Only 3 TV Dramas Are Better Than 'The Sopranos'

For nearly two decades, The Sopranos has sat comfortably at the head of the prestige television table. Created by David Chase, the series re-wrote the rules of what a crime drama could be, and the boundaries it could push. For the five people who may not have seen the show yet, The Sopranos tells the story of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey mob boss who begins seeing a psychiatrist to deal with the frequent panic attacks that are born with balancing his crime life with his home life. Before the crime drama premiered on HBO in 1999, mob life was often portrayed in a glamour, violent light; but The Sopranos did things differently, showcasing the gritty reality of mob life that was tied with the existential dread of suburban life, and it worked like a charm. The series boasted the talents of Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, and Lorraine Bracco.