HomeFeaturesBONJ SeriesAuthors of The Sopranos Sessions Offer Insight into HBO Series

Authors of The Sopranos Sessions Offer Insight into HBO Series

When most people hear the word “soprano,” they first think of a fictional Italian-American family from New Jersey. After all, the family spent six seasons on the hit HBO drama series The Sopranos. More than a decade later, people still discuss the show and its many highlights. And there is good reason why.

In this episode of One-on-One with Steve Adubato, show host Adubato, PhD., sits down with two series experts; Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz are television critics and co-authors of The Sopranos Sessions. The pair provide insight into the iconic series from interviews with the show’s actors as well as creator David Chase. They also break down and explain the meaning behind the show’s infamous finale.


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A Surprise Hit

The Sopranos first aired on HBO in early 1999. The show centers around an Italian-American mob boss from New Jersey, Tony Soprano. It examines the difficulties of balancing his family life and “work” life. The showed maintained consistent ratings on HBO until its conclusion in 2007. However, not everyone believed in the show’s potential success before it aired.

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“Not even David Chase (the show’s creator) thought it was going to be something,” says Zoller Seitz with a chuckle. “He originally wanted to do it as a movie. And he did it somewhat reluctantly as a TV series, and he never thought it would last beyond season one. And in fact, it was going to end with Tony actually strangling his mother.”

When the actress playing Sopranos’s mother asked to stay on the show, Chase let the character live past season one. During its six seasons, the characters in The Sopranos experience a wide variety of action, up until the final seconds.

Sepinwall and Zoller Seitz have all the answers Sopranos fans are looking for. Check out this edition of One-on-One with Steve Adubato to learn more.


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Image: © One-on-One with Steve Adubato / Caucus Educational Corporation

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