But while Friends witnessed the last gasp of network dominance, The Sopranos, from cable upstart HBO, was the future of television.
James thought The Sopranos superior to The Godfather movies, though his view was not shared by David Thomson, who felt that Tony was mundane compared with Michael Corleone.
You can tell that The Sopranos is a fairly ancient TV show from its opening credits.
“Long before the end, I fear, both Tony and James Gandolfini were bores – characters of an innately supporting nature.”