johnglass

I realize they are different (although very similar in ways), but I'm curious as to what show people enjoy more- the Shield or Sopranos.

For me the Sopranos ruled the top spot until the slightly weaker fourth season (and long hiatus), which allowed the Shield to overtake it. It's more like a #1 and #1A, but I think the Shield is a stronger show right now.

Red Dog

I've caught up with The Shield. A very good show, but I think Sopranos is still a better show.

That being said, I think Nip/Tuck (if only 1 season) is the best show on television.

das Monkey

Overall, The Sopranos ... currently, The Shield. The Shield will need a few more seasons of greatness to eclipse The Sopranos overall.

das

Groucho

Annie Hall

Barings

I've seen seasons 1-3 of the Sopranos, but didn't care for the psychiatry "gimmick" and the issues with his mother. To me, it seemed an excuse to delve in his character and background rather than revealing it in a more natural manner.

I also think The Shield does a better job of examining the grey areas of the Vic's ethics and character. Whereas Tony justifies his actions as a family man, both personally and professionally, to "turn off" his conscience, I found that I was utterly indifferent to him. Also, everyone seems to love a charming mobster.

I think the popularity of the show has to do with being on a premium channel (HBO), so the "exclusivity" or lack of access by the general viewing audience resulted in a lot of hype and buzz surrounding the show.

Shaun Ryan has, IMHO, done a better job of examining the duality of Vic's nature through his actions and surroundings. He's done things that are completely diametrically opposed in terms of right and wrong, but he's a fascinating character. Also, he assembled a very strong supporting cast to challenge Vic.

Also, the pilot and the season two finale of Shield are among the two best episodes that I have seen, especially the first episode and how it sets up the central character.

Jackskeleton

The Sopranos Production Valuie beats The Shield. While I love both, The Sopranos wins by a noise.

Geofferson

I was pondering this same question over the weekend. It's a tough call, but The Sopranos wins out in my book - but not by much.

Red Dog was right about Nip/Tuck. IMO, it is arguably the best show on TV (right up there with The Sopranos and The Shield).

das Monkey

No love for The Wire?

das

spainlinx0

Thank this forum for introducing me to this show. I have watched both seasons and I am dying for season 3. Get on the DVD's already. I wouldn't even mind paying HBO pricing for these.

Tommy Ceez

I picked the Shield, because it leaves you more satisfied week in week out....

...BUT!

I must say that we should give the Sopranos some slack...It definitally started out to be heavily based on I, Claudius...but with the actress who played Livia dying, and the actor potreying A.J. sucking ass (I see that AJ could have been planned to become the Claudius character) it seems that the show has gone totally directionless, without the creator admitting it...

...ah, what could have been!

Anyone not understanding what I said should rent the 13 episode BBC miniseries I Claudius. Besides being a fantastic stage play type Roman epic, it has the most kick ass villainess ever...Sian Philips' Livia, the mini-inspiration for Livia Soprano.

nickdawgy

Never seen any episodes of the Shield, so I can only say Sopranos

johnglass

Well if The Shield/Sopranos are #1 and #1A for me, Nip/Tuck is definitely a high #2. I just don't put it in the same league as the other two yet, but give it another season or two and I may change my mind.

GuessWho

Same here

Red Dog

One thing I will say about The Shield is that it is certainly more consistent in quality week to week compared to Sopranos.

Jimmy James

I like to think of The Shield as equal parts of Angel, Oz, and Homicide. No other show currently on the air (even Angel) can compete with it in my book.

The Sopranos is by far my favorite of the current HBO shows, but I take way points from all of the HBO shows because they don't have to work with the same constraints that network/basic cable shows do. I can only imagine what we would see on The Shield if it was on HBO...

johnglass

Is the Shield really that resticted? It seems like they've pushed the envelope for what can be shown on basic cable (although I guess technically anything can be shown on basic cable). They commonly have nudity, swearing, and one in a while you might catch a jar of semen!

slop101

It's a pretty damn close call for me, but I have to go with Sopranos because it has a bit more depth to it - although Sopranos does have twice as many episodes out than Shield does.

Jimmy James

It's not entirely about how far sex and violence can be pushed -- it's also about the pressure of the network selling commercials. I really feel as though the controversial nature of the sexuality of one character would be dealt with more explicitly if Shawn Ryan didn't have to worry about FX getting squeezed by sponsors who themselves would be getting squeezed by conservative groups.

As to the more conventional stuff that you think of when this comes up, I think you'd see the violence dialed up a bit more if the show were on HBO, and I think you'd definitely see a difference in nudity. Just imagine how different certain nude scenes in The Sopranos would have been on FX to get a sense of that.

das Monkey

Stories are stories. I love a good (female ) nude scene as much as the next guy, but who cares. More swearing, more nudity. Those things don't make a show great. If HBO shows are better than others, it's because the execs keep their hands off the shows and let creative people ... wait for it ... create. Whether I see Julian's dong or not, his story is just as compelling. What more could they do -- to his story -- on HBO that they don't already do?

I really don't buy this stuff about HBO having an unfair advantage because of censorship. If they have any advantage, it's that they don't pander to the lowest common denominator by dumbing down their shows for higher viewership to appease advertisers. But then, the same appears to be true for the major 3 original series from FX.

das

Jimmy James

I think you make good points, and I don't put as much stock into this as others do. At the same time, the difference does exist, and I think it's appropriate to bring it up in a discussion like this one.

I don't want to see the Emmys segregate the pay TV shows. I don't segregate my own top shows list in this manner either. Instead, I ask myself whether I think a show is limited by its outlet and take that into consideration when making such lists. While I discussed it as a negative against the Sopranos, that's not really the way I perceive it when dealing with multiple shows. In that case, I consider the standards of each network, the need for the show to go beyond those standards, and how I think those standards hurt the show in terms of reaching all of its plot goals. It's not as simple as pay>basic>network -- I'm certain that there are basic cable networks that don't want to push things as far as FX or possibly even as far as Fox do.

If story was all that mattered, there would no reason to ever depict sex even as explicitly as FX does or to ever use the naughty words that standards and practices get so upset over. Realism and credibility are also important, and there just isn't a way to go some places even on FX like you can on HBO. That isn't an unfair advantage -- that's just how things are. Some artists have chosen to accept a smaller potential audience in exchange for fewer limits, and others have made the other choice.

I think there is a lot of room for individuals to have different opinions on this matter. I can't really argue too much with your position or the position of a person who feels it is fundamentally unfair for the HBO shows to go up against CSI or The West Wing when it comes to awards. I just want to make sure I clearly express my point of view.

das Monkey

You have done so very well, and that's great. I hope I didn't somehow imply otherwise.

I ask this, though: do you really feel there's a lack of credible realism in The Shield? I would think it would be easier to argue that it's more unrealistically over the top than the reverse.

I am, however, one of those who thinks it's fundamentally unfair for CSI to go up against HBO shows ... because it's nowhere near as good.

das

Jimmy James

You did no such thing -- I'm trying to make it clear when I discuss things on the Internet that I'm not just trying to get into a fight. My hope is that this can be my part in restoring civility to the Internet.

My argument would be that The Shield might not be quite so unrealistically over the top if it had the sort of freedom that HBO gives its shows. I do feel frustrated a couple of times a season when I can see the show pull back because it just can't go where a show like The Sopranos would be free to go.

das Monkey

Just to be clear, I am trying to get into a fight. First I'll lull you into a false sense of security by making you think I'm really interested in your opinions, and when you're not looking -- *BANG* -- bullet to the forehead, Mackey-style.

Seriously, can you clarify where it's not "free to go"? I guess I'm just not seeing where The Shield could take itself if freed from the admittedly loose restrictions of FX.

das

Tuan Jim

I chose Shield because I have yet to see a single episode of "The Sopranos" -- never having subscribed to HBO. I may pick it up on DVD eventually, but it's not high on my list at the moment.

lewisb73

While Sopranoe for years was my favorite TV show... in the past year and a half i have caught up with the Shield beginning with my purchase of Season 1 for about 20 bucks at a local shop... that said I have to give the edge to the Shield the main reason is it seems the Sopranos leaves ALOT of loose threads hanging, I watch The Shield and wonder how they can cram so much into one hour (minus commercials)... although I must admit both respective shows pilot episodes are some of the finest tv I have ever seen