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 as a destination for talent looking for cutting-edge original series work." The show has frequently been criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Italian Americans. Several major organizations have voiced their concern that "The Sopranos" presents a very distorted and harmful stereotype of Italian Americans and their cultural values, including the National Italian American Foundation, Order Sons of Italy in America, Unico National, and the Italic Institute of America. In 2000, officials in Essex County, New Jersey denied producers permission to film on county-owned property, arguing that the show depicts Italian Americans in a "less than favorable light." In 2002, organizers