10 things you never knew about The Sopranos
FROM its origins as a “live action Simpsons” to its record-breaking tally of swear words, here are 10 things you never knew about one of the best TV shows of all time.
IT’S hard to overstate how influential The Sopranos is. Many continue to praise it today as being the greatest show ever created, and even if you disagree with that lofty proclamation, chances are The Sopranos makes your list of the most influential shows out there.
This day marks the 19th anniversary of Tony Soprano entering our lives. In honour of this truly momentous occasion, we’ve compiled a few facts you may not know about the HBO series. Just do NOT wag your finger in our face.
1 . THE F-BOMB IS DROPPED 437 TIMES IN SEASON ONE
Remember that’s only one season of six. Here’s the breakdown: Tony wins the vulgarity contest with 134 big ones, Sil has 20, Paulie has 25, Christopher has 61, Carmela has 5, and remaining 192 are scattered throughout the rest of the cast. That number jumped to 715 in season two. If you have a spare 30 minutes, I highly recommend watching this video of every instance of cursing on the show. It’s practically perfect.
2. TONY SOPRANO COULD HAVE BEEN PLAYED BY SPRINGSTEEN’S GUITARIST
Because no one knew what HBO would become, creator David Chase didn’t exactly have actors knocking down his door for his conflicted mobster protagonist. He narrowed it down to three choices: the James Gandolfini you know and love, Michael Rispoli, who later became Jackie Aprile, Sr, and Steven Van Zandt, the longtime guitarist for Bruce Springsteen. The choice was really between Gandolfini and Rispoli, with Gandolfini securing the role. Why? According to Chase, the show with Gandolfini at the head would be much darker, and Chase wanted dark.
3. GANDOLFINI GOT HEAT FROM REAL GANGSTERS OVER HIS SHORTS
During the show’s first season, David Chase, the show’s creator received a lot of positive reviews and a few endorsements he didn’t expect. Several real-life mobsters expressed their approval about the show, but while they were on board with the rest us seeing Tony in his robe and underwear, they were not digging the lead character’s shorts. Specifically, the hated shorts made an appearance during a few barbecue scenes. So what was the criticism? Inaccuracy. According to Chase while he was being interviewed by The New York Times, “A don does not wear shorts.” The quote was even incorporated into the series.
4. THE SHOW WAS A HIT WITH NEW JERSEY MOBSTERS
Apparently, even the most hardened criminals can appreciate stellar acting and beautifully developed characters. In 1999, a member of the DeCavalcante family gushed about the show to an alleged mob goon, and it was all recorded by the FBI. Not only did the mobsters love this HBO classic, they likely correctly speculated who each character’s real-life inspiration was. The best line in the exchange is when the alleged goon Sclafani said: “Is that supposed to be us?” Only the writers know for sure, but we say probably.
5. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO OPEN WITH A DIFFERENT SONG EACH EPISODE
It’s hard to imagine The Sopranos without Alabama’s 3’s Woke Up This Morning, but if creator David Chase had gotten his way, that would be the reality we’d live in. HBO executives said “I don’t think so” to that idea, afraid that it would throw viewers off, but Chase got a version of his original wish. Each episode’s ending credits song is different, and you can listen to the full catalogue of songs on this fan-made Spotify playlist.
6. BEFORE TONY SIRICO WAS AN ACTOR, HE WAS A GANGSTER
That’s right — the man behind Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri had real life mob connections, but we won’t let his crime career discredit his amazing performances. Before turning to Hollywood, Sirico had been arrested 28 times. The LA Times even listed out his entire rap sheet, which includes robbery and weapons possession. It was actually when Sirico was serving time that he decided to try his hand at acting after the prison way visited by an acting troupe composed of ex-convicts.
7. AT ONE POINT, IT WAS ENVISIONED TO BE A LIVE-ACTION SIMPSONS
You read that right. However, all that changed when David Chase started seriously considering Gandolfini for the lead role. As mentioned before, Gandolfini embodied a much darker Tony. According to the book All Due Respect … The Sopranos Changes Everything, Chase said: “Once I saw him do it, I thought, ‘No, that’s not right. It can be absurdist, it can have a lot of stupid s**t in it, but it should not be a live-action Simpsons.’”
8. IT WAS THE FIRST CABLE SERIES TO GET AN EMMY NOMINATION FOR OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
You knew that The Sopranos was award-winning, but it’s hard to exaggerate how influential those six seasons of cursing, crime and confusion were. Not only was it nominated for and win the aforementioned Emmys, but it was nominated every time it was eligible. The series won 21 Emmys overall, five Golden Globes, and the Writers Guild of America named it the best written TV series of all time. That would be why we’re still talking about it today.
9. MANY OF THE LOCATIONS ARE ACTUAL BUSINESSES
So if you’ve ever wanted to take a tour through the land of the Soprano family, you definitely can. One pizza shack that’s shown in the opening credits, Pizzaland, has even received calls from Sopranos fans in other countries. However, the inclusion of these local haunts didn’t just boost sales, it also boosted panic from local patrons. In one episode, Ramesey Outdoor is shown as going out of business. According to USA Today, the store received so many calls about the fictional closing that it took out ads to assure customers it was, in fact, still open.
10. FORGET FAN THEORIES — THAT FINALE WAS MORE ON-THE-NOSE THAN YOU ORIGINALLY THOUGHT
The last Sopranos episode was perhaps the most divisive, controversial and discussed finale in television history. All we were left with was Tony, his onion rings, and an overwhelming sense of dread concerning his fate. However, in April 2015, our finale questions were finally answered by David Chase himself … sort of. We don’t know whether or not Tony died, but we do now know the overall tone Chase was trying to convey, which perfectly and appropriately aligns with Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. The jury is out on whether Tony lives or dies.
This story originally appeared on Decider and is republished here with permission.
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