The Sopranos (season 1) latter site reporting the critical consensus as, ""The Sopranos" smartly runs an emotional gamut, offering detailed character work and riveting suspense while displaying a flair for both comedy and drama." James Gandolfini was widely hailed for his performance, with Ken Tucker of "Entertainment Weekly" praising his "magnificently shrewd, wary performance" as Tony Soprano. "Deseret News" expressed approval for the show's clear insight into the "modern incarnations of family and mortality and ambition." Marvin Kitman of "Newsday" wrote, "It's a great show, the best new series of the year. It's so - dare I say it? - original. It catches you
The Sopranos Sopranos" in their 2016 book titled "TV (The Book)" as the 2nd greatest American television series of all time, behind only "The Simpsons" and ahead of "The Wire", with Seitz considering the show's ending to be the greatest ending for any television show. In November and December 2009, a large number of television critics named "The Sopranos" the best series of the decade and all time in articles summarizing the decade in television. In numbered lists over the best television programs, "The Sopranos" frequently ranked first or second, almost always competing with "The Wire". In 2013, "TV Guide" ranked "The