When The Sopranos premiered on HBO in 1999, it redefined what television could be. David Chase’s landmark crime drama blends brutal mob violence with an intimate psychological study. The series explored loyalty and moral decay in ways that felt revolutionary.
James Gandolfini gave a towering performance as Tony Soprano. This, alongside its 21 Primetime Emmys, cemented The Sopranos as HBO’s best show of all time.
The Sopranos’ enduring influence can be felt across the drama genre. For viewers who crave that same mix of complexity and criminal enterprise, there are many great shows to watch after finishing The Sopranos. Some have even been cited as crime shows that outshine The Sopranos. Either way, there are several shows with similar elements to HBO’s groundbreaking crime drama.
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Boardwalk Empire — HBO
Boardwalk Empire premiered in 2010 on HBO. The series was created by former Sopranos writer Terence Winter and stars Steve Buscemi in the lead as Nucky Thompson. Winter brought the moral ambiguity and layered storytelling he honed in The Sopranos into a historical setting.
Set in the Prohibition era, the story follows a political boss (Buscemi) as his life becomes intertwined with Atlantic City’s bootlegging trade. With lavish production design and a cast that included Michael Shannon and Kelly Macdonald, the show won multiple Emmy Awards. Its DNA is unmistakably Sopranos-esque, particularly in its exploration of organized crime’s political reach.
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Ozark — Netflix
Netflix’s Ozark echoes The Sopranos in its portrayal of a suburban family entangled in crime. Set in the Missouri Ozarks, the series stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrd after they are forced to launder money for a Mexican cartel. Premiering in 2017, Ozark ran four seasons and earned multiple Emmy Awards.
The show’s bleak tone and shocking turns immediately drew comparisons to The Sopranos among other crime dramas. Ozark offers a similarly tense portrait of ambition colliding with consequence and moral compromise for fans of The Sopranos. The risks Marty and Wendy try to navigate feel similar to Tony and Carmela Soprano’s strained partnership.
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Peaky Blinders — BBC
Though more stylized than The Sopranos, Peaky Blinders shares similar themes of family loyalty and internal gang fractures. The series chronicles the rise of the Shelby crime family in post–World War I Birmingham. Tensions within the Shelby clan are reminiscent of The Sopranos’ power struggle storylines.
Cillian Murphy’s magnetic performance in the lead role of Tommy Shelby became iconic. The British drama ran for six seasons and became a global hit. The show earned BAFTA Awards and widespread praise for its cinematography and performances. The show has remained such a success that Netflix is releasing a sequel movie titled Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in March 2026.
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Orange Is The New Black — Netflix
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