The Sopranos: A Cultural Phenomenon

TV Confidential with Ed Robertson

TVC 669.4: Ed welcomes back Ray Richmond, longtime television critic and entertainment reporter for such trade publications as The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety. Ray’s latest book, The Sopranos: The Complete Visual History, celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the premiere of The Sopranos, the multi-Emmy Award-winning drama created by David Chase and starring James Gandolfini that broke new ground in television when it premiered in 1999, launching the current Golden Age of dramatic television on cable and digital platforms, while also taking the concept of anti-hero as TV protagonist to an entirely different level. Topics this segment include how each episode of The Sopranos is a like a one-hour movie; why so many viewers embraced the characters on The Sopranos like extended members of their own families; and why “Paulie Walnuts,” the character played by Tony Sirico, is Ray’s favorite character. The Sopranos: The Complete Visual History is available wherever books are sold through Insight Editions.