Twenty years ago today, a guy walked into a psychiatrist's office...

[Keebleman]

...and kicked off the Golden Age of TV!  The Sopranos premiered on January 10th, 1999.  I've been watching some episodes this week and it hasn't dated a lick.

[Bazooka]

Fucking A(Said in Christopher's voice, not mine I am also called Christopher, but the character from the show Sopranos).

[Small Man Big Horse]

Chase is still working on that prequel movie apparently, and said it will feature a young Tony. In any one else's hands I'd be concerned but I think he'll probably pull it off.

[holyzombiejesus]

I've never seen a single second of The Sopranos. Should I give it a go?

[BlodwynPig]

I've never seen a single second of The Sopranos. Should I give it a go?

Me neither, despite QDRPHNC's best attempts.

[Chollis]

I've never seen a single second of The Sopranos

oof, maron

[the science eel]

Still the best TV drama series, and now I don't think it'll be surpassed because they're all going for more small-scale or theme-specific stuff.

It's Shakespearean, is what it is

[Mobius]

Yeah best show ever

Currently watching Boardwalk Empire which is great fun, though not quite on Sopranos level

[Sin Agog]

It's just a shame that, sans Tony's guiding hand, Paulie's been reduced to trolling Corbyn threads on General.

[chveik]

It's just a shame that, sans Tony's guiding hand, Paulie's been reduced to trolling Corbyn threads on General.

[monolith]

The Wire had a tighter arc but there's not a lot between them really. I haven't watched it since 2011, going to give it another go in 2021 and hope I've forgotten loads of it.

[Chollis]

The Wire had a tighter arc but there's not a lot between them really. I haven't watched it since 2011, going to give it another go in 2021 and hope I've forgotten loads of it.

The Wire edges it for me, but they're both magnificent and head and shoulders above any other telly series

[holyzombiejesus]

Even Lovejoy Breaking Bad?

[lipsink]

In a way, we were spoilt with The Sopranos and The Wire. Nothing since has really come close. A lot of shows now just lose steam after their promising first season or so. Is it cos of Facebook and the need for the producers to get a big "OMG!!!" moment every few episodes rather than just focusing on telling a good story and having good characters? Sopranos used big shock moments very sparingly compared to something like Game Of Thrones. The first big one I noticed when I rewatched it recently wasn't until well into Season 2.

After the last rewatch I reckon Season 2 is the best. Season 1 is very close. Season 3 is the probably the weakest (but understandably so, as they had to change a lot of planned stuff after the death of Nancy Marchand).

[Custard]

Best telly evahhhh. Really is, though. Love it

There's a lovely looking new book coming out to cash-in/commemorate - The Sopranos Sessions https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1419734946/

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Is it really the greatest show ever? I guess I always watched it rather passively, so any amazing points it may have made about the human condition, or whatever, went over my head. I don't remember it having the narrative scope and ambition of The Wire.

I could have sworn it started earlier than 1999. I must be thinking of Oz, a show which, I think, doesn't get enough credit for helping start the age of golden tellies.

[BlodwynPig]

The reason i havent watched Sopranos was the flat colouring of the promotional stills

[MidnightShambler]

I've never seen it either. For what seems like the absolutely daft reason (now) that it was always on on nights that I was out. I know I could have videod it but I just thought 'I'll see it when it's repeated' and never did. Now it's 20 fucking years later. Christ.

Similar thing happened the other week with the film City Hall. Only seems like five minutes ago I was saying 'i'll rent that when it comes on video' and now it's 23 years old and I still haven't seen it.

I don't like rushing in.

[Moribunderast]

I'd concur with best drama series ever (obviously just an opinion, couldn't argue with those who say The Wire or Friday Night Lights). Only ever watched it the once but I recall that involving basically a month of getting home from work and doing nothing but watch The Sopranos. It's weird that so few of the actors have (at least that I've noticed) gone on to do much great work after it? Edie Falco is the only one I see regularly popping up in stuff.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I love the show but remember season 5 as treading water a little, though season 6 was a return to form.

As much as I love it Twin Peaks Seasons 1 & 3 are my favourite pieces of television, and I'd be amazed if that ever changes. Hell, I even love a lot of season 2 even though it's definitely flawed in a good few places.

[Sin Agog]

It still annoys me how I was the boy in da corner defending the finale against the world (well, that's how it felt).  As Horse mentioned Twin Peaks, the reason why that was brought back (and will continue to live on) is the ambiguity.  We always think we want the red ribbon wrapped in a bow, but we really don't.  It would have made it die in our imaginations.  Like Tony.  With one to the back of the head.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The Wire edges it for me, but they're both magnificent and head and shoulders above any other telly series

I wouldn't compare them really. And Engrenages/Spiral makes The Wire look sloppy.

[mojo filters]

I love the show but remember season 5 as treading water a little, though season 6 was a return to form.

I absolutely love the Sopranos, but I felt David Chase let both seasons 5 and 6 become ever so slightly self-indulgent in places. However that is but a very minor complaint.

Nevertheless I think David Simon edges it with his seminal TV masterpiece The Wire, which was a tighter and more satisfying piece of peak television.

As a political geek I have to put in good word for seasons 1-4 of Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, which overall is probably my personal favourite televisual indulgence.

However when it comes to developing compelling and complex characters, combined with clever plotting over multi-season arcs - I think The Sopranos is the overall winner.

What I find fascinating is even after all these years, folks are still discussing the symbolism of the ducks from season 1, or reading new meaning into the amazing final episode. I thought I'd got all that stuff well figured out, but there's so much room for new takes even after all these years (though to be fair I'm still very confident about my interpretation of the finale).

Also when it comes to singularly brilliant-yet-flawed fascinating characters, I think Michael Imperioli's portrayal of Chris Moltisanti is possibly the most perfect TV performance ever.

[chveik]

I wouldn't compare them really. And Engrenages/Spiral makes The Wire look sloppy.

WHAIT WHUUUUT?

[Blinder Data]

WHAIT WHUUUUT?

Yes, that is a very wrong opinion.

Sopranos is the best ever. No show touches it, especially for acting. It had the perfect mix of amazing actors and people like Paulie and Bobby who can't really act for shit but know how to be a mafioso. The result was a totally believable world I wanted to visit, in which I could eat the gabbagool and swim with the sociopaths.

Structurally it's not so clever and repeats itself - nearly every season begins with a threat to Tony that by its end is disposed of by him or someone else (Season 1 - Junior in Jail; 2 - Richie Aprile/Pussy; 3 - Jackie Aprile Jr; 4 - Ralphie; 5 - Tony B). Today's "must watch the next one to see what happens" boxset generation might find the pacing and softly storytelling beguiling.

However each episode is a work of art or a fine meal. It is there to be enjoyed. And it's fucking funny, no drama has touched it for belly laughs. Christopher's intervention is up there with the best scenes of anything ever: https://youtu.be/2OZEimXRFIE

MARONE!

[Sin Agog]

I do kinda hate how HBO, for awhile there, ended every season of every one of their shows with a soft rock ballad.

[mothman]

It doesn't seem possible that it's been 20 years since I read an article in the Guardian about this unconventional TV show that was getting raved about over the pond. Bizarrely it feels longer since the show ended - whether by Tony getting his brains blown out by Menbers Only jacket guy while distracted by the front door of the restaurant being opened or the door suddenly opening and slightly startling him, being emblematic of the way he'll always be looking over his shoulder, because of the life he has chosen to lead, depending on which you subscribe to.

Another 20-year anniversary this year is The Matrix. And The Phantom Menace too. Two movies that could be said to have set the mould for the films of today, much as The Sopranos did for TV...

[mothman]

Also...

[monolith]

The scene with Paulie saying "Da fuck?" to a cat he thought was possessed made me laugh more than anything ever did in The Wire.

[holyzombiejesus]

Is it on any streaming sites?