Anyone here passionate about the Sopranos?

I have been lucky enough to watch the first three episodes of season six, beleive me it has hit the ground "running"

Is there a better drama?

[BrianC]

I'm a long time fan of the Sopranos and I was worried that during the start of the first episode in the new series that it would be starting slow and by the end I realised how wrong I was!

Have they decided if this is the last series or not? I know they have another "half" series planned but I get the impression that this is about earlier in Tony's life.

[neilo]

I think this season is split in 2 ..the final half being shown next year

[pmc]

The Sopranos is the best TV program ever made. Closely followed by The Wire. Sometimes I think The Wire is better but then I remember the two Tony's beating each other to death over a horse. Sheer class.

[shahedz]

Huge fan, really is one of the best programmes around

[Rod_Bod]

It depresses me how little watched the Sopranos is in the UK, no drama of its generation even comes close to it.

I guess it's maybe something to do with the fact that the nature of the Storytelling doesn't 'grab' and 'suck you in' like more superficial melodrama of the Lost or 24 kind, that you really need to see about a series' worth of material just to start to understand how masterfully made it is (i.e. more like great literature).

From what I remember, Chase originally said there would be 3 series, then 5, and now he's said the extended 6th is "definitely" the last (?). Everytime the extension came I'd always be pessimistic about the quality dipping as always happens when TV Shows which are both great & succesful just carry on and on as their creators can't handle living without their Masterpiece, which inevitably ends up doing great damage to the Show (Simpsons???), but so far the Sopranos has completely contradicted this rule... if anything every series has surpassed the last.

As I say, I'd hate for it to outstay its welcome, but owing to the particular character and pace of the way it has developed over these years, i.e. you can have very many episodes without anything "significant" happening, I can imagine it remaining Vital even for a ten-season run (I've probably jinxed it now!).

.... Just my 2 cents.

PS. av2 - has any of the sixth season even been shown in America? or are you involved in some kind of seriously high-level piracy?

[lee789]

Originally Posted by Rod_Bod

PS. av2 - has any of the sixth season even been shown in America? or are you involved in some kind of seriously high-level piracy?

Sounds like a leading question to me (which I'd also like the answer to )

Its one of my favourite shows. Its slow character driven stuff, yet hard hitting. The characters despite being violent and dislikable are incredibly likeable.

I don't think the UK scheduling of this has ever helped. It always seemed to be very late at night. I've always watched it after airing on DVD, as I never wanted to risk missing an epsiode. But I agree its not got the dynamic of other shows which draws the crowds, eg 24 (I could never understand the popularity of Lost). I think people are missing out.

The Wire is also quality show, as is The Shield. But nothing beats The Sopranos.

[ParmMann]

I love The Soprano's, but when does the new series start in the UK?

Please don't say it's started already

[Rod_Bod]

lee- you totally nailed it about the scheduling. Why the hell do C4 bother blowing so much money on getting all these US Imports just to bury them in the middle of the night? (Oz & Homicide were the biggest joke). These people seem to have way more money than sense to throw around, well illustrated by them continuing to pointlessly launch new Channels when they can't even manage to fill the ones they already have with anything more than endless repeats. C4 are by no means alone in wasting their US imports, but are certainly the biggest culprits.

[reevesy]

massive sopranos fan...watched the entire series from 1st to last god knows how many times.
always been a fan of mob films especially donnie brasco and of course goodfellas but david chases take on the whole modern mob thing is something else.
cant wait for the new series

ps i rememmber all the main cast being on the big breakfast being interviewed by johnny vaugn when the first series was due to be screened in the uk for the first time.......cant imagine that sort of thing happening again!

I'm really pleased to see this sort of passion about this programme.

I'm thinking this could indeed be the last series, bit praying its not.


I have just watched s6 e04, in New York It was aired on Sunday on HBO and episode 5 starts this Sunday...........Pirating, how dare you......

The casting is the best i have seen on any running drama , "Paulie" who could replace him.

I have the complete dvd collection and do watch it every 6 months or so, at the moment i'm on to season 3 and my favourite episode "pine barrens" is coming fast.

Any favourite episodes spring to mind?

[Steve170]

Brilliant programme.

When you compare it to what passes as 'gritty drama' on British TV, it's in a different league.

One of my favourite episodes is the penultimate episode of Series Five, 'Long Term Parking'. I won't post a spoiler in case anyone hasn't seen it, but the ending of that episode was stunning. I hope everyone who has seen it knows what I'm talking about! I genuinely didn't see that end coming and the fact that it was done in such a clever way made it even more shocking.

[Pbryanw]

Love the Sopranos - my favourite drama on TV. Have the season 1 boxset and am considering getting more. I thought the last series was one of the best but looks like this one's going to be even better

So far my favourite episode was the one with the Russian Mobster (from Season 3) when Paulie and Christopher tried, and failed, to bump him off in the woods. Then had to call Tony to come and get them when they got lost and nearly starved to death. Apparently, according to David Chase, the "Russian" isn't coming back

Originally Posted by Valhoudini

Love the Sopranos - my favourite drama on TV. Have the season 1 boxset and am considering getting more. I thought the last series was one of the best but looks like this one's going to be even better

So far my favourite episode was the one with the Russian Mobster (from Season 3) when Paulie and Christopher tried, and failed, to bump him off in the woods. Then had to call Tony to come and get them when they got lost and nearly starved to death. Apparently, according to David Chase, the "Russian" isn't coming back

That is my favourite too, "pine barrens" is the episode

On to season 4 now.....

BTW just watched episode 4 of season 6 last night

[shahedz]

favourite episode too, simply class,

[Henry]

The sixth series is being split in two? Now, I'm annoyed. Caught the first three of the sixth and loving them!

I'd almost forgotten just how damn good it is!

[ParmMann]

Can somebody advise when the new series will be aired in the UK?

[rob j]

Originally Posted by av2diefor

The casting is the best i have seen on any running drama , "Paulie" who could replace him.

I was thinking that very same thing myself after watching this weeks episode

Originally Posted by rob j

I was thinking that very same thing myself after watching this weeks episode

ParmMann, dont hold your breath mate, desperate housewives then lost seaon 2 then Sopranos........september??

Its just running on HBO in the US now.

[ParmMann]

Ouch!

[reevesy]

''pine barrens''......class
paulies a top character and to see him start out all manicured, suited and booted then end up a half frozen mess
...always suspected that the russian would surface again.creating major problems for tony and the crew.

....reckon i'll have to start watching from the start again

[reevesy]

well this soon fizzled out

[Rod_Bod]

They're probably too busy re-watching them now.

Originally Posted by Rod_Bod

They're probably too busy re-watching them now.

Go figure

[cwick]

Just started season 3 .... is it me, or did Olivia Soprano die before they shot episode 2 ? Her head look distinctly stuck-on during her only scene, and the dialogue was more than a little contrived.

Originally Posted by cwick

Just started season 3 .... is it me, or did Olivia Soprano die before they shot episode 2 ? Her head look distinctly stuck-on during her only scene, and the dialogue was more than a little contrived.

Yeah, it did look superimposed.

She died in (real life) on 18 June 2000, so it could be the case.

Never found a reference to it though.

[reevesy]

i'm sure its mentioned in the extras somewhere, along with some cast comments.....found her character rather annoying myself.
shame the extras are a bit lacking on the box sets......did catch james gandolfini on the actors studio (biography channel) and he comes across as the sort of guy who would rather lick pee off a thistle than be interviewed.

[pmc]

Yeah she died between series 2 ad 3 and they bolted that scene together using previous footage. You can actually recognise some of the dialogue from previous series.

[stealther]

One of the reasons that Sopranos is so compelling is the family relations I absolutely hated Tony’s mother what a nasty piece of work and his sister well she’s even worse. Makes for great entertainment though.

As previously mentioned channel 4's inability to schedule a show sensibly are to blame for its lack of mainstream popularity. Having said that I like being part of a small club of fans.

Favourite Episodes:
"Long Term Parking" Series 5( I knew what was going to happen as soon as Tony made the phone call)
"Whoever Did this" season 4 (Ralphs last)
But all time favourite is "Funhouse" from season 2 (Pussy's Last )

[rob j]

Originally Posted by stealther

But all time favourite is "Funhouse" from season 2 (Pussy's Last )

"Not in the face!"