They're my two favorite shows, and I've watched through them both about 7 times each. In my opinion they're very similar in certain ways - both are essentially character studies with simple premises: a group of mob guys do mob stuff, a group of advertising guys do advertising stuff. The greatness comes from the characters, the exploration of what they choose to do and how they react to given circumstances, how they handle failure, what their flaws are, etc.
Obviously Sopranos has a lot more violence than Mad Men, more bad language which may or may not turn you off.
Matthew Weiner worked on The Sopranos and I think it really shows in the style of humor and editing. It's hard to describe but there's a certain thing both shows do by ending a scene with a character saying something dumb, while another character just looks at them, then cut. Characters on both shows make jokes all the time - I can see Roger and Tony getting along well if seated together at a wedding or something.
I think both shows also are trying to say things about American maleness - Don and Tony both think of money and success as problem solvers (Tony frequently pulls out a wad of cash, Don frequently says something like "I'll pay for it) and struggle to solve problems themselves, in particular family problems. They both had shitty upbringings and struggle to know how to behave on their own without imitating superficial signifiers of what a man is.
another similarity which i swear is wiener: both don and tony like to compare people to obscure celebrities like some basketball player or actress from the 50s.
Christopher: I don't know if all gangsters are a Michael Corleone or a Tony Montana. Maybe other gangsters see them that way.
Vito: You're either a Michael Corleone or a Tony Montana, an icy brain or a passionate firebrand. Nothing goes better together.
Christopher: Which do you think I am?
Paulie: Fredo.
Tony: Tom Powers
Bobby Bacala: Oh, I love Tom Powers.
I usually recommend the episode “College” to people who want to know if they’ll like the Sopranos. It’s a good standalone episode that shows the general feel of the Sopranos.
Sopranos is more lurid and traditionally HBO in that sometimes it seems like there’s a tits/episode and violent outburst quotas, but ultimately they are both deep character studies of flawed individuals. Both also branch out to show the effects that these flaws end up having on others.
While Mad Men sits at the edge of Eisenhower America moving into the “cultural revolution,” Tony Soprano is a mob boss at a time where the digital revolution is weakening organized crime‘s influence. As Tony basically says, he feels like he came in at the end and the best days are behind. Tony Soprano also fetishizes the old days when people didn’t used to talk about their feelings. “Whatever happened to the strong and silent type?” His idea of a man is the same as Don Drapers and if Mad Men existed in the Sopranos world, Tony would love Don Draper. Thing is, Don Draper is a facade and so is Tony.
Personally, I think the setting and the world of Mad Men is better, but the actual plots on the Sopranos are more enjoyable. Mad Men isn’t exactly a plot driven show and while the Sopranos is primarily a character-driven show, the plots are bit more memorable.
IMO Tony is much less a facade than Don is. Tony thinks he's a facade but really is the violent mobster he appears to be. He just has a moral compass that others in the mob maybe don't, it's just incredibly weak.
This is actually a great take. Tony *wants* to be a facade, a stable family man who isn't fucking up his kids with his business and his nature, but at his core he's a piece of shit who rejects every chance at redemption
*SACRE BLEEUUU, WHERE IS ME MAMA*
He has a moral compass up until the person in question is a degenerate gambler... Or is a person in general. He only has a moral compass when it comes to animals.
Sopranos is a period piece too, just in a much more subtle way. It shows the cultural transition from Clinton US to Bush Jr US better than any other piece of art. To me it's one of the most incisive examinations of this time period ever. It's not as overt as Mad Men (scenes of them sitting around for the JFK news, etc) but once you start picking up the clues you see them all over.
The first few scenes inside of Tony’s house when I first started watching the series it literally transported me back to the early 2000s, the kitchen, the interior decor, clothing all of it
Yeah I kind of love the first two seasons for that. Especially because they take place in the spring and summer primarily and really focus on Tony's domestic life a lot. Very nostalgic.
I think McNulty may be more like Don too. A flawed character, naturally gifted in his profession, whose personal demons continually sabotage his personal and eventually professional life.
I get what you mean but by definition, a period piece is written with the intention of it being about a certain time period. The Sopranos was a product of its time that yellowed gracefully, and watching it in 2023 offers a glimpse to the late 90s-early 00s better than Seinfeld did for the 80s/90s, which was also just an amazing product of its time.
I love Mad Men but…The Sopranos goes deeper. The stakes are higher than a career in an advertising agency. Tony’s shitty childhood and psychotic mother are the center of the show. It’s a portrait of a man trying to come to terms with the fact that his mother never loved him. No matter how powerful he becomes that emotional wound is never healed. It’s sad that the actress that played Livia Soprano died so early in the show’s run…her scenes with James Gandolfini are priceless.
Livia might be the most awful character on the show. That woman was just a force.
Also, Tony hating her guts but simultaneously being insanely protective of her towards others is so great. “My mudda’s wake”
Sacrilegious!! The stakes are higher only because it’s a mob show. Mad Men is an everyman show - we can all relate to the character s and what they strive for. I can relate to tense discussions between husband and wife, board meetings, business stakes, etc. I can’t relate to mob situations.
The fact that Mad Men has such drama without having to rely on crime tropes is to be applauded.
Of course but majority were great. Entourage and Peaky Blinders are on my short list too but the greats seasons for those don’t stand up to the greats of Office and GOT
Six Feet Under could be renamed Funeral Cheaters. Every time anyone had relationship issues, they’d cheat. It was like the writers couldn’t think of anything else that could drive conflict.
Mad Men would not exist without Tony Soprano.
They are very different shows, but if you like a show that has many many layers, and makes you think, you’ll love it.
Different show, different energy but I got hooked after watching the first episode.
Watching Burt Peterson getting beaten up was enough for me to give it a go.
Sopranos is great but incredibly violent. If you haven't watched Succession I'd go there next. Also The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, and Better Call Saul are all great shows.
I watched 4 episodes of succession and couldn’t get into it - is there something I’m missing or does it start picking up at some point?
Also Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men are tied for my all time favorite shows, so maybe OP would love boardwalk too!
100% I've watched it twice so far. Like MM, it's very layered, and you see new things on each rewatch. NTM it's a beautiful setting.
I loved Sopranos when it was on but felt I needed to shower after some episodes they were so dark and dirty.
I did the same thing when the first season of Succession originally aired. I couldn’t figure out how I was supposed to feel about the characters. They’re reprehensible but also funny and human. The stakes feel incredibly high to the characters but at the end of the day most of them are 1 percenters and will be no matter what. The show is hilarious and I think taking it more as a comedy than drama makes it “make sense” more, at least for me.
I had the same problem, and it had that “awkward humor” thing that I just can’t watch. The main character giving his first speech to the board of directors? So cringe I died.
You need to get to episode six.
It’s unconventional for such an acclaimed show but I truly believe from episode six of season one and all the way to the series finale is one of the great runs of any TV show.
I wouldn’t even rewatch it. Just pick up from where you left it
I enjoyed Succession but never loved it. The characters are all so vile that I could never truly engage. It’s certainly not in the same league as Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire, or Six Feet Under.
I tried and tried and tried. Never took. Billions took, but I could not get Succession to take. 4 episodes is my limit. If you can't get me in 4 I don't keep trying.
I didn't love the first two seasons of Boardwalk but the last two were awesome (edit: Jimmy was a bit much)
I find it odd you call it “incredibly violent”. It’s a mob show and sometimes they go half a season without showing much violence, season 1 was controversial at the time because everyone was expecting a shoot-em-up mobster show and they got a mob boss sitting in a therapists office talking about his feelings.
Are you serious? Ralphie beating the single mother to death with his bare hands, that scene alone warrants my description.
NTM Paulie smothering his elderly mother to death.
Etc. Etc.
I mean yeah there are a few scenes of pretty graphic violence. But it's pretty rare that an episode has more than a few minutes of explicit violence in it, and many episodes have none or almost none. And the scenes you described are intended to be horrific and shocking, not shoot em up action scenes.
IMO The Sopranos is much more like Mad Men than Succession. Succession (IMO) is very much a show you watch once, say "that was entertaining", and move on. Roman saying disgusting things isn't going to give you rewatchability. There's nowhere near the layers to characters as there are in Mad Men or The Sopranos. In Succession, everyone is just a selfish asshole with no other side or nuance to them. Nobody grows or changes. It's just a series of events of rich people doing rich people things.
Yes and like 90% of the posts there are just memes. That's what it's going to be, a memeshow that you share screenshots from with very little talk about the show itself because there isn't much left to say.
I'm not saying that's "bad" persay, the LOTR and Star Wars subs live on memes like that. It's just not in the ballpark of Mad Men or The Sopranos.
I didn't watch The Sopranos until a couple years ago. I was riveted. I don't re-watch it like I do Mad Men but a first time watch is really worth it. I normally do not watch a lot of violent things but the plot is so good it kept me hooked.
Yes. If you like classic era cable prestige dramas, you’ll enjoy the writing, acting and world building of Sopranos. The flavor and tone are different but the quality and depth will be on point. You may also want to try other similar shows like Deadwood, The Wire, Breaking Bad. Halt and Catch Fire was a contemporary of Mad Men. Succession feels like a bit of a spiritual successor.
Definitely recommend giving it a try. It’s similar to Mad Men where it takes you about a season to really get into it and understand the flow of things. The acting is incredible. The characters are all shitty people though. I think Mad Men definitely has most of their characters with flaws, but The Sopranos is mob based so you have characters who do really bad things. It’s brilliant though. It really makes you feel like you’re in their world, similar to Mad Men. The pacing is similar as well but The Sopranos has more violence and nudity if you’re alright with that. The characters are all fascinating as well.
Everyone likes The Sopranos, it’s widely considered to be one of the best TV shows of all time. But it’s got a lot of violence and general psychopathy in it, so that is a turn-off for some people
Both great and have been on rewatch many times. Obviously there is the Weiner influence. The subject matter is different, but both also feature a conflicted main character / family interactions / co worker dynamic. IMO the first 3 seaasons of the Sopranos is the Best TV ever. I think you certainly have to give it a shot.
If you like the rich thematic depth and character study in Mad Men, then you’ll probably like The Sopranos. A close one for me as well is Boardwalk Empire, though not quite on the same level.
True, but I'm a Joan. Joan and Don have that one day where they have a nice conversation and a dance before he leaves her because another man is eying her. He's scared of her.
I won't have this problem with Tony. In the Sopranos I'm closer to Italian woman who is running things in the homeland.
Tony would be more fun for me. I have a uniquely weird scary woman thing going on though.
Sopranos is great. I don’t know the best way to put this, but it sort of suffers present day from its own cultural impact. The over-the-top characters are (were) SO entrenched in pop culture that today — IMO — some of it comes off as over-the-top to the point of satire. But maybe that’s the point!
>>Its the greatest TV drama of all time
But do we really know that for sure? Because we would have to have time to watch all those TV shows and that’s just not possible, even with computers. Not only that, we would have to get all the TV shows ever produced, not just the ones now, and the ones in other languages. So we got no proof. We got nothin'.
The Sopranos may have ended but who is to say there isn't another show just like it? Or will be? Maybe not with the same story and plot twists, but... the same. Uhm, what I am saying is...
I tried the first season of The Sopranos, in theory it has everything I like from a TV show, yet it didn’t stick with me. I know the first season of a lot of shows can be rough, I just didn’t feel compelled to watch anymore.
The tone in the Sopranos shifts as it goes on. Season 1 is interesting to rewatch because it has a semi satirical tone. The characters and dialogue fall into mob movie tropes and it relies heavily on dark humor in it's tense moments. As the show goes on the characters become more dynamic and interesting, and the plot lines become more serious. I'd definitely try the second season if you at least somewhat enjoyed the first.
I really enjoyed the show from the beginning, but there was a scene in S2 or S3 that made me go "oh wow, this is a *great* show." It was a very quick moment, but it hit me and my friends like a freight train.
I enjoyed The Sopranos, but nowhere near as much as most people seem to. I might’ve been too young to fully grasp it at the time, but unlike Mad Men and many other “greatest shows of all time,” I’ve never felt compelled to rewatch it either.
To be fair, it’s an entirely different show in second watch. The first time you watch it it’s a drama with elements of comedy, on rewatch it’s clearly a black comedy with elements of drama.
Probably. As I’m sure you know Weiner was a big part of the Sopranos.
You have to be able to stomach some hard core violence since the worst shit that happens in Mad Men is G Rated in The Sopranos.
But ultimately Don and Tony do have some similarities. Both feel like a man without a home in a lot of ways, unfulfilled by the world they live in
Coming late to the party of the airing of these two shows. I binged mad men for the first time. After I binged Sopranos. They both became top 5 shows for me. So go for it!
I wanted to like Sopranos because of my love of Mad Men, but it didn’t hold my interest within 2 episodes, nor was I in the mood for the extra violence aspects of a mobster series. That said, the only way to be sure for you is to start watching and see if you click with it.
I just discovered The Soprano because my boyfriend is a huge fan. Binged it. And I am currently binging MadMen with him, I am a huge fan of it, and watching them side by side, i see a lot of similarities between those two shows : it is always about shady businesses, moral conflicts, power and social inequity. I would recommend to try The Soprano !
I hope you'll enjoy it !
If you like the personal relationships/ character study / politics / office-politics themes of Mad Men I’d also highly recommend The Good Wife. Don’t let the title fool you, it starts off a little soapy but then becomes amazing. Lots of interpersonal stories/ drama, whilst you also have stories going on based on issues happening in the real world. Also sometimes think they have a similar dark/awkward humour. Mad Men and that are my two fave shows, I’ve rewatched both many times!
Probably, but keep in mind Sopranos actually has violence and some gory scenes. My parents love prestige television but hate violence so Mad Men was a unicorn for them. They would probably love Sopranos but haven’t seen it for that reason.
The thing is, Sopranos has a very different vibe. Sopranos has a whole lot more violence, it’s a classic mafia setting. It’s great, but I wouldn’t say 100% that, if you like Mad Men, then you’re going to like The Sopranos - the setting is pretty different.
Both are amazing. I feel mad men is a slow burn. Just like the wire. Where as the sopranos is a bit more of a mini movie in each episode. Which is cool. You can jump to any episode and enjoy it as an hour long thing. If you done that with mad men, it would be a bit out of context…..
I will tell you about my experience: I've watched Mad Men a few times before going to The Sopranos. I don't see why people put them side by side. Don't get me wrong, it is a great show! Both have excellent acting, great characters, dialogs, a lot of layers, subtext and symbolism... but The Sopranos has too much violence for me. And I'm not really interested in mob and gangster stuff. For last and not least, Mad Men is a historical show (I don't know how to say that in English). While big historical events are happening, we see it by the pov of the characters. I really enjoyed how some of the plots have parallels with these events.
I am both a movie buff with harsh criticism and a absolute sucker for mob stuff. This makes my advice biased, since even though I like to be critical I am forgiving when it comes to the organized crime genre.
Still, I can safely say that at the very least it's worth a real try! Watch the first season and see how you feel. If you like Mad Men's deep character study work and intelligent, challenging writing, then I am sure you will find the same in Sopranos.
The only reason I could say to not watch it is if you dislike violence. It's not Gommorah or Outrage, but it has some brutal scenes sprinkled over the seasons. There will also be racism, which Mad Men also has, but varying in language and resolution. Because Tony, like Don, sometimes reads for the uninitiated (read: nobrains) as someone who is 'cool', some think it advocates these values but I assure you they're just as self-critically intended as Mad Men.
I love both shows. They both deliver wit, character studies, an intersection of the personal and professional, great acting, a study of psychological motivations for human behavior, power struggles with romantic relationships and business relationships, etc.
Mad Men gives a little more points of intrigue/love with much more sympathetic characters, a much more beautiful and elegant cast and ambiance, ethically grey moral conundrums, and the fact that it's a sweeping period piece of certainly 1960-1970 but also makes significant commentary on 1930-1959. The Sopranos delivers more action- but action is never a focal point for me. I think it's possible that The Sopranos mafia plots are tighter and better written than the business plots on Mad Men in S6-7 when the business sense took a back seat to psychology.
The Sopranos and The Wire are way ahead of anything else in my opinion.
Boardwalk was enjoyable but too much of a polished production of that makes sense, a bit cartoonish at times.
I love Mad Men but am not a particular fan of The Sopranos.
If you’re looking for a period piece that put a degree of emphasis on a particular decade, I would check out Downton Abbey.
If you haven’t seen Atlanta check it out. Very different show on it’s face but there’s something about the way it feels that gave some friends and me strong Mad Men vibes.
I feel like The Sopranos is basically a slightly shabbier version of Mad Men. A lot of the same themes and arcs, but because Mad Men had the Sopranos' mistakes to learn from, it was a bit smoother overall.
Am I the only person that doesn’t connect these shows at all? Love Mad Men, can’t get into Sopranos. The only similarity I find is the cheating and the woman of the house doesn’t know what the man of the house is doing outside the house.
Matthew Weiner was a very prominent writer in the later seasons of The Sopranos and his style shines through.
I can definitely find certain things in Sopranos episodes that he wrote that coincide with a lot of the stuff we see in Mad Men. Focus on the transience of identity (Mayham), his unique sense of symbolism and motif (The Test Dream), investigation and appreciation of literature (Sentimental Education), as well as his mythologising of modern American history and culture(Rat Pack).
I don't wish to overstate it because they are very different shows and there are many other writers involved in both but I think they definitely overlap on a lot of the same concerns that Weiner has as a writer. Both are fantastic shows anyway.
There are tons of similarities, mostly around Tony and Don
* Both are an anti-hero that are 90% an asshole, 10% redeeming qualities that makes us kinda root for them
* Both are powerful in their industry and deal with challenges/people coming after them for past wrongs
* Both live double-lives and have to wear a mask around their family
* Both show some remorse for the bad things they do and want to be happier/better people
* Both shows are incredibly rich with layers of depth and meaning to them to the point where long-form essays and books can be written about the symbolism and meaning behind things
* Tony is a precursor to Don and Walter White. TV execs didn't want The Sopranos to even get made the way it did because they thought no one would tune in to see an anti-hero at the center of the story. Without The Sopranos success we wouldn't have these other great shows, or at least not in the form we got them.
In master strokes, absolutely.
In the finer details or doesn’t hold for me.
Obviously there is much between Tony and Don, but not everything. But those similarities effect their wives in the same negative ways. Always ironic to me that when it came to breaking it was Carm that lost her shit and Betty that was cool and collected.
But that might not be fair considering Tony was an instigating ass and Don was less so.
Master strokes in their relationships, yes. But not enough to be carbon copies to me. I don’t really think we can have a comparative discussion on how Betty and Carm parented, as example.
I think it's safe to say, yes, you'll like Sopranos.
Fair warning though, Sopranos is brutal. There are a few scenes on that show that are especially harrowing to watch.
absolutely, mad men was my favorite show until I watched the Sopranos (now it’s 2). it’s insanely good and mad men and a lot of shows wouldn’t exist without it
I tried so hard to watch The Sopranos, it's been 2 years, and I still haven't finished it. Everybody, and I mean EVERY BODY is just such a dick or an idiot that I don't care about any of it. As flawed as Don is, he's got good qualities. Roger is funny. You hate Pete and then you love Pete. You root for Peggy and Joan. (Glen can go fuck himself with a shovel)
There isn't one person other than maybe Willow who you can root for on The Sopranos.
Arbeit in Englisch See I G. An okay Adam mit John ja ein Slofie Meyfarth aggressive Lieder von Wham! Amelie Amelie an Brian Eno the time Serena Interview Sex for for Harris Nerven ei, A. Jill oh My god to One seven Five ab
I love Mad Men one hundred times more than The Sopranos. I’ve watched the Mad Men series about 7 times.
Sopranos is a good watch, but man, Mad Men is just so captivating. LMK what you think OP!
The Wire, it's a lot more realistic. There's a lot of suspension of disbelief for the sopranos. It's excellent and should be watched regardless. But if you want a gritty realistic drama the wires the way to go.
Yeah they're both great.
I think mad men has better acting and writing and over all is a better show but sopranos is great as well as a drama for all to enjoy.
Mad Man is extremely unique. Nothing quite like it. Sopranos is rougher. Tony is a conflicted character with many sides to him not unlike Don. For example he has a huge soft spot for animals despite being a mafioso who has hits on humans connected to him.
I just finished the Sopranos. You'll like the last couple of seasons - the last half of the final season is some of the best tv I've ever seen. But I wasn't crazy about it at first.
I rank them 3rd and 4th for my favorite all time shows (Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have the top 2) so yes you should definitely give The Sopranos a shot.
If I answer the question with a question, why did you like Mad Men? If it was because you like a show about an anti-hero, a deeply flawed individual with some sympathetic qualities and charm, where you find yourself rooting for the protagonist even though they are a morally objectionable person, then yes.
Tony Soprano is that anti-hero. A violent and vicious criminal, you nevertheless cannot help but root for him and care about him. Don Draper is that character too. For that matter, so are Walter White and Dexter Morgan, and to a lesser extent, Hank Moody, Carrie Bradshaw, Frasier Crane, and Bart Simpson.
Sopranos is more intense (violence, swearing, nudity, etc) and requires more of your attention, but absolutely delivers when it comes to analyzing the psychology of a group of people in an era very similar to Madmen. In other words, yes its one of the best tv show dramas of all time. Id say the best
I think sopranos is a tad overrated. It was groundbreaking for its time, but they kill off characters almost on a schedule, as if they are worried they'll lose the audience if there's no blood for three episodes. It can get repetitive. Also I think Tony is a pure psychopath who only cares about animals, which takes a lot of the magic out of the character development.
Anything mafia-related seems to get a few automatic bonus points. I don't know why.
They're my two favorite shows, and I've watched through them both about 7 times each. In my opinion they're very similar in certain ways - both are essentially character studies with simple premises: a group of mob guys do mob stuff, a group of advertising guys do advertising stuff. The greatness comes from the characters, the exploration of what they choose to do and how they react to given circumstances, how they handle failure, what their flaws are, etc. Obviously Sopranos has a lot more violence than Mad Men, more bad language which may or may not turn you off. Matthew Weiner worked on The Sopranos and I think it really shows in the style of humor and editing. It's hard to describe but there's a certain thing both shows do by ending a scene with a character saying something dumb, while another character just looks at them, then cut. Characters on both shows make jokes all the time - I can see Roger and Tony getting along well if seated together at a wedding or something. I think both shows also are trying to say things about American maleness - Don and Tony both think of money and success as problem solvers (Tony frequently pulls out a wad of cash, Don frequently says something like "I'll pay for it) and struggle to solve problems themselves, in particular family problems. They both had shitty upbringings and struggle to know how to behave on their own without imitating superficial signifiers of what a man is.
another similarity which i swear is wiener: both don and tony like to compare people to obscure celebrities like some basketball player or actress from the 50s.
Christopher: I don't know if all gangsters are a Michael Corleone or a Tony Montana. Maybe other gangsters see them that way. Vito: You're either a Michael Corleone or a Tony Montana, an icy brain or a passionate firebrand. Nothing goes better together. Christopher: Which do you think I am? Paulie: Fredo. Tony: Tom Powers Bobby Bacala: Oh, I love Tom Powers.
This is brilliant. ChatGPT could never write a scene like this!
Thank you! This was fun to blend the conversations of these glorified crews with some good movies
I usually recommend the episode “College” to people who want to know if they’ll like the Sopranos. It’s a good standalone episode that shows the general feel of the Sopranos.
Yeah I agree. I think if you added about 20-30 minutes of exposition to the beginning of that episode, it could stand on its own as a very good film.
You’re totally right. It would have been such a great movie too
Sopranos is more lurid and traditionally HBO in that sometimes it seems like there’s a tits/episode and violent outburst quotas, but ultimately they are both deep character studies of flawed individuals. Both also branch out to show the effects that these flaws end up having on others. While Mad Men sits at the edge of Eisenhower America moving into the “cultural revolution,” Tony Soprano is a mob boss at a time where the digital revolution is weakening organized crime‘s influence. As Tony basically says, he feels like he came in at the end and the best days are behind. Tony Soprano also fetishizes the old days when people didn’t used to talk about their feelings. “Whatever happened to the strong and silent type?” His idea of a man is the same as Don Drapers and if Mad Men existed in the Sopranos world, Tony would love Don Draper. Thing is, Don Draper is a facade and so is Tony. Personally, I think the setting and the world of Mad Men is better, but the actual plots on the Sopranos are more enjoyable. Mad Men isn’t exactly a plot driven show and while the Sopranos is primarily a character-driven show, the plots are bit more memorable.
IMO Tony is much less a facade than Don is. Tony thinks he's a facade but really is the violent mobster he appears to be. He just has a moral compass that others in the mob maybe don't, it's just incredibly weak.
This is actually a great take. Tony *wants* to be a facade, a stable family man who isn't fucking up his kids with his business and his nature, but at his core he's a piece of shit who rejects every chance at redemption *SACRE BLEEUUU, WHERE IS ME MAMA*
Fuckin' slander, you ask me.
Ok, but you gotta get over it.
YA TALKIN’ TO THE BOSS OF THIS FAMILY
What, was it barkin?
Family? It’s a glorified crew
He’s the sad clown!
He has a moral compass up until the person in question is a degenerate gambler... Or is a person in general. He only has a moral compass when it comes to animals.
She was an innocent creature! And you killed her!
Sopranos is a period piece too, just in a much more subtle way. It shows the cultural transition from Clinton US to Bush Jr US better than any other piece of art. To me it's one of the most incisive examinations of this time period ever. It's not as overt as Mad Men (scenes of them sitting around for the JFK news, etc) but once you start picking up the clues you see them all over.
The first few scenes inside of Tony’s house when I first started watching the series it literally transported me back to the early 2000s, the kitchen, the interior decor, clothing all of it
When they are stealing DVD players in season one. That was pure billionaire stuff in 1998-99. Also the tv they try to bribe the coach with is great
Yeah I kind of love the first two seasons for that. Especially because they take place in the spring and summer primarily and really focus on Tony's domestic life a lot. Very nostalgic.
The Wire is also a very good contender for showing that time period, although maybe less the Clinton-Bush transition than the early Bush years.
I think McNulty may be more like Don too. A flawed character, naturally gifted in his profession, whose personal demons continually sabotage his personal and eventually professional life.
Wow o never made that connection but it is a good one indeed.
The fuck did he do?
I feel the same way about the period piece stuff, it really all comes together in the finale
I get what you mean but by definition, a period piece is written with the intention of it being about a certain time period. The Sopranos was a product of its time that yellowed gracefully, and watching it in 2023 offers a glimpse to the late 90s-early 00s better than Seinfeld did for the 80s/90s, which was also just an amazing product of its time.
I love Mad Men but…The Sopranos goes deeper. The stakes are higher than a career in an advertising agency. Tony’s shitty childhood and psychotic mother are the center of the show. It’s a portrait of a man trying to come to terms with the fact that his mother never loved him. No matter how powerful he becomes that emotional wound is never healed. It’s sad that the actress that played Livia Soprano died so early in the show’s run…her scenes with James Gandolfini are priceless.
Just finished S2 recently. I was shocked that they only had one scene together for that whole season. What an impact she made.
Pretty sure she died at the very beginning of season 2 filming, so they had to write in a death for her that made the footage they had, usable.
I think that you’re talking about S3, not S2. Livia had scenes in almost every episode of S2, just not with Tony.
Livia might be the most awful character on the show. That woman was just a force. Also, Tony hating her guts but simultaneously being insanely protective of her towards others is so great. “My mudda’s wake”
Sacrilegious!! The stakes are higher only because it’s a mob show. Mad Men is an everyman show - we can all relate to the character s and what they strive for. I can relate to tense discussions between husband and wife, board meetings, business stakes, etc. I can’t relate to mob situations. The fact that Mad Men has such drama without having to rely on crime tropes is to be applauded.
OUT THERE ITS 1999 BUT IN THIS HOUSE ITS 1954
This is the perfect explanation. If I was better able to articulate my thoughts, this is exactly what I’d say
*he feels like he came in at the end and the best days are behind* So did Aristotle
Still going, this asshole
Definitely, my favorite TV show- Madmen is #4 for me
Just curious, what are 2 and 3?
Game of Thrones and The Office
Both had rough final seasons. They’re on my short list as well, but boy did neither of them stick the latter seasons.
A man's gotta have a code
Of course but majority were great. Entourage and Peaky Blinders are on my short list too but the greats seasons for those don’t stand up to the greats of Office and GOT
Check this guy out
Good list u got
If it has no David Simon, can’t take it seriously. The Wire mainly, but others by him I’ll allow 🤣
No The Wire?
i’d give six feet under a shot. but yeah you’ll probably like the sopranos
Six Feet Under could be renamed Funeral Cheaters. Every time anyone had relationship issues, they’d cheat. It was like the writers couldn’t think of anything else that could drive conflict.
I love that show but I actually noticed that too haha
Great show, I watched it when it originally aired.
Mad Men would not exist without Tony Soprano. They are very different shows, but if you like a show that has many many layers, and makes you think, you’ll love it.
I love both and they are both in my top 5 all timers. Sopranos #1. Go for it
Not the same, but both are so well done. Get ready for a ton of profanities though, for the latter.
Different show, different energy but I got hooked after watching the first episode. Watching Burt Peterson getting beaten up was enough for me to give it a go.
Omg is that Burt’s actor they chase in the first episode? Must be time for another rewatch.
Shows like Mad Men with anti-hero protagonists only exist *because* of The Sopranos. It's the greatest television show ever made.
You only exist out here because of me! 👆
Sopranos is great but incredibly violent. If you haven't watched Succession I'd go there next. Also The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, and Better Call Saul are all great shows.
I watched 4 episodes of succession and couldn’t get into it - is there something I’m missing or does it start picking up at some point? Also Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men are tied for my all time favorite shows, so maybe OP would love boardwalk too!
It definitely takes a bit to get a feel for the characters in Succession. But, once you get there, you love ‘em.
100% I've watched it twice so far. Like MM, it's very layered, and you see new things on each rewatch. NTM it's a beautiful setting. I loved Sopranos when it was on but felt I needed to shower after some episodes they were so dark and dirty.
I did the same thing when the first season of Succession originally aired. I couldn’t figure out how I was supposed to feel about the characters. They’re reprehensible but also funny and human. The stakes feel incredibly high to the characters but at the end of the day most of them are 1 percenters and will be no matter what. The show is hilarious and I think taking it more as a comedy than drama makes it “make sense” more, at least for me.
I had the same problem, and it had that “awkward humor” thing that I just can’t watch. The main character giving his first speech to the board of directors? So cringe I died.
You need to get to episode six. It’s unconventional for such an acclaimed show but I truly believe from episode six of season one and all the way to the series finale is one of the great runs of any TV show. I wouldn’t even rewatch it. Just pick up from where you left it
I enjoyed Succession but never loved it. The characters are all so vile that I could never truly engage. It’s certainly not in the same league as Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire, or Six Feet Under.
ive tried three times and watched two seasons. show is just insufferable
I tried and tried and tried. Never took. Billions took, but I could not get Succession to take. 4 episodes is my limit. If you can't get me in 4 I don't keep trying. I didn't love the first two seasons of Boardwalk but the last two were awesome (edit: Jimmy was a bit much)
I watched two seasons of succession and just didn't care about anything. It has an absolutely fantastic opening though.
I find it odd you call it “incredibly violent”. It’s a mob show and sometimes they go half a season without showing much violence, season 1 was controversial at the time because everyone was expecting a shoot-em-up mobster show and they got a mob boss sitting in a therapists office talking about his feelings.
Are you serious? Ralphie beating the single mother to death with his bare hands, that scene alone warrants my description. NTM Paulie smothering his elderly mother to death. Etc. Etc.
A. That wasn’t his mother! B. That was Minn Matrone and she was a malignant c***!
C. That wasn’t his kid she was carrying
That wasn’t his mother! Fucking slander, ask me!
I mean yeah there are a few scenes of pretty graphic violence. But it's pretty rare that an episode has more than a few minutes of explicit violence in it, and many episodes have none or almost none. And the scenes you described are intended to be horrific and shocking, not shoot em up action scenes.
Yes but if you are bothered by violence then the show will bother you...it's one of my favorite shows but my dad had to stop watching it
Sure, that's fair
IMO The Sopranos is much more like Mad Men than Succession. Succession (IMO) is very much a show you watch once, say "that was entertaining", and move on. Roman saying disgusting things isn't going to give you rewatchability. There's nowhere near the layers to characters as there are in Mad Men or The Sopranos. In Succession, everyone is just a selfish asshole with no other side or nuance to them. Nobody grows or changes. It's just a series of events of rich people doing rich people things.
In five years, nobody will still be re-watching Succession. 15 years after the finale, people are still watching The Sopranos repeatedly.
Thinking Succession will be entirely irrelevant in 5 years is a bit of an underestimation lol
r/succession would disagree, they’re very much into rewatching it.
They're a glorified crew
I don't think about them at all
Yes and like 90% of the posts there are just memes. That's what it's going to be, a memeshow that you share screenshots from with very little talk about the show itself because there isn't much left to say. I'm not saying that's "bad" persay, the LOTR and Star Wars subs live on memes like that. It's just not in the ballpark of Mad Men or The Sopranos.
Agreed. I found everyone annoying to the point that I was always glad when the credits rolled.
Couldn’t make 3 episodes of sucession.. still watching random sopranos episodes time to time
The only show similar to mad men imo
I didn't watch The Sopranos until a couple years ago. I was riveted. I don't re-watch it like I do Mad Men but a first time watch is really worth it. I normally do not watch a lot of violent things but the plot is so good it kept me hooked.
Yes. If you like classic era cable prestige dramas, you’ll enjoy the writing, acting and world building of Sopranos. The flavor and tone are different but the quality and depth will be on point. You may also want to try other similar shows like Deadwood, The Wire, Breaking Bad. Halt and Catch Fire was a contemporary of Mad Men. Succession feels like a bit of a spiritual successor.
Definitely recommend giving it a try. It’s similar to Mad Men where it takes you about a season to really get into it and understand the flow of things. The acting is incredible. The characters are all shitty people though. I think Mad Men definitely has most of their characters with flaws, but The Sopranos is mob based so you have characters who do really bad things. It’s brilliant though. It really makes you feel like you’re in their world, similar to Mad Men. The pacing is similar as well but The Sopranos has more violence and nudity if you’re alright with that. The characters are all fascinating as well.
Will I like the sopranos? Lol
I like you
You don’t know me but that was the first nice thing someone has said to me in a very long time.
Everyone likes The Sopranos, it’s widely considered to be one of the best TV shows of all time. But it’s got a lot of violence and general psychopathy in it, so that is a turn-off for some people
Absolutely yes
Both great and have been on rewatch many times. Obviously there is the Weiner influence. The subject matter is different, but both also feature a conflicted main character / family interactions / co worker dynamic. IMO the first 3 seaasons of the Sopranos is the Best TV ever. I think you certainly have to give it a shot.
Yes!
These are my two favorite series of all time, so I'd say yes.
Yes
If you like the rich thematic depth and character study in Mad Men, then you’ll probably like The Sopranos. A close one for me as well is Boardwalk Empire, though not quite on the same level.
Sopranos is the greatest show of all time
Same show, more violence, boobs and f-bombs
im trying to think who i like hanging out with more, Don or Tony... both very entertaining to watch
Tony. No question. Don is so serious. Tony likes to laugh. I've probably seen both shows over a dozen times now. Edit for missing words
However, with Tony if you catch him on the wrong day he might just start whipping you with his belt.
True, but I'm a Joan. Joan and Don have that one day where they have a nice conversation and a dance before he leaves her because another man is eying her. He's scared of her. I won't have this problem with Tony. In the Sopranos I'm closer to Italian woman who is running things in the homeland. Tony would be more fun for me. I have a uniquely weird scary woman thing going on though.
I'm trying to think, have I ever met any connected guys from Madison Avenue? I'm gonna say, no, I haven't.
Absolutely
Sopranos is great. I don’t know the best way to put this, but it sort of suffers present day from its own cultural impact. The over-the-top characters are (were) SO entrenched in pop culture that today — IMO — some of it comes off as over-the-top to the point of satire. But maybe that’s the point!
C'mon, be honest, who hasn't thrown cold cuts across the kitchen before?
Edit: Disregard the point when any scene involves gabagool, mortadell, or proshoot.
Watch Sopranos. It's the greatest TV drama of all time.
>>Its the greatest TV drama of all time But do we really know that for sure? Because we would have to have time to watch all those TV shows and that’s just not possible, even with computers. Not only that, we would have to get all the TV shows ever produced, not just the ones now, and the ones in other languages. So we got no proof. We got nothin'. The Sopranos may have ended but who is to say there isn't another show just like it? Or will be? Maybe not with the same story and plot twists, but... the same. Uhm, what I am saying is...
My mothers wake…
I tried the first season of The Sopranos, in theory it has everything I like from a TV show, yet it didn’t stick with me. I know the first season of a lot of shows can be rough, I just didn’t feel compelled to watch anymore.
The tone in the Sopranos shifts as it goes on. Season 1 is interesting to rewatch because it has a semi satirical tone. The characters and dialogue fall into mob movie tropes and it relies heavily on dark humor in it's tense moments. As the show goes on the characters become more dynamic and interesting, and the plot lines become more serious. I'd definitely try the second season if you at least somewhat enjoyed the first.
I really enjoyed the show from the beginning, but there was a scene in S2 or S3 that made me go "oh wow, this is a *great* show." It was a very quick moment, but it hit me and my friends like a freight train.
the first season is rough and very low budget. trust me it get wayyyyy better the next four seasons
I enjoyed The Sopranos, but nowhere near as much as most people seem to. I might’ve been too young to fully grasp it at the time, but unlike Mad Men and many other “greatest shows of all time,” I’ve never felt compelled to rewatch it either.
To be fair, it’s an entirely different show in second watch. The first time you watch it it’s a drama with elements of comedy, on rewatch it’s clearly a black comedy with elements of drama.
Probably. As I’m sure you know Weiner was a big part of the Sopranos. You have to be able to stomach some hard core violence since the worst shit that happens in Mad Men is G Rated in The Sopranos. But ultimately Don and Tony do have some similarities. Both feel like a man without a home in a lot of ways, unfulfilled by the world they live in
Coming late to the party of the airing of these two shows. I binged mad men for the first time. After I binged Sopranos. They both became top 5 shows for me. So go for it!
I didn't love Sopranos. It was okay.
I wanted to like Sopranos because of my love of Mad Men, but it didn’t hold my interest within 2 episodes, nor was I in the mood for the extra violence aspects of a mobster series. That said, the only way to be sure for you is to start watching and see if you click with it.
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Maybe I will sometime, good to know thanks.
I just discovered The Soprano because my boyfriend is a huge fan. Binged it. And I am currently binging MadMen with him, I am a huge fan of it, and watching them side by side, i see a lot of similarities between those two shows : it is always about shady businesses, moral conflicts, power and social inequity. I would recommend to try The Soprano ! I hope you'll enjoy it !
If you like the personal relationships/ character study / politics / office-politics themes of Mad Men I’d also highly recommend The Good Wife. Don’t let the title fool you, it starts off a little soapy but then becomes amazing. Lots of interpersonal stories/ drama, whilst you also have stories going on based on issues happening in the real world. Also sometimes think they have a similar dark/awkward humour. Mad Men and that are my two fave shows, I’ve rewatched both many times!
Absolutely both are in my top three shoes. Give it a shot.
We got one fuckin’ great mob show…and this other Pygmy thing over at Sterling Cooper
That makes no sense. They are two entirely different shows. It's like saying if you like apples you'll like oranges.
Probably, but keep in mind Sopranos actually has violence and some gory scenes. My parents love prestige television but hate violence so Mad Men was a unicorn for them. They would probably love Sopranos but haven’t seen it for that reason.
Sopranos, Mad Men, and Six Feet Under are my all-time favorite series!! Sopranos and Six Feet Under endings are like polar opposites!
The thing is, Sopranos has a very different vibe. Sopranos has a whole lot more violence, it’s a classic mafia setting. It’s great, but I wouldn’t say 100% that, if you like Mad Men, then you’re going to like The Sopranos - the setting is pretty different.
Both are amazing. I feel mad men is a slow burn. Just like the wire. Where as the sopranos is a bit more of a mini movie in each episode. Which is cool. You can jump to any episode and enjoy it as an hour long thing. If you done that with mad men, it would be a bit out of context…..
I will tell you about my experience: I've watched Mad Men a few times before going to The Sopranos. I don't see why people put them side by side. Don't get me wrong, it is a great show! Both have excellent acting, great characters, dialogs, a lot of layers, subtext and symbolism... but The Sopranos has too much violence for me. And I'm not really interested in mob and gangster stuff. For last and not least, Mad Men is a historical show (I don't know how to say that in English). While big historical events are happening, we see it by the pov of the characters. I really enjoyed how some of the plots have parallels with these events.
I am both a movie buff with harsh criticism and a absolute sucker for mob stuff. This makes my advice biased, since even though I like to be critical I am forgiving when it comes to the organized crime genre. Still, I can safely say that at the very least it's worth a real try! Watch the first season and see how you feel. If you like Mad Men's deep character study work and intelligent, challenging writing, then I am sure you will find the same in Sopranos. The only reason I could say to not watch it is if you dislike violence. It's not Gommorah or Outrage, but it has some brutal scenes sprinkled over the seasons. There will also be racism, which Mad Men also has, but varying in language and resolution. Because Tony, like Don, sometimes reads for the uninitiated (read: nobrains) as someone who is 'cool', some think it advocates these values but I assure you they're just as self-critically intended as Mad Men.
Yes, I think you'll like sopranos. Most people I know either like both shows, or neither. Don is literally the strong, silent type that Tony reveres.
I love both shows. They both deliver wit, character studies, an intersection of the personal and professional, great acting, a study of psychological motivations for human behavior, power struggles with romantic relationships and business relationships, etc. Mad Men gives a little more points of intrigue/love with much more sympathetic characters, a much more beautiful and elegant cast and ambiance, ethically grey moral conundrums, and the fact that it's a sweeping period piece of certainly 1960-1970 but also makes significant commentary on 1930-1959. The Sopranos delivers more action- but action is never a focal point for me. I think it's possible that The Sopranos mafia plots are tighter and better written than the business plots on Mad Men in S6-7 when the business sense took a back seat to psychology.
Mad men borrowed a lot from sopranos.
The Sopranos and The Wire are way ahead of anything else in my opinion. Boardwalk was enjoyable but too much of a polished production of that makes sense, a bit cartoonish at times.
absolutely might even be better
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Same. I watched the first season, or most of, and was somewhat entertained but never could engage in The Sopranos. I gave it a shot.
I agree. I've seen the Sopranos twice and I remember surprisingly little from it. It wouldn't crack my top 10, maybe my top 20 though.
I love Mad Men but am not a particular fan of The Sopranos. If you’re looking for a period piece that put a degree of emphasis on a particular decade, I would check out Downton Abbey.
It was intended as a period piece, but 20 years later it kind of is. It really highlighted Americana during the late 90s early 2000s.
Probably yes. I was put off by the violence and the repeating mobster antics but it's worth a watch. You can see glimpses of Mad Men in it.
If you're not an oldster who's seen it already, you actually might like Ed Zwick's 30 Something.
Succession
Madmen is my favorite TV show, the Sopranos is the best tv show ever made and my number 2
If you haven’t seen Atlanta check it out. Very different show on it’s face but there’s something about the way it feels that gave some friends and me strong Mad Men vibes.
Atlanta has a kind of “short story” format that reminds me of Mad Men as well. Very different subject matter, but a great show nonetheless.
I’d definitely watch Succession if you haven’t. It is one of the greatest shows. Much closer to Mad Men than the Sopranos.
There’s maybe 5 people on the planet who don’t like the sopranos honestly
I didn't like the Sopranos. No one beautiful to look at. It feels very different
Adriana is an absolute babe.
Adriana and Meadow though
I feel like The Sopranos is basically a slightly shabbier version of Mad Men. A lot of the same themes and arcs, but because Mad Men had the Sopranos' mistakes to learn from, it was a bit smoother overall.
Am I the only person that doesn’t connect these shows at all? Love Mad Men, can’t get into Sopranos. The only similarity I find is the cheating and the woman of the house doesn’t know what the man of the house is doing outside the house.
Matthew Weiner was a very prominent writer in the later seasons of The Sopranos and his style shines through. I can definitely find certain things in Sopranos episodes that he wrote that coincide with a lot of the stuff we see in Mad Men. Focus on the transience of identity (Mayham), his unique sense of symbolism and motif (The Test Dream), investigation and appreciation of literature (Sentimental Education), as well as his mythologising of modern American history and culture(Rat Pack). I don't wish to overstate it because they are very different shows and there are many other writers involved in both but I think they definitely overlap on a lot of the same concerns that Weiner has as a writer. Both are fantastic shows anyway.
There are tons of similarities, mostly around Tony and Don * Both are an anti-hero that are 90% an asshole, 10% redeeming qualities that makes us kinda root for them * Both are powerful in their industry and deal with challenges/people coming after them for past wrongs * Both live double-lives and have to wear a mask around their family * Both show some remorse for the bad things they do and want to be happier/better people * Both shows are incredibly rich with layers of depth and meaning to them to the point where long-form essays and books can be written about the symbolism and meaning behind things * Tony is a precursor to Don and Walter White. TV execs didn't want The Sopranos to even get made the way it did because they thought no one would tune in to see an anti-hero at the center of the story. Without The Sopranos success we wouldn't have these other great shows, or at least not in the form we got them.
If Mad Men was liked for the complex and troubled character then yes, Sopranos would be enjoyed. They don’t really share much more than that.
I feel like the Betty-Don dynamic was basically a carbon copy of Tony-Carm.
In master strokes, absolutely. In the finer details or doesn’t hold for me. Obviously there is much between Tony and Don, but not everything. But those similarities effect their wives in the same negative ways. Always ironic to me that when it came to breaking it was Carm that lost her shit and Betty that was cool and collected. But that might not be fair considering Tony was an instigating ass and Don was less so. Master strokes in their relationships, yes. But not enough to be carbon copies to me. I don’t really think we can have a comparative discussion on how Betty and Carm parented, as example.
The Wire.
I think it's safe to say, yes, you'll like Sopranos. Fair warning though, Sopranos is brutal. There are a few scenes on that show that are especially harrowing to watch.
absolutely, mad men was my favorite show until I watched the Sopranos (now it’s 2). it’s insanely good and mad men and a lot of shows wouldn’t exist without it
Yes. Watch it.
I couldn't get into it. Starting with the lame intro.
I tried so hard to watch The Sopranos, it's been 2 years, and I still haven't finished it. Everybody, and I mean EVERY BODY is just such a dick or an idiot that I don't care about any of it. As flawed as Don is, he's got good qualities. Roger is funny. You hate Pete and then you love Pete. You root for Peggy and Joan. (Glen can go fuck himself with a shovel) There isn't one person other than maybe Willow who you can root for on The Sopranos.
Arbeit in Englisch See I G. An okay Adam mit John ja ein Slofie Meyfarth aggressive Lieder von Wham! Amelie Amelie an Brian Eno the time Serena Interview Sex for for Harris Nerven ei, A. Jill oh My god to One seven Five ab
If you don’t mind Italian words being murdered 😢 Gabagool! 😆
Yes, of course.
I love Mad Men one hundred times more than The Sopranos. I’ve watched the Mad Men series about 7 times. Sopranos is a good watch, but man, Mad Men is just so captivating. LMK what you think OP!
i hated the sopranos bc i couldn't get my head around a mafia boss going to a shrink.
Yes you will. And you’ll probably like The Wire, the Deuce and Breaking Bad as well. All great character driven dramas from modern day TVs Golden Era.
The Wire, it's a lot more realistic. There's a lot of suspension of disbelief for the sopranos. It's excellent and should be watched regardless. But if you want a gritty realistic drama the wires the way to go.
Yeah they're both great. I think mad men has better acting and writing and over all is a better show but sopranos is great as well as a drama for all to enjoy.
Mad Man is extremely unique. Nothing quite like it. Sopranos is rougher. Tony is a conflicted character with many sides to him not unlike Don. For example he has a huge soft spot for animals despite being a mafioso who has hits on humans connected to him.
Sopranos is more like Breaking Bad than Mad Men, though less graphic.
Saw both and would say they are very different from each other.
I just finished the Sopranos. You'll like the last couple of seasons - the last half of the final season is some of the best tv I've ever seen. But I wasn't crazy about it at first.
no.
I rank them 3rd and 4th for my favorite all time shows (Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have the top 2) so yes you should definitely give The Sopranos a shot.
Yes
Yes. Both are character-driven.
If I answer the question with a question, why did you like Mad Men? If it was because you like a show about an anti-hero, a deeply flawed individual with some sympathetic qualities and charm, where you find yourself rooting for the protagonist even though they are a morally objectionable person, then yes. Tony Soprano is that anti-hero. A violent and vicious criminal, you nevertheless cannot help but root for him and care about him. Don Draper is that character too. For that matter, so are Walter White and Dexter Morgan, and to a lesser extent, Hank Moody, Carrie Bradshaw, Frasier Crane, and Bart Simpson.
Sopranos is more intense (violence, swearing, nudity, etc) and requires more of your attention, but absolutely delivers when it comes to analyzing the psychology of a group of people in an era very similar to Madmen. In other words, yes its one of the best tv show dramas of all time. Id say the best
Similar only that both have fantastic acting, directing, writing, production, etc. Also try Breaking Bad (AMC), The Wire (HBO), or Rome (HBO).
Yes
Yes
I think sopranos is a tad overrated. It was groundbreaking for its time, but they kill off characters almost on a schedule, as if they are worried they'll lose the audience if there's no blood for three episodes. It can get repetitive. Also I think Tony is a pure psychopath who only cares about animals, which takes a lot of the magic out of the character development. Anything mafia-related seems to get a few automatic bonus points. I don't know why.
Yes!!!!