The Sopranos (The Sopranos episode) The Sopranos (The Sopranos episode) "The Sopranos", also known as "Pilot", is the first episode of the HBO television drama series, "The Sopranos", which premiered on January 10, 1999. It was written and directed by the series creator and executive producer David Chase. New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano passes out while barbecuing. Tony's collapse is diagnosed as a panic attack, leading to his referral to psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. Tony is initially uncooperative, but soon tells Dr. Melfi a story about a family of ducks which nested in his swimming pool. He goes over tensions between Carmela and Meadow over a
The Sopranos utilizes a wealth of previously recorded music, it is also notable for its lack of originally composed incidental music, compared to other television programs. Two soundtrack albums containing music from the series have been released. The first, titled "The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series", was released in 1999. It contains selections from the show's first two seasons and reached #54 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200. A second soundtrack compilation, titled "", was released in 2001. This double-disc album contains songs and selected dialogue from the show's first three seasons. It reached #38 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The