Sopranos, The

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

The series, based in New Jersey, juxtaposes mob culture and US family life, often with darkly comic results, and explores issues of family dynamics, loyalty, ageing, sexuality, and violence. Unlike other films and series of its genre, The Sopranos sustains an intimate portrayal of the many-layered world of Tony Soprano, 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 it has also been criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes of Italian Americans.

Other characters include Lorraine Bracco as Dr Jennifer Melfi, Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti, Dominic Chianese as Corrado ‘Uncle Junior’ Soprano, Joe Pantoliano as Ralph Cifaretto, Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante, Tony Sirico as Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri, Jamie-Lynn DiScala as Meadow Soprano, and Robert Iler as AJ Soprano.