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The Sopranoswas a masterpiece for many reasons. Being a well-rounded series, it had everything from an exceptional cast to amazing writers and even excellent cinematographers. However, there was one mind that started it all. As everyBreaking Badhas its Vince Gilligan, James Gandolfini’s series has David Chase.
Although the writer and producer were involved in many notable works in the past, no one could have imagined the cultural impact that the series would have when he was first drafting it. In fact, the series was somewhat of an underdog, having even been underestimated at times.
During an interview, it was revealed that the series was originally in Fox’s lap until the studio fumbled so hard that HBO could not help but save it.
The Fox andThe Sopranos
In an oral history ofThe Sopranos,everyone involved in the production of the series and had a story to tell sat down withVanity Fairto talk about how the show came to be and how it ended. At the very beginning,David Chase, Bernie Brillstein, and Brad Grey talked about how the series was originally molded, and it is safe to say that the process was quite interesting.
Chase revealed that he was approached by Fox to create a network series that mimicked the themes of Al Pacino’sThe Godfather.Although he was hesitant at first, he decided to do it with a twist. Introducing the therapy aspect was celebrated by the studio. However, Chase had a bad feeling.
When I got over there, they asked, “Would you be interested in doingThe Godfatherfor TV?” I said, “No, it’s already been done.” But then I started thinking about this idea that I’d had for a feature film, about a mobster in therapy. I told them about it, they sparked to it, and Fox bought it.
“She was still 35 pounds thinner”: The Sopranos Star Who Appeared in 72 Episodes Battled a Serious Medical Issue Since Episode 1
He confessed that he was not uncertain about whether the series would actually even happen. Even after he wrote the pilot, he was worried about whether something like this would be able to successfully run on network television. Unfortunately, it would seem that he was right.
When I wrote the pilot script for Fox, I had a feeling that this whole thing wasn’t going to happen. I knew what network television is like, and this didn’t have that feeling. Sure enough, they passed.
He revealed that Fox ended up passing on the project, which was followed up by Grey revealing that every other network had passed up on the story of the series.
Regrets and Bad Judgements
After all the networks did not want to makeThe Sopranos,Brad Grey pulled some strings to get the head of original programming at HBO to have a look at the series. David Chase put his all into the pitch for the series, at first making it seem like a story about family dynamics in a normal setting, only to introduce the mob and therapist element at the very end.
They came in here and said, ‘Here’s the idea: 40-year-old guy, crossroads of his life, turmoil in his marriage, turmoil in his professional career, beginning to raise teenage kids in modern society—all the pressures of every man in his generation. The only difference is he’s the Mob boss of northern New Jersey. Oh, by the way, he’s seeing a shrink.’
Naturally, the studio became very interested in his concept and greenlit the production of the series. While the experience must have been something for the creator of the series, Chase mentioned that he was extremely appreciative of the studio for pulling his beloved series out of a very dark place from which very few shows come out—developmental hell.
So I was plucked out of development hell at the last minute.
“They have a problem”: Tom Selleck’s ‘Blue Bloods’ Wouldn’t Exist if ‘The Sopranos’ Hadn’t Fired its Key Writers
Now, the series stands as one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed shows of all time. It won several awards during its term and managed to stand out at a time when mafia and crime shows were everywhere. It is safe to say that Fox seriously missed an opportunity when they decided to sideline Chase’s series.
The Sopranosis available for streaming on Max.
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
