The Sopranos (season 1)


The first season of The Sopranos aired on HBO from January 10 to April 4, 1999. The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on December 12, 2000, and on Blu-ray on November 24, 2009.
The season introduces DiMeo Crime Family Capo Tony Soprano and his family, as well as his troubled relationship with his mother Livia. Also troubled is his relationship with his Uncle Junior, who becomes locked in a power struggle with Tony after the death of the Crime Family Boss, Jackie Aprile. Tony also begins therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi after his panic attacks become more frequent. Meanwhile, Tony's daughter Meadow becomes aware of her father's true profession while preparing to get into college, and Tony's nephew Christopher attempts to write a screenplay about his crime life and anxiously awaits becoming a made man. Due to Junior's plotting of an assassination, Tony also gets embroiled in a plot against childhood friend Artie Bucco, a charming but obsequious restaurateur.

Cast

Main cast

Episodes


Reception

Critical response

The first season of The Sopranos was met with wide acclaim, receiving a score of 88 out of 100 on Metacritic, and a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the latter site reporting the critical consensus as, "The Sopranos smartly runs an emotional gamut, offering detailed character work and riveting suspense while displaying a flair for both comedy and drama." James Gandolfini was widely hailed for his performance, with Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly praising his "magnificently shrewd, wary performance" as Tony Soprano. Deseret News expressed approval for the show's clear insight into the "modern incarnations of family and mortality and ambition." Marvin Kitman of Newsday wrote, "It's a great show, the best new series of the year. It's so - dare I say it? - original. It catches you off guard. Basically, it's everything I'm always looking for in drama. It's beautifully written, authentic, without the plastic Los Angeles look. The acting is marvelous. It's funny in a darkly comedic way, involving as a soap opera, and quirky. I never quite know what's going to happen, even though the subject matter is by no means unprecedented for television."

Awards and nominations

51st Primetime Emmy Awards
6th Screen Actors Guild Awards
57th Golden Globe Awards
4th Golden Satellite Awards
Writers Guild of America Awards 1999
Directors Guild of America Awards
15th TCA Awards