An Inside Look at the iconic HBO Series The Sopranos

Steve Adubato sits down with television critics and co-authors of "The Sopranos Sessions," Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz. The pair provide an inside look at the iconic HBO series from their interviews with actors and creator David Chase, and also discuss what really happened in the finale.

5/21/19 #2219

Excerpt:

"Hi, I'm Steve Adubato. We're coming to you from the NJTV Agnes Varis Studios. It is our honor to introduce... this isn't One on One, this is one on two, two very special guests. Matt Zoller Seitz is... and also Alan Sepinwall, they are TV critics and co-authors connected to the 20th Anniversary of The Sopranos, this book is called The Sopranos Sessions. These guys have been writing about, studying... writing about The Sopranos from day one 1999, when the series broke on HBO. They've been with us many times in the past. They're the best at what they do. And you honor us. Thank you gentlemen. Thank you. It's our pleasure Steve. Matt, The Sopranos happens in 1999? Yeah. Who, other than David Chase, thought it was gonna be something really special? Not even David Chase thought it was gonna be something... Not even David Chase? Well he originally wanted to do it as a movie. And he did it somewhat reluctantly as a TV series, and he never thought it would last beyond Season One. And in fact, it was gonna end with Tony actually strangling his mother. And it was only when Nancy Marchand asked, "Can you please keep me on the show, I need the money." That Livia lived. And Nancy was sick? Nancy Marchand was pretty sick? She had cancer. And he knew that she had cancer when he cast her. So another ending. Jeez, I don't remember the ending. But we'll talk about that... [laughter] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Your unhealthy obsession with The Sopranos? Yes. Started when? Basically when the show started. And when Matt was covering it for the Star Ledger for the first couple of years. That was the most envious time, the most fraught time in our partnership together. Because he had staked a claim, and he realized immediately, like, this was the show that was gonna change television. And you said, "Hey?" Yeah. "Let me in on this." And after Season Three, he did. And I got to cover it all the way through the end through that finale that people are still arguing about. By the way, I want to make it clear that not a lot of people in our business are that generous and open to enter. Yes. [laughter] We're not turf focused. Yeah. You would have pried that show from my cold dead hands Steve. [laughter] You... it was lucky that it was you and not him? Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. Here's what I want to do. By the way, the 20th Anniversary is significant why? Well, for one thing, the show is a period piece now..."