Everything you need to know about the widely celebrated crime drama
The Sopranos is a widely-celebrated drama which has been hailed as one of the greatest TV series of all-time.
In the show, Tony Soprano is reigning supreme in New Jersey as the head of an Italian-American mob - but even crime moguls have to struggle to find that work-life balance.
In Tony’s case, that lack of balance can be dangerous, with rival gangs and mobsters ready to jump in on his turf at the first sign of weakness.
That’s before coming home to his wife, Carmela, their kids with their own issues, and the relatives that make up this colourful, but complicated, family unit.
Suffering panic attacks, Tony reluctantly starts therapy with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi, with the episodes centred around their sessions.
Who is in the cast of The Sopranos and where else have we seen them?
The Sopranos is all about family – whether crime or blood – and as such there is a key group of cast members that bring follow through the show.
The core cast members are:
- James Gandolfini (Zero Dark Thirty, Welcome to the Rileys) as leading man and crime mogul, Tony Soprano
- Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas, Jerk) as Jennifer Melfi – Tony’s long-suffering therapist
- Edie Falco (American Crime Story: Impeachment, Bupkis) as Tony’s wife, Carmela Soprano
- Michael Imperioli (Goodfellas, The White Lotus) as Christopher Moltisanti, a fundamental part of the crime organisation and Tony’s cousin-in-law
- Steven Van Zandt (Lilyhammer, The Irishman) as Silvio Dante, the family's long-standing and devoted consigliere
- Tony Sirico (Goodfellas, Nicky Deuce) as Paulie ‘Paulie Walnuts’ Gualtieri – a highly-strung, spiritual and paranoid, but nonetheless central, member of the DiMeo crime family
- Robert Iler (Oz) as Tony’s son Anthony Soprano Jr. (also known as AJ)
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Big Sky, Entourage) as Tony’s daughter, Meadow Soprano
- Drea de Matteo (Paradise City, Shades of Blue) as Adriana La Cerva, Christopher’s high-aiming girlfriend
How successful was The Sopranos and what awards has it won?
According to IMDb, The Sopranos is the ninth best TV shows of all time – only being beaten out by Blue Planet, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Wire, Chernobyl, Band of Brothers, Planet Earth I and II, and Breaking Bad. You can watch The Wire, Chernobyl and Band of Brothers as part of your Sky or NOW subscription.
The series finale pulled in an almost unheard of 11.9 million viewers given its 18 rating.
At its peak in season four, the show would pull in 10.9 million viewers each episode (in a period of time before streaming services like Sky and NOW allowed you to watch the show on demand).
The Sopranos and its cast also gained massive awards recognition over the show’s run, including:
Primetime Emmys: 105 total nominations, with 21 wins – including, but not limited to, two awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Edie Falco winning Outstanding Lead actress in 1999 and 2003, James Gandolfini winning Outstanding Lead actor in 2000 and 2003, and Drea De Matteo winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2004.
Golden Globes: 23 nominations in total, with 5 wins for: Nancy Marching earning Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 2000; James Gandolfini earning Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama in 2000; Edie Falco earning Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama in both 2000 and 2003; and Best Television Series in 2000.
SAG Awards: 26 total nominations, with 8 wins. The awards included: Best Ensemble performance in 2000 and 2008; Edie Falco for lead actress in a drama in 2000, 2003 and 2008; and James Gandolfini as lead actor in a drama in 2000, 2003 and 2008.
Across all awards bodies, The Sopranos ended their run with 126 award wins after 312 total nominations.
What is the age rating of The Sopranos?
The Sopranos has been certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) as an 18.
This is the highest possible rating for a TV series, warning they think the show is suitable for “mature audiences only”, ideally aged 18 or older.
Reasons behind the rating include explicit nudity and sexual content, severe violence and gore, profane language and frequent depictions of peril and dangerous scenarios.
This includes multiple scenes in strip clubs, graphic beatings, murders and body dismemberment to name a few.
The Sopranos also became known for its frequent use of explicit language – most notably f--k, which was used a total of 3,508 times throughout the series run.
It should be noted that in all instances, the graphic depictions get more severe as the show progresses, with season one being far more moderate in nature than by the final season.
How many episodes of The Sopranos are there?
The Sopranos ran for a total of six seasons, and 86 episodes.
Seasons one to five all had 13 episodes a piece, with season six being split into two parts.
Season six part one ran for 12 episodes, while part two ran for nine.
The finale is widely regarded as one of the best episodes of all television history.
Does The Sopranos have any reboots, spin-offs or revival plans?
The Sopranos ran for six seasons, totalling 86 episodes overall.
A prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark: A Sopranos Story, was released in 2021 and took place in New Jersey during the 1967 riots.
The movie saw a teenage Tony Soprano – played by James Gandolfini’s son Michael - learn about the life of a mobster after being taken under the wing of his uncle, Dicki Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola).
The cast was completed by Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery), Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, The Punisher), Corey Stoll (Billions, House Of Cards), Billy Magnussen (Bridge of Spies, Road House), Michela De Rossi (Django, The Rats), John Magaro (The Big Short, Past Lives), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), and Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel, Hawkeye).
It was Liotta’s final released performance before his death in 2022.
Creator David Chase has ruled out any further potential for a reboot or revival as recently as January 2024.
Where can I watch The Sopranos in the UK?
All episodes of The Sopranos are available to watch now on Sky Atlantic, Sky Go, and NOW.