Matthew Weiner’s strategic choices with The Sopranos and Mad Men reshaped TV history and defined a new era.
Matthew Weiner has been in the television business for several decades now, involved in several high-acclaimed projects. While his initial journey as a writer was filled with struggles, he soon found a strong footing when he got on board The Sopranos. While James Gandolfini was the major highlight of the show, Weiner, with his creativity and innovation, left no stone unturned.
Matthew Weiner’s journey to showbiz has seen remarkable growth filled with several pivotal moments. He was once a struggling screenwriter who traveled to New York to pursue his writing dream. However, the not-so-glamorous lives of strugglers in the city scared him, and he went back to Los Angeles to attend film school.
But soon he started getting projects that shaped his true talents, and with his hard work and passion for the art, he soon began being recognized in the industry. One of the most important projects in his life was David Chase’s The Sopranos. The showrunner was so impressed with Weiner’s talents that he got him on board the James Gandolfini project.
On the other hand, Weiner also had the idea for Mad Men at the same time. The Jon Hamm-starring show was a remarkable success and is still considered one of television’s most popular shows. However, via Indie Wire, Weiner spent almost six years trying to sell the show.
This happened during the same time he was working as a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos. When he finally did manage to sell Mad Men, he was in no hurry to start production on the project. In the same interview, he added, “I arranged that I could finish The Sopranos,” as he didn’t want to miss the conclusion of what he considered “the greatest television show ever.”
However, his reasoning for not starting production of the Hamm starrer was also due to the fact that he didn’t want a clash between Mad Men and The Sopranos. This makes complete sense, given the popularity of the Gandolfini starrer at the time. This decision likely helped avoid potential negative impacts on the ratings of both shows, as well as potential commercial losses.
David Chase’s Original Finale Plan for The Sopranos
Only a few television endings have sparked as much debate as The Sopranos. While some viewers loved the open-ended finale, but others felt it lacked closure. Interestingly, David Chase, the show’s creator, originally had a different ending in mind. This alternate ending might have been just as controversial, showing that no matter how the show concluded, strong opinions were inevitable.
In the final episode, Tony and his family are at a diner. As they sit down, a suspicious-looking person is seen in the background. Just as Tony’s daughter, Meadow, is about to enter, the screen abruptly goes black.
For over fifteen years, fans have been guessing about the meaning of this ending. But in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chase answered these very questions. He added:
Because the scene I had in my mind was not that scene. Nor did I think of cutting to black. (Chase said) I had a scene in which Tony comes back from a meeting in New York in his car. At the beginning of every show, he came from New York into New Jersey, and the last scene could be him coming from New Jersey back into New York for a meeting at which he was going to be killed.
Yes, Tony was intended to be killed. David Chase planned this from the start while developing the final episode. The screen cutting to black was meant to signify his death and what follows in the narrative.
