Sopranos tease

[finishthehat]

No new info, but I love the classic Sil pose.

http://tinyurl.com/3atcnr

"All due respect, Tone......"

 

[dog428]

Rumors continue to swirl that this season is not the end of The Sopranos.

There seems to be two options at this point:

1. The series will continue for an additional season in order for Chase to write this show's end in a way that will allow for a spinoff-type show. I assume this would mean the death of Tony and either AJ or one of the other capos taking over. The show would basically continue under a different name and with a somewhat different cast.

2. The series will continue for only an additional few more episodes, which could be tacked on to the end of this season, that would set up a "The Sopranos" movie. I assume this would mean Tony would bite it in the end and the finale of the whole series would be revealed in the movie.

Option No. 2 is apparently the favorite at this point. A friend of mine who has a rather good connection on the set said his guy put the chances at about 50-50 right now that the series won't end as currently scheduled.

 

[JR]

Sopranos may be entering Twin Peaks territory pretty soon.

 

[tyler durden 71351]

I don't want to see a Sopranos movie. I wouldn't mind seeing the series go on for a few more years. The show has plenty of gas in the tank...it certainly hasn't jumped the shark. There's enough material to mine from characters like Tony, Carmella and Christopher.

 

[leo1]

dog, those are interesting scenarios.

until this past mini-season i thought sopranos was not just the best thing on TV, but arguably (and yeah, i know, it's highly arguable) the best show in TV history. but last mini-season sucked. big time. i kept watching because i like the characters and knowing so much about them makes me want to know what'll happen. but this thing just has to end. for the love of god, it's gotta end. please. and end in a satisfying way.

 

[zeke12]

I have been going through the mini-season on my DVR, and it holds up better than I thought it would.

I truly think the anticipation led to unreachable expectations for this show.

 

[hondo]

"Where's my arc?"

 

[dooley_womack1]

Sopranos may be entering Twin Peaks territory pretty soon.

Wire Walk With Me, Or I'll Whack Ya.

 

[dog428]

dog, those are interesting scenarios.

until this past mini-season i thought sopranos was not just the best thing on TV, but arguably (and yeah, i know, it's highly arguable) the best show in TV history. but last mini-season sucked. big time. i kept watching because i like the characters and knowing so much about them makes me want to know what'll happen. but this thing just has to end. for the love of god, it's gotta end. please. and end in a satisfying way.

I said last year when all the bitching was going on here that the mini-season was basically pulled out of Chase's ass on short notice. And if you ever want to know why they give that guy so long to write this show, let the mini-season do the explaining for you. He's great when he's got time to lay this stuff out and come up with interesting storylines and scenarios for the characters. But when he's rushed and he's got to start calling in additional writers to help him out, the show sucks balls.

The reason he agreed to do the mini-season was because the cast pressured him into it. They wanted the extra money (I mean, let's be honest, where the hell else is Paulie Walnuts gonna make $100k an episode?) and he couldn't deny them, even if it meant the show suffered. So, there we were.

I'm betting the final(?) run of shows this spring will bring everyone back to reality -- that this is the best show on TV and second place is way in back.

I can also see Chase giving in to the actors and extending the run, especially if this season gets the critical acclaim it should. tyler is right, there's a whole lot of directions this show can take that would make great TV for years. Do they do it? We'll see.

 

[Ellis Redding]

I'm betting the final(?) run of shows this spring will bring everyone back to reality -- that this is the best show on TV and second place is way in back.

You've obviously never seen The Wire.

 

[Columbo]

Option No. 2 is apparently the favorite at this point. A friend of mine who has a rather good connection on the set said his guy put the chances at about 50-50 right now that the series won't end as currently scheduled.

But not a friend of ours?

 

[dog428]

I'm betting the final(?) run of shows this spring will bring everyone back to reality -- that this is the best show on TV and second place is way in back.

You've obviously never seen The Wire.

I've seen The Wire. I'm a big fan.

There's no comparison between the two. It's like comparing An Inconvenient Truth to Departed. The Wire and The Sopranos are both well done, but for entertainment purposes, The Sopranos, when it's at its best, simply can't be touched.

The storylines, the dialogue and the acting contained in the first three seasons of The Sopranos will likely never be equaled by any TV show. It was a rare combination of talented writer, incredibly creative and complex story and perfect cast coming together. If you get two out of three, in most cases, you've got an Emmy winner. But to get all three and have all three be so damned good, you just don't find that.

 

[spnited]

They were shooting at da Bing three days last week.. late afternoon, early evening

 

[Oz]

Suddenly, after reading that story and this thread, I can't wait for April 8 to arrive.

 

[leo1]

dog, those are interesting scenarios.

until this past mini-season i thought sopranos was not just the best thing on TV, but arguably (and yeah, i know, it's highly arguable) the best show in TV history. but last mini-season sucked. big time. i kept watching because i like the characters and knowing so much about them makes me want to know what'll happen. but this thing just has to end. for the love of god, it's gotta end. please. and end in a satisfying way.

I said last year when all the bitching was going on here that the mini-season was basically pulled out of Chase's ass on short notice. And if you ever want to know why they give that guy so long to write this show, let the mini-season do the explaining for you. He's great when he's got time to lay this stuff out and come up with interesting storylines and scenarios for the characters. But when he's rushed and he's got to start calling in additional writers to help him out, the show sucks balls.

The reason he agreed to do the mini-season was because the cast pressured him into it. They wanted the extra money (I mean, let's be honest, where the hell else is Paulie Walnuts gonna make $100k an episode?) and he couldn't deny them, even if it meant the show suffered. So, there we were.

I'm betting the final(?) run of shows this spring will bring everyone back to reality -- that this is the best show on TV and second place is way in back.

I can also see Chase giving in to the actors and extending the run, especially if this season gets the critical acclaim it should. tyler is right, there's a whole lot of directions this show can take that would make great TV for years. Do they do it? We'll see.

dog, i don't follow these things too closely but i thought i remember that it was he (or HBO) pressuring the actors, not the other way around. didn't they want more money, which was why we barely saw meadow and she moved to california?

anyway, we're in agreement about the first three seasons. i'll keep watching until the end.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

Isn't this supposed to start around the middle of next month?

I'll be glad as hell it's back but DAMMIT, it's gonna be right during the NCAA tournament. Hope my hotels have HBO...

 

[Trouser_Buddah]

I hadn't watched a single episode before my sister gave me the first season on DVD last month...

I watched all 13 episodes in two days and was itching to get the second season.

 

[heyabbott]

I'm betting the final(?) run of shows this spring will bring everyone back to reality -- that this is the best show on TV and second place is way in back.

You've obviously never seen The Wire.

I've seen The Wire. I'm a big fan.

There's no comparison between the two. It's like comparing An Inconvenient Truth to Departed. The Wire and The Sopranos are both well done, but for entertainment purposes, The Sopranos, when it's at its best, simply can't be touched.

The storylines, the dialogue and the acting contained in the first three seasons of The Sopranos will likely never be equaled by any TV show. It was a rare combination of talented writer, incredibly creative and complex story and perfect cast coming together. If you get two out of three, in most cases, you've got an Emmy winner. But to get all three and have all three be so damned good, you just don't find that.

I used to think that, and maybe it's the time lag between Sopranos seasons, but The Wire is the better series. The Sopranos is cartoon-like compared with The Wire. Maybe it's because I live in the periphery of The Wire, both geographically and professionally, but I find it more compelling and true.

That aside, I'd like to love to see Tony whack Janice, a.) to kill that anoying ***** and b.) it would be very Godfathery.

 

[dog428]

dog, those are interesting scenarios.

until this past mini-season i thought sopranos was not just the best thing on TV, but arguably (and yeah, i know, it's highly arguable) the best show in TV history. but last mini-season sucked. big time. i kept watching because i like the characters and knowing so much about them makes me want to know what'll happen. but this thing just has to end. for the love of god, it's gotta end. please. and end in a satisfying way.

I said last year when all the bitching was going on here that the mini-season was basically pulled out of Chase's ass on short notice. And if you ever want to know why they give that guy so long to write this show, let the mini-season do the explaining for you. He's great when he's got time to lay this stuff out and come up with interesting storylines and scenarios for the characters. But when he's rushed and he's got to start calling in additional writers to help him out, the show sucks balls.

The reason he agreed to do the mini-season was because the cast pressured him into it. They wanted the extra money (I mean, let's be honest, where the hell else is Paulie Walnuts gonna make $100k an episode?) and he couldn't deny them, even if it meant the show suffered. So, there we were.

I'm betting the final(?) run of shows this spring will bring everyone back to reality -- that this is the best show on TV and second place is way in back.

I can also see Chase giving in to the actors and extending the run, especially if this season gets the critical acclaim it should. tyler is right, there's a whole lot of directions this show can take that would make great TV for years. Do they do it? We'll see.

dog, i don't follow these things too closely but i thought i remember that it was he (or HBO) pressuring the actors, not the other way around. didn't they want more money, which was why we barely saw meadow and she moved to california?

anyway, we're in agreement about the first three seasons. i'll keep watching until the end.

It was more the actors trying to pressure HBO for more money after the extended run had been finalized. Basically, at some point between season five and the mini-season, everyone started to realize the end was near. HBO was looking at losing Six Feet Under, Sex and The City and The Sopranos all in a year's time. They approached Chase about extending the series into 07. He was hesitant because it meant writing several episodes in a short time and making them fit with what he already had down, but instead of just declining the offer, he went to the actors for their thoughts. The main actors -- Gandolfini, Falco, etc. -- were in favor of it. So, the deal was done. And guarantees were made that this would absolutely be THE END of the show. So, the second-stringers, who when they first heard about the extended run were all for it, looked at the situation and said, "Hey, they can't do this **** without us, let's get paid." And they were determined to go the mattresses, so to speak, to get all they could.

Chase went to bat for those guys several times by telling HBO that without the supporting actors, the show couldn't go on. Eventually, the deal was done.

What HBO hoped was that in between the 06 mini-season and this April, they could develop one strong replacement show to take over. That hasn't happened. They've got a few possibilities in the works and a few successful shows that could carry some of the load, but nothing on the level of The Sopranos. So, they're right back where they were a little over a year ago -- looking at a big-ass hole in the schedule with the easiest option to fill it being re-upping The Sopranos for at least another mini-season.

 

[leo1]

damn, dog, that's a good analysis. do you work in TV?

so i'm assuming now that he's had more time chase won't make half of this mini-season about some random character no one ever saw before (the gay guy...i've already forgotten his name...i want to say vito but i'm not sure).