The Sopranos is an American television drama broadcast on HBO about a fictional Italian-American Mafia family in Northern New Jersey. The program has enjoyed six successful seasons — filming began on the last episodes in July 2006. HBO announced in November 2006 that an additional episode was added to the final season, which was split into two halves. The last nine episodes are scheduled to begin broadcasting on April 8, 2007.


Since first airing in 1999, the show has become a cultural phenomenon. The program has gained wide popularity and exceptional critical acclaim for its groundbreaking view into the Mafia lifestyle, the American family, the Italian-American community, the effects of violence on the human soul, and the grey area between what society considers morally right and wrong.


The series stars, among others, actors James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, and Michael Imperioli. The cast is large and several members have been recognized for their acting ability. It highlights the difficulties faced by Tony Soprano (Gandolfini), Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family in suburban Essex County, New Jersey, as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads.