In 1999, a series about a New Jersey crime family premiered on HBO; it would change television. Series creator David Chase, and stars Edie Falco, Steven Van Zandt, Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa, discuss the personal and cultural impact of “The Sopranos.”
This year marks the celebration of the debut of “The Sopranos” a quarter-century ago. The hit HBO drama about a mob family headquartered in a New Jersey strip club would change television.
“I had a lot of friends who were auditioning for this thing called ‘Sopranos'”, said actress Edie Falco. “I thought it was about singers.”
Steve Van Zandt recalled, “He calls and says, you know, ‘You wanna be in my new TV show?’ And I say, ‘Yeah, no thanks!'”
Michael Imperioli said, “A series on HBO was kinda like the bargain basement, and I’m not being facetious.”
Series creator David Chase, whose past credits included “The Rockford Files” and “Northern Exposure”, had offered “The Sopranos” to all of the broadcast networks. Their reaction? “Too dark”, he said.
But it could be darkly funny, too. “I’ve never been able to figure out whether it’s a comedy”, said Chase. “I guess it’s like life. I don’t know, I hope.”
It started as a show about a mob boss with a troublesome mom. Chase, who grew up in suburban New Jersey, based her on his own mother. “I believe that if my mother had been male, she might have been a criminal”, he said. “Nancy Marchand just brought it to life.”
Tormented, Tony Soprano is driven to see a therapist, Dr. Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco.
Mason asked, “So, you base Tony’s mother on your mother, and you based the therapist on your therapist?”
“I think I was probably trying to re-mother myself”, said Chase. “I was looking for a woman of my mother’s age, who wouldn’t behave like a maniac.”
“And that’s what Tony’s trying to do?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
But Chase also saw “The Sopranos” as a parable of America in decline: “At that time in America, there was so much consumption, greed, that it was enough to make a mob boss sick.
