The Sopranos set a new level of excellence on television that proved impossible to match. While it was hardly the first television show to approach a cinematic quality of writing, directing, and acting, The Sopranos succeeded in developing a unique tone, which included moments of surrealism, dark comedy, and a surprisingly affecting story about a protagonist who also happened to be a psychopath. It’s one of the greatest achievements in the history of filmmaking, and has earned its status as a classic.
The Sopranos has become a beacon within HBO’s library, but it is not the only great show that the network has produced. While trying to compare any other show to The Sopranos might be a challenge given its overwhelming critical legacy, there are more than a few masterpieces on HBO that deserve to be treated in the same high regard.
10
‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)
The Wire isn’t just one of the best shows HBO has ever produced, but one of the most important. Creator David Simon had worked as a journalist on the crime beat in Baltimore for over a decade, and used his real experiences to inspire a complex crime show that tackled all of the issues that America was dealing with at the time.
The Wire is not a series with traditional heroes and villains, as there’s not a single character who isn’t well-fleshed out and given a personality that goes beyond simply being used to fulfill an archetype. Although The Wire is among the most complex shows on HBO, as it included a far broader cast of characters than The Sopranos, the result was a series that felt like a glimpse into reality because of how it tackled relevant issues.
9
‘Succession’ (2018–2023)
Succession is a masterclass in modernizing a story of Shakespearean proportions, as Jesse Armstrong’s sprawling epic both drew from King Lear and Henry IV, whilst taking inspiration from real media dynasties like the Murdochs and the Sacklers. What’s most impressive about Succession is that, as was the case with The Sopranos, the series was able to generate empathy for despicable characters.
Succession is operatic and highly critical of the current media landscape, but it also featured a degree of black comedy that made the experience even more rewarding. The Sopranos will always be the most iconic show because it got their first and was such a sensation when it was first coming out, but Succession might actually prove to be HBO’s best and most profound show when the dust settles, and a more objective assessment of their respective legacies can be made.
8
‘Barry’ (2018–2023)
Barry is a challenging and consistently surprising show that was never fully given the credit that it deserved because audiences weren’t sure what to make of it. Although Barry started as a very dark comedy about a hitman (Bill Hader) who tries his hand at acting, it transformed into a riveting character study about the impossibility of redemption that touched upon the inherent narcissism that has defined the entertainment industry.
Barry is similar to The Sopranos in the sense that it is completely uncompromising and was willing to develop an ending that could be seen as inconclusive, even if it was actually brilliant. Both shows succeeded because they refused to “redeem” characters who made the decision to bury themselves; even if Barry is shown as being slightly more sympathetic than originally imagined because of everything he went through, it doesn’t make him a better person.
7
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The Leftovers is one of the most impressive adaptations in any medium because the series had already covered all of the events in the novel for which it was based by the end of the first season. Although Season 1 is a powerful dramatic exercise that effectively conveyed the collective trauma felt by a society in the aftermath of a mass casualty event, it is within its next two seasons that The Leftovers transformed into an artful, enigmatic, and surprisingly beautiful exposé on the totality of the human experience.
The Leftovers might not ever have the same reputation as The Sopranos, but it might be more perfect. There’s not a single bad episode within the HBO show’s entire run, and the all-time great finale “The Book of Nora” answered every question that viewers could have had about the series in the most satisfying way.
6
‘Six Feet Under’ (2001–2005)
Six Feet Under is unique among HBO’s programming in the early 21st century because it wasn’t a crime show or one that had a very fast pace. Instead, it was a grounded, emotional family drama about the inherent challenges of living within close proximity to one another, as death always seemed to be around the corner when no one was expecting it.
Six Feet Under developed a unique tone in which it wasn’t afraid to become darkly comedic, yet could pull off emotionally devastating moments like no other series in the history of HBO. Although what The Sopranos did to demystify the world of the mafia was an incredible achievement, Six Feet Under had just as significant a challenge in developing a story about the inevitability of death that could be insightful, poignant, and surprisingly inspiring all at the same time.
5
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2000–2024)
Curb Your Enthusiasm is the single funniest show in the history of HBO, and it’s often that comedy is more challenging than drama. Being consistently hilarious over the course of over two decades, in which the culture was rapidly changing and evolving, was an achievement that could have only been pulled off by Larry David, who created an absurdist version of his own life that frequently impeded on reality.
Curb Your Enthusiasm pulled no punches in tackling controversial issues, but it also allowed David to address components of his own career in a hilariously self-referential way. That The Sopranos ran for six seasons without ever experiencing a dip in quality is quite impressive to behold, but it might be even more awe-inspiring that Curb Your Enthusiasm ran for twelve seasons and continued to feel completely relevant with its biting sense of humor.
4
‘Boardwalk Empire’ (2010–2014)
Boardwalk Empire is the most obvious heir apparent to The Sopranos because it was another mafia epic, albeit one that was set in the past and inspired by real events. The Sopranos featured many instances in which the characters referred to the films of Martin Scorsese, who produced Boardwalk Empire and also directed its stunning pilot episode.
Steve Buscemi had given a great performance on The Sopranos as Tony B., who was a scene-stealer in the fifth season, but he had the best role of his entire career on Boardwalk Empire as Nucky Thompson. Like Tony, Nucky is a complex, often psychopathic character who is in deep denial about actually being the villain in the story, even if there are also details learned about his past that explain how he shaped his cynical worldview. The two shows should be seen as companion pieces.
3
‘Rome’ (2005–2007)
Rome has sadly not even approached the level of popularity that The Sopranos did simply because it was canceled before its time. Although there were plans for the historical show to chart well into the future of Roman history and explore the further transformation of the Empire, it was sadly canceled after its second season, resulting in an abrupt finale that had to quickly wrap up some of the loose threads in order to be coherent.
Rome was groundbreaking for its scope and scale, as it managed to visualize a striking moment in history with detail, and recounted events that had deep significance. Although Rome is often left off of lists because of its unfulfilled potential, it deserves to be remembered fondly because of just how much it was able to achieve within only a short window of time on air.
2
‘Industry’ (2020–Present)
Industry is the best show that HBO currently has on the air, as it has perfected a level of consistency that hasn’t been seen by The White Lotus or The Last of Us. Industry might at first seem like a deep dive into the stressful workplaces involved in contemporary finance, but it has evolved into a true epic that explores the collapse of capitalism on a global scale, and follows characters that might be as self-destructive as Tony.
Industry is the rare HBO show that seems to be getting better with each season, as its latest season took the show to a global scale to reveal the existential issues involved with surveillance and social apps. Whether or not Industry will be worthy of The Sopranos’ legacy will be determined by how well the fifth and final season does as a conclusion to the story as it has been established.
1
‘Deadwood’ (2004–2006)
Deadwood did for Westerns what The Sopranos did for the mafia, as it offered a more grounded perspective that was informed by historical fact, and managed to avoid clichés by taking a more realistic approach. Deadwood had a brilliant showrunner in David Milch, who used the transformation of a single town in South Dakota as a means to study the transformation of America during one of the most tumultuous periods in its entire history.
Deadwood was a show that featured many great performances, including an all-time great anti-hero in Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen. Although the series was sadly cancelled after its third season, Milch was able to reunite all the surviving members of the cast in 2019 for Deadwood: The Movie, an HBO one-night event that wrapped up all of the characters’ fates and gave the series the proper finale that it had deserved.
Deadwood
- Release Date
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2004 – 2006-00-00
- Network
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HBO Max
