos, namelyMad Men,The Wire,Deadwood, andGame of Thronesfurther pushed those tropes to greater heights, making creative and artistic choices that made television a lucrative prospect for serious actors as compared to its status in the 20th century.
Why There Was Never Going to Be “The Sopranos” Season 7, Explained
By changing the landscape of the film and television industry,The Sopranoshighlighted how the latter could become an essential medium of artistic expression and creative liberation. The years sinceThe Sopranoshave been littered with increasingly addictive, award-winning shows that not only promise a bright future ahead for the TV industry but also solidify the HBO show’s place as its backbone, too.
The Sopranosis available for streaming on Max.
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2407
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
