The Sopranos premiered on HBO in the United States on January 10, 1999. HBO ran the six seasons totalling 86 episodes until June 10, 2007. Broadcast syndication followed in the United States and internationally. "The Sopranos" was produced by HBO, Chase Films, and Brad Grey Television. It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios, New York City, and on location in New Jersey. The executive producers throughout the whole run were David Chase, Brad Grey, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, Ilene S. Landress, Terence Winter, and Matthew Weiner. "The Sopranos" is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. The
The Sopranos controversy, the ambiguity over the ending and question of whether Tony was murdered has continued for years after the finale's original broadcast and has spawned numerous websites devoted to finding out his true intention. "The Sopranos" was a major ratings success, despite being aired on premium cable network HBO which is available in significantly fewer American homes than regular networks. The show frequently attracted equal or larger audiences than most popular network shows of the time. Nielsen ratings for the first four seasons are not entirely accurate, however, as Nielsen reported aggregate numbers for cable networks prior to January 2004,