The Sopranos Television Series

Speech Outline #1

Topic: The Sopranos television series

Subject Content: Primarily, I would like to focus on what made the Sopranos series such a popular and successful television program, and in doing so, recognize how it has influenced the standard for all subsequent drama series. My speech would include topics such as, the importance of dialogue within the series, the clever use of characterization, the use of several running themes (i.e. dreams, character ignorance, gangster movie references), and an intense look at the psychological, political, and philosophical implications of the show.

My overall structure would most likely include a brief background on the creation of the show, with a special focus on how it was initially conceived and produced by its creator. I would also like to talk in great detail about the opposing dualities used throughout the series. First, the show went to great lengths to demonstrate the non-"black and whiteness" of real people. While most forms of entertainment and fictional media develop characters to fit certain, obvious roles (i.e. good guy, bad guy, etc.), the Sopranos, through the use of intense characterization of its leading cast, demonstrated the true inner moral struggles that exist within all people. It is quite

Opposites: The pair of opposites I see in this topic is ordinary vs extraordinary. The Sopranos' creators took a very interesting, and in some ways simple, concept in creating their show. They took the vastly successful genre of the mobster or gangster film (the godfather, goodfellas, etc) and placed it in present day New Jersey suburbia within a family dealing with current world issues. A quote from the president of HBO Original Programming puts it quite well.

"I said to myself, this show is about a guy who's turning 40. He's inherited a business from his dad. He's trying to bring it into the modern age. He's got all the responsibilities that go along with that. He's got an overbearing mom that he's still trying to get out from under. Although he loves his wife, he's had an affair. He's got two teenage kids, and he's dealing with the realities of what that is. He's anxious; he's depressed; he starts to see a therapist because he's searching for the meaning of