Courtesy of HBO / HBO
The Sopranoswas not the first idiot box serial to research the mob , but it did break new ground by keeping the perspective solely on Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) and his criminal offense family , as well as his actual family , rather than dissever the focus with law enforcement . It also leave an antihero like Tony to be the master character in his own fib , which has now become mutual in TV serial publication . For its time , The Sopranoswas truly modern and remains one of the beneficial shows in TV chronicle .
To lionise the 25th day of remembrance ofThe Sopranos , we ’re taking a look at five mob shows and movies you should determine if you enjoy Tony Soprano ’s tale . Our two moving picture choices clear inspiredThe Sopranos , whileThe Sopranosinspired two other show . Our fifth pick is an underrated TV series from the ’ 80s that predatesThe Sopranosby over a decade with its own virtuously ambiguous plot line .
Courtesy of HBO / HBO
The Godfather (1972)
Yes , The Godfatheris the obvious choice for this list . But in many way , it ’s also the only choice that had to be here . The Sopranosnot only perpetually drop references toThe Godfather , Tony Soprano and his gang absolutely get laid the celluloid . Francis Ford Coppola has guide some great moving picture in his career , but none that were nifty than this one . ( AlthoughTheGodfather Part IIfans may discord . )
The original picture is a X - span crime saga sport Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone , the head of the Corleone crime fellowship . Al Pacino plays Vito ’s youngest son , Michael Corleone , who is not a part of the household business . But when Vito is intimately assassinate by his rivals , Michael has to define aside his moral scruple and posture at the brain of the table for the Corleone family . And Michael may essay to be even more remorseless than his father .
WatchThe GodfatheronParamount+ .
Goodfellas (1990)
The Godfather Part IIstar Robert De Niro was one of the main cast members of Martin Scorsese ’s best crime movie , Goodfellas . The tardy Ray Liotta starred as Henry Hill , a actual gangster who make for his manner up through the Italian mob for decades before finally sharing his story with the worldly concern . De Niro play one of Henry ’s closest friends , James “ Jimmy ” Conway , while Joe Pesci played their mutual friend , Tommy DeVito .
Goodfellasalso has aSopranosconnection through Lorraine Bracco , who encounter Henry ’s married woman , Karen Hill , before portray Dr. Melfi opposite Gandolfini ’s Tony Soprano . But this movie belongs to Liotta ’s graphic symbol more than anyone else , as Henry unrepentantly walks the audience through the important choices that defined him .
Goodfellasis available to rent or buy onPrime Videoand other outlets .
Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)
Steve Buscemi only had a single season as a major character onThe Sopranos , but he eventually had his own family epic inBoardwalk Empire . FormerSopranosexecutive producer Terence Winter create the show , and Scorsese helmed the airplane pilot instalment , demonstrate Buscemi as Enoch “ Nucky ” Thompson , an Atlantic County politician with cryptic ties to organised crime during the Prohibition era .
Several diachronic gangsters , let in Arnold Rothstein ( Michael Stuhlbarg ) and Al Capone ( Stephen Graham ) , had magnanimous roles in this show . Michael Shannon also star as Nelson Van Alden , a Bureau of Prohibition agent obsessed with taking down Nucky to the point where he completely ego - destructs and falls from blessing . And that was just the beginning of Van Alden ’s story!Boardwalk Empirenever touch the meridian ofThe Sopranos ‘ popularity , but it deserve all of the acclaim that it gets .
WatchBoardwalk EmpireonMax .
Magic City (2012-2013)
Before he get going hanging out amongThe Walking Dead , Jeffrey Dean Morgan headline Starz ’s mob drama , Magic City . Morgan portrays Isaac “ Ike ” Evans , the possessor of a Miami refuge hotel call the Miramar Playa . In 1958 , Evans is so do-or-die to ensure that his hotel survives that he makes a devil ’s bargain with Benjamin “ Ben The Butcher ” Diamond ( Danny Huston ) , a Jewish - American mob boss who becomes Ike ’s unsounded collaborator .
make that alliance was risky enough for the Evans family . alas for Ike , his old boy , Steven Evans ( Steven Strait ) , is throw an affair with Diamond ’s wife , Lily Diamond ( Jessica Marais ) . And that ’s just playing with fire .
WatchMagic City onPeacock .
Wiseguy (1987-90)
Wiseguywas truly before of its time , both in terms of its subject matter and the show ’s moral equivocalness . This was also one of the first primetime drama to fully embrace the serialized storytelling that has become an industry norm . Ken Wahl star in the first two seasons as Vinnie Terranova , an FBI agent who went deep undercover in the Atlantic City Cosa Nostra .
During his first prolonged assignment on the show , Vinnie befriend Sonny Steelgrave ( Ray Sharkey ) before he took over his crime family and elevated Vinnie to be his No . 2 . Vinnie feel contravene about shit that friendship for his probe . Once Vinnie was stop with the Steelgrave crime kin , his repute as a mobster allowed the FBI to apply his cover to pass through other criminal organization . Vinne ’s attainment may have been a boon for police force enforcement officials , but they play havoc with his personal life .
WatchWiseguyonPeacock .