Those sitting down to watch The Sopranos in 1999 had no idea David Chase’s US gangster series would become a cultural touchstone that enabled other showrunners to get future acclaimed shows off the ground.
On the surface, the series was another Mafia thriller in a similar vein to Scorsese’s Goodfellas. But beyond the violence and machismo was a complex and brilliantly unpredictable drama about a dysfunctional family, with James Gandolfini’s flawed, anxiety-ridden Tony Soprano at its helm.
Helped by its standout cast (Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, to name but a few), The Sopranos remains as watchable and enjoyable as it’s ever been.
We’ve compiled the 20 best moments from its 86 episodes, which you can see in the gallery below.
A book, titled The Sopranos Sessions, was released in time for the show’s 20th anniversary in 2019. Within its pages is what appears to be Chase’s confirmation of what actually happened to Tony in the show’s controversial final scene.
Prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark, was released in 2021.
