Breaking Bad was one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the late 2000s and early 2010s, as the project instantly made a mark on the television landscape, influencing the series that came after it. Like most audiences watching TV while Breaking Bad was on the air, Ben Affleck instantly connected with the iconic show. The actor has described it as one of his favorite series, ranking it in the top two of his list. Though Affleck's favorite series isn't a Breaking Bad replacement TV show, the two are connected and often discussed in conversations about the greatest series. 611a24

The Sopranos cast continues to be one of the greatest ever assembled on television, with stars continually popping up in other projects. Widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time, the HBO series centers on Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a North Jersey mobster struggling with panic attacks who hesitantly starts therapy with Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). Key figures in the story also include his family and fellow mobsters, especially his wife Carmela (Edie Falco), two children Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and A.J. (Robert Iler), and his ambitious cousin and protégé, Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli).

In the gripping episodes " the Club" and "Mayham" of The Sopranos, viewers witnessed a fascinating departure from the familiar Tony Soprano. James Gandolfini delivered a nuanced performance as Kevin Finnerty, a seemingly ordinary man leading a mundane existence. Kevin is an alter ego who exists in Tony’s coma dream. He represents the critical juncture Tony faces between life and death. Much like the Sopranos paradox, it is perched perfectly between comedy and thought-provoking surrealism.

For years, fans have speculated over the endings of iconic shows, but few would expect a sitcom to borrow from the most polarizing series finale in TV history - The Sopranos. When The Sopranos cut to black in the middle of the series finale, “Made in America,” it sparked endless debate about Tony Soprano’s fate, and television never looked the same. While that ambiguous final scene was largely viewed as a bold choice for a dark, dramatic series, it turns out the ripple effect reached much further. Even into the sunniest corners of prime-time comedy.

The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, but its finale was quite divisive, and the strong reactions to it annoyed the show’s creator. In 1999, HBO became the home to the crime drama The Sopranos, created by David Chase. The Sopranos was a big hit with critics and general audiences, and received a lot of praise from beginning to end, becoming one of the most influential TV shows of all time. Because of this, The Sopranos is credited with kickstarting the Second Golden Age of Television.

The number of mob TV shows like The Sopranos that have popped up in the years since the show went off the air has increased every TV season. However, there are very few series that can hold a candle to the success and impact of The Sopranos, as it's regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Even the mafia and crime shows that aired on HBO following The Sopranos couldn't compete with the cultural shift created by The Sopranos. However, there is one series that was able to follow in the series' footsteps, though it's unexpected.

HBO faithfuls will that Cristin Milioti played a character in The Sopranos, one that was later echoed with her performance in The Penguin. After 8 years on the air, the cast of The Sopranos ballooned to epic proportions, and even rewatchers of the seminal series have probably forgotten every actor who has appeared on The Sopranos when guest roles are taken into consideration. The large, expansive families of the Soprano mob, their friends, hangers-ons, and rivals were all fully fleshed out, requiring talented actors to play even bit parts.

Michael Gandolfini discusses whether he would return toThe Sopranosworld for another prequel. Michael is the son of late actor James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the original HBO series. The young Gandolfini previously played a teenage version of his father's role in the Max-produced prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark. Since TheSopranos ended, no other spinoff series have been made, but there have been talks circulating online about the viability of a prequel series for the show.

As Livia Soprano, Nancy Marchand delighted and appalled The Sopranos viewers in equal measure, but that wasn't the only accomplishment the late actress had in her long and impressive career. Playing The Sopranos character viewers loved to hate, Nancy Marchand left an incredibly realized and oftentimes hilariously frustrating mark on the pop culture psyche with her performance as Tony Soprano's (James Gandolfini) emotionally manipulative mother, Livia Soprano. Those first two seasons of the show may not have been as successful without her incredible performance to help it.

David Chase was inspired by both fictional mobsters and real-life gangsters when creating The Sopranos' protagonist Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Drawing on fictional characters like Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), The Sopranos changed US television forever, and also added new layers to the gangster genre — tackling subjects like male mental health, and how the mob viewed homosexuality. The Sopranos was also heavily influenced by the real-world crime families associated with the Mafia in contemporary America. For example, an early scene in The Sopranos season 1 sees Tony quizzed on real-life mobster John Gotti.