David Chase, the creator of the television series “The Sopranos”, expressed his disbelief in the idea of a new golden age of TV shows. “The Sopranos” has been recognized as the best TV drama globally by both the British Guardian and the US Rolling Stone. Even in the US, the Writers Guild selected it as the best-written series of all time.
It’s been 25 years since “The Sopranos” premiered on the HBO cable channel, and Chase is still amazed that the series continues to be watched. However, he doubts whether “The Sopranos” would be successful if it were made today, citing changes in audiences’ tastes and streaming service owners’ exhaustion with complex series.
Chase believes the unique personality of “The Sopranos” comes from its depiction of the mundane and absurd family life of a New Jersey mobster. Each episode was designed to be like a small movie. Despite the quality series boom that started with “The Sopranos”, described as the second golden age of television, Chase disagrees with the term.
Chase mentions that he has only followed a few series in the 2000s, including “Boardwalk Empire” and Netflix’s “Beef”. At 78, Chase was an industry veteran even before “The Sopranos”. He has worked as a producer and writer on several projects, including the 1990s series “Wild North”.
Chase was inspired to create “The Sopranos” due to his own American-Italian background and his love for movies. He was particularly influenced by “Twin Peaks”, which altered perceptions of what a series could be.
Chase has watched movies voraciously all his life and says the works of Martin Scorsese were significant. He amusingly recalls Scorsese’s confession that he couldn’t stand “The Sopranos”. Chase also expresses his disappointment in the lack of films in his career. He directed the 2012 film “Not Fade Away” and wrote and produced the 2021 HBO movie about Tony Soprano’s youth, “The Many Saints of Newark”.
Chase reveals he has two projects in the works, a horror film, and an indie drama. He describes Hollywood as being focused on large productions, appealing to the widest audience possible. However, he believes horror offers a chance to tell an intelligent story on a reasonable budget, similar to the mafia frame that attracted a mainstream audience to “The Sopranos”.
Regarding the horror film, Chase hints that it will deal with the special features of American culture, similar to how slasher movies often focus on topics beyond the murders themselves.
