The executives at HBO took a year to make up their minds about David Chase’s new drama. The pilot episode had been subtle, complex and dark. Were audiences really ready for a show about a mob boss in the throes of a midlife crisis? Then there was the name. The Sopranos? It sounded like a show about opera singers. They suggested some more explicit titles: Family Man, The Tony Files, Made In New Jersey. But Chase wouldn’t budge. Eventually, against some of their better instincts, they gave the series the go-ahead. When the first set of scripts came through, their … Continue reading HBO: Television Will Never be the Same Again