The Sopranos (HBO) TV Show • Page 17

What would be gained from having Mad Men on HBO or Showtime? Saying fuck and nude scenes? Don't see how the main content of the show itself would be able to change much for the better because of the channel it's on

 

There are definitely times where shows feel boxed in by arbitrary rules that can take you out of scenes and remind you that you’re watching a show instead of being immersive.

 

It is very obvious that the budget is limited when you watch Mad Men. It never really feels like you are in 1960's New York. They very rarely go outside because of the costs of adjusting all of the pieces to be period-specific, and they have to use their limited sets more than usual. The Mad Men version of the Greenlight Cafe in the first season feels particularly cheap. As the show goes on, the office starts to feel smaller and smaller because the money was tied up in the main characters, who were already underpaid.

Obviously period work is at an unfair advantage here. The Sopranos and The Wire can use real locations with minimal need to adjust the setting. However, Deadwood was set even further back and that felt like a living, breathing city.

 

I get the budget thing -- though it's not like that would have been guaranteed by virtue of being on a premium channel. But that's not what I was asking about

 

HBO shows historically have had higher budgets. AMC was not known for major television work when Mad Men began.

Profanity and nudity are somewhat minor, but part of world building. These characters are supposed to be so hedonistic but they are confined by the realities of basic cable. In the last few seasons they must have gotten permission to say shit, but it would be rare and they did it like they were trying to get your attention.

 

Interesting to read that about the budget because I actually never felt the world building was limited in Mad Men. I suppose you can attribute that to the writing being good enough you dont really notice something like that (whereas I see the opposite problem in GOT where budget is inordinately high and yet the writing suffers— not saying this is causal but maybe there’s some popularity-induced laziness happening)

 

Mad Men is a damn near perfect show, wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t think a higher budget would have done much at all.

 

Wait wuh? Was I the only one who hadn't heard of a Sopranos prequel in the works? My mind is blown right now.

 

They already made a prequel

 

Need to watch that

 

That retrospective just made me depressed about the realities of aging. So many shows are about young people that when they have reunions they are in comfortable middle age, but Tony Sirico in particular looks rough.

 

He also seemed confused at a couple parts, not referring to actors by name and accidentally mentioning something from Lilyhammer instead of Sopranos. He made me laugh at the end though, totally reminded me of classic Paulie.

The one part when Dominic Chianese mentions the scene where Tony says, "Don't you love me?" got me all fucked up. Man, I love this show and this cast.

 

Ended up at my parents house this weekend and my dad was starting the show for the first time, can't wait to geek out on it with him haha.

 

Damn Uncle Jun looks old

 

Imperioli may have aged the worst of all of them somehow

 

Shouldn’t have been eating all that gabagool

 

He's 52 so he looks very appropriate imo. He was only 5 years younger than Gandolfini lol

 

So I guess I need to watch Deadwood? I heard there's a movie coming out this year too?

 

Sopranos Home Movies is such a great episode. The tension during the monopoly game is wild.

 

Def one of my faves. Almost to Pine Barrens! I can hardly wait!!!

 

2nd half of Season 6 is just fucking WILDLY good man. God damn.

 

One of my favorite exchanges in the show (couldn’t find a higher quality video):