Sopranos, The

US television series. The drama, based on the life of fictional mafia boss Tony Soprano and his family, aired in 1999 on the US cable channel Home Box Office (HBO) 1999–2007. Critically acclaimed and immensely popular since its inception, it was created by US writer and producer David Chase (1945– ) and starred James Gandolfini (1961– ) as Tony Soprano and Edie Falco (1963– ) as his wife, Carmela.

The series, based in New Jersey, juxtaposed mob culture and US family life, often with darkly comic results, and explored issues of family dynamics, loyalty, ageing, sexuality, and violence. Unlike other films and series of its genre, The Sopranos sustained an intimate portrayal of the many-layered world of its lead character, exploring relationships from mundane family politics to violent retributions. It won a large number of awards from 1999, including Emmy and Golden Globe awards, but was criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes of Italian Americans.