Did you know The Sopranos is often proclaimed one of the most influential top TV series ever produced? Well, you are just about to figure out more amazing facts about the TV show that you probably didn’t know during its production. The Sopranos is a crime drama series often recognized as a TV show. It began in the “television Golden age,” written and created by David Chase. The show premiered between 1999 and 2007 by airing 86 episodes to secure a spot as the most fantastic TV show ever produced. Its plot portrays Tony Sopranos, as the main character, trying to balance his family life while risking himself as a criminal organization leader based in New Jersey. If you are a fan of watching The Sopranos, you might think you know everything about it. But let’s face some facts behind the scene that you might have easily missed while watching the fantastic show.
1. It was Initially Supposed to be a Movie
While most fans regard The Sopranos as the most dominant TV show ever made, its original intention was to become a movie. In fact, the show’s producer David Chase originally pitched The Sopranos as a movie with no intents of making it a TV show even after working with several TV projects in his career.
2. Chase Thinks the Early Storyline Involving Tony Was “Stupid”
If there is something fans criticize about The Sopranos, it’s the somewhat repeating storyline. If you are an avid follower, you quickly notice that Tony Soprano gets frequently involved with new enemies. The story then builds up with Tony and the rogue characters having business conflicts. Later, Tony has to deal with them by either killing or using other tactics to destroy them. However, Chase actually agreed with the criticism behind this story, stating it was stupid whenever he revisited it.
3. David Chase Chose All The Soprano’s Music
The Sopranos creator Chase selected all the music featured in it, with some scenes filmed to fit the musical selection precisely. Chase chose all its sound themes, and he even went further to match some scenes with the specific music he selected. Initially, he wanted to use a different song to open each episode, but he settled on a permanent theme song. Standard soundtrack selections included the opening credits by “Woke Up This Morning,” “Living On A Thin Line,” and “Evidently Chickentown” created by Alabama 3 UK rock band, The Kinks, and poet John Cooper Clarke, respectively.
4. It was Initially Produced for Network TV Audience
Although HBO (Home Box Office) had much influence as a television network before The Sopranos hits, the series elevated it into its current household name. HBO long-term scenes always favored the night-time audiences due to graphic content, sexuality, violence, and foul language. However, with The Sopranos gaining more recognition, the producer took advantage and toned down some specific parts of the show to accommodate Network TV.
5. The Sopranos Began on The Rockford Files
The idea of The Sopranos came up while David was working on a network detective drama named The Rockford Files. While Chase wrote The Soprano’s scripts since 1974 for seven years, he also came up with the central concept of the Sopranos.
6. James Gandolfini and David Chase Became Tired of Each Other
It appears that wherever Chase and Gandolfini had a better mutual relationship, Chase could quickly produce an incredible performance with his directors and scriptwriters. Chase revealed to The Guardian that the two became tired of each other as The Sopranos was about to end. Fortunately, just before the tragic death of Gandolfini, they solved their indifference and even collaborated to produce the Not Fade Away film.
7. Tony Was Meant to Kill Livia
Often, The Sopranos producers had the routine of delaying some narratives. One of the most frustrating and suspecting storylines involved Tony and his mother. When it appeared like Tony was about to kill his mother, she got sick, and Tony missed the opportunity to do so. However, David continued developing the storyline with Tony’s murder of his mother as his original plan.
8. Chase Ran into a Lawsuit
Today’s news article reported a case about prosecutor Robert Baer, claiming he helped Chase create concepts for The Sopranos. Baer allegedly argued he introduced Chase to a homicide detective and a gambler during his New Jersey tours, including acquainting him with the police department officers. He later claimed that the inspiration of The Sopranos storyline came up after Chase interacted with these key people. Baer sued Chase on the allegations that he should receive a share of the proceeds since his link-up assisted him in getting ideas behind The Sopranos. However, the case didn’t favor Baer after the jury ruled out his accusations and cleared Chase from all of his charges.
9. Chase Consulted an Expert on the Mafia
The Sopranos fans usually praised the show for its genuineness. Apparently, Chase hired an expert who understood the intricacies associated with the mob. Reports from Today’s article show that a man named Dan Castleman worked as a technical advisor during the six seasons in the Sopranos. Dan received a total payment of $15,000 for his efforts throughout the first season.
10. The Name of the Show Changed Owing it to the Family Guy
After HBO became the original network release of The Sopranos, there was a disagreement between David Chase and the cable network on what the show’s title would become. Chase had also clarified to Vanity Fair about HBO’s challenge naming the show The Sopranos, thinking people will assume it is about opera. A list of titles followed, such as Made In New Jersey, New Jersey Blood, Family Man, among others. However, after the Family Guy show first appearance in January 1999, its influence backed down HBO’s idea and the company kept The Sopranos title instead. As much as you enjoy watching a show or a movie, getting to know the facts behind its development and scenes can seem surprising. Even the most influential TV shows never lack controversies, debates, or challenges, no matter how successful they appear. With The Sopranos, these are among the top ten things you never knew about the TV show.
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