Mind-Blowing Facts About The Sopranos
Who can argue with a show that features an outstanding cast, exceptional writing and some of the most brilliantly dark and comic storylines ever to appear on television? Incredibly innovative and innovative in its day, The Sopranos has aged wonderfully and demands multiple repetitions. In fact, i’s perfect for today’s culture of binge-watching. But before you rush off to re-watch it, here are a few facts about the show that you may never have heard before. Sure, Tony Soprano may have said that the Internet makes him nervous, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great place to find out exclusive information about this excellent show! Do you know which actor starred in the series twice in completely roles? Or who had to wear body armor to make them look more physically imposing? Perhaps you already know who was the first choice to play Tony Soprano, but you may have never heard about how the show was received by real-life gangsters and Italian-American citizens. Even with these facts, it’s best to heed Tony’s advice. “Believe none of what you hear, and all of what you see.”
The Show Started As A Movie Pitch
David Chase initially wanted his creation to be a film, and the original scripts that he were written for a feature length production about a mobster that went to visit a psychiatrist. These were eventually carried over into the show, of course, mainly because Chase’s manager believed that the themes were so well-written that they deserved the extensive time that they would be granted in a television serial. Although The Sopranos would certainly have been a great film, it’s certainly worth being thankful to Chase’s manager for granting Tony Soprano and his family the screen-time and dedication that they deserved.
Payphones And Shopping Bags
For some reason, The Sopranos is inundated with both payphones and characters carrying shopping bags. They appear in the background of a huge number of shots throughout the show. It’s a trend that seems to occur in practically every episode. There doesn’t seem to be a given reason for this, other than that it’s an interesting aesthetic trend.
Tony’s Estimated Worth
The writers of The Sopranos carefully researched the ways in which mobsters controlled and laundered their money in order to make Tony Soprano as realistic as possible, and they hired New York assistant district attorney Dan Castleman to advise on this issue. When Castleman was asked how much they had decided Tony would realistically be worth, he stated that it was roughly 5 or 6 million dollars – an amount that fluctuated, of course, because of Tony’s substantial gambling problem.
Real-World Crossovers
There are many instances of bizarre crossovers between The Sopranos’ shooting locations and their real-life existences. Scenes in the Bada-Bing strip club were filmed at an actual gentleman’s club in New Jersey called Satin Dolls – a club that has since been the subject of several high profile burglaries. A sports store in the show, based on a real New Jersey shop, was portrayed as going out of business, leading to many concerned calls from customers. Likewise, Long Island’s Riverhead Raceway was “sold” in the show. This led to so many questions from customers about its “new” ownership that the race track had to erect a sign to clarify that it was a fictional sale.
Italian-American Stereotyping?
While many have praised The Sopranos for its portrayal of Italian-American life, not all reception has been positive. The Coalition Of Italian-American Associations publicly condemned the show for its representation of “negative Italian-American stereotypes”, perhaps unsurprisingly given that the show maintains the same image of Italian-American people that has dominated most media portrayals of the past 50 years. However, you regard it as stereotypical or exaggerated, the show is still exceptional.
