The Sopranos is one of the most influential series ever made, and it remains in a league of its own to this day. Spanning 1999 to 2007, The Sopranos followed eponymous mafioso Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and his family, as everyday domestic conflicts clashed with criminal dealings and mob ties. Nearly 20 years after its series finale, it remains unmatched.

Although many TV shows like The Sopranos have been released since 2007, no fitting successor has emerged that can blend its action and emotion as seamlessly as the HBO classic. There are plenty of exciting series about mob mentality and dysfunctional families, but The Sopranos changed television forever. While The Sopranos can’t be replaced, however, certain titles have come close.

Godfather of Harlem

A Crime Boss Tries To Surpass The New York Mafia

Godfather of Harlem has a similar premise to The Sopranos, but it approaches the Italian-American mafia from a totally different perspective. The cult classic period drama explores real events from 1960s New York, including how former kingpin Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson (Forest Whitaker) fights to reclaim the streets of Harlem after years of living under the Genovese crime family’s control.

The crime drama may focus on real-life figures like Malcolm X, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, but Godfather of Harlem takes its fair share of creative liberties to prioritize the viewing experience— including expanding Whitaker’s role, which is rich in emotional complexity. Godfather of Harlem season 5 is still unconfirmed, but it certainly deserves more episodes.

Boardwalk Empire

A Dissection Of Political Corruption In The Prohibition Era

Another enthralling crime drama inspired by true events is Boardwalk Empire, which follows Steve Buscemi’s Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (based on Enoch L. Johnson), who acts as the treasurer of Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era. Yet, as Nucky becomes more and more powerful, his shady connections to local mob families threaten to ruin his entire life as a public figure.

Boardwalk Empire is one of HBO’s best period dramas in its own right, but it’s a far cry from The Sopranos. Both are fantastic series, but there’s no denying the stark contrast between them and their subject matter. Whereas The Sopranos always felt somewhat rueful, Boardwalk Empire‘s violence and depravity is more gratuitous— which still works, albeit in different ways.

Top Boy

A Young Man Is Stuck In London’s Gang Violence

At first glance, a British crime drama like Top Boy may seem wholly removed from The Sopranos, but it ironically touches on many of the same themes. In both series, there’s a sense of hopelessness and inevitability to the main characters’ tragic lives of crime. For instance, the London drug rings in Top Boy function similarly to The Sopranos‘ mafia.

Nonetheless, Top Boy is far more akin to something like The Wire than The Sopranos. While there is gang violence that majorly impacts the main plot, the central focus on drugs leaves Top Boy only marginally similar to the HBO original. Regardless, fans of The Sopranos will likely enjoy Top Boy anyway, especially for its realism, dialogue, and iconic soundtrack.

Tulsa King

A Disgraced Capo Builds A New Crime Syndicate In Oklahoma

Brian Douglas / Paramount+

Tony Soprano may have been a high-powered crime lord throughout most of The Sopranos, but the hit Paramount+ original series Tulsa King is a total subversion of the typical mob drama. Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) was once an invaluable member of the Italian-American mafia, but he finds himself ostracized and sent to Oklahoma following a 25-year prison sentence.

​​​​​​Once in the eponymous city of Tulsa, Manfredi must begin building a new crime syndicate out of the locals, ranging from a taxi driver to a dispensary owner. His ragtag group forms a surprisingly wholesome found family, but the capo’s fall from grace doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods. In fact, his misfit mafia quickly makes some powerful enemies.

Animal Kingdom

The Misadventures Of A Criminal Dynasty

​​​​​​​Family is everything in The Sopranos— be it Tony’s literal wife and child or the mob— but Animal Kingdom takes that idea a step further with the Cody clan, a crime family that operates out of Oceanside, California. For all the high-octane robberies and stomach-turning torture sequences, however, the true allure of Animal Kingdom lies in its intriguing ensemble cast.

The best episodes of Animal Kingdom balance the action with the characters’ intricate relationships, whether it’s elaborating on matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody’s (Ellen Barkin) past or dissecting what made Andrew “Pope” Cody (Shawn Hatosy) such a cold-blooded killer. Even still, there is a somewhat vengeful quality to Animal Kingdom that sets it apart from The Sopranos, for better or worse.​​​​​​

MobLand

A Streets-Smart Fixer Stands Between Two Competing Crime Families

On the streets of London, two rival crime families battle for dominance, using any means necessary to get an edge over their competition. MobLand‘s morally grey protagonist, Harry Da Souza (Tom Hardy), is forced to keep the peace as best he can, but the neighboring syndicates will stop at nothing— including murder— to establish their absolute control.​​​​​​​

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​​​​​​​What makes MobLand such a fascinating show is that there are no true heroes. Harry may be the most relatable, but his allegiance is duty, not loyalty. Furthermore, power-hungry members of MobLand‘s Harrigan family would easily betray their own blood before letting the Stevenson clan reign supreme.

Sons of Anarchy

A Biker Gang Wreaks Havoc On A Californian Town

​​​​​​​Many viewers likely have a narrow view of what a mob can be, but a biker gang like the SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original) certainly qualifies. Originally founded by Sons of Anarchy‘s First 9, the motorcycle organization expands to multiple lucrative operations, including weapons trafficking, political corruption, and good old-fashioned gang violence.

Plus, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam) bears many similarities to Tony Soprano, especially considering stories of his personal life often run parallel to SAMCRO’s chaotic schemes. Nevertheless, Sons of Anarchy built a legacy of its own that caters to a vastly different niche than The Sopranos, making it less of a replacement and more of an unexpected companion piece.

Peaky Blinders

A Critically-Acclaimed Period Piece With Endless Action

Image via BBC One

When the first season of Peaky Blinders premiered, there was no telling how massive it would become, spanning six installments and a movie sequel. The period piece crime drama follows the eponymous gang during the fallout of World War I, wherein leader Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) expands their reach across the country while protecting their Birmingham-based garrison.

​​​​​​​The focus split between the Peaky Blinders’ criminal exploits and the devastating dynamics of the Shelby family instantly piqued the interest of The Sopranos fans, but Peaky Blinders snowballed into its own beast entirely with each passing season. The throughlines remain for those actively seeking similarities, but Peaky Blinders has irrefutably grown far beyond a spiritual successor to The Sopranos.

Gomorrah

A Real Look At Italy’s Criminal Underbelly

​​​​​​​The Sopranos is a cultural touchstone for Italian-Americans in New Jersey, but Gomorrah is based in the homeland itself, focused on the Italian Camorra rather than the American mafia. At the heart of the drama is a battle between the young guns and the old guard, with the Savastano family’s leader leaving a power vacuum in his place after he’s arrested.

As two drastically different main characters aim to prove their worth and claim the empty throne, however, an unlikely third candidate orchestrates an overhaul from the shadows. Gomorrah is a borderline perfect crime drama and deserves much more attention, but viewers looking for something to specifically fill the void of The Sopranos will no doubt miss the New Jersey flair.

Lilyhammer

Steven Van Zandt’s Second Most Popular Crime Drama

​​​​​​​Despite being the streaming service’s first original program, Lilyhammer has become one of the most obscure Netflix dramas of all time. Regardless, countless fans of The Sopranos went into the dark comedy expecting it to be the perfect replacement for the HBO sensation, given they’re connected by Steven Van Zandt.

In The Sopranos, Van Zandt plays Tony’s closest confidant, Silvio Dante. The actor gets a small promotion in Lilyhammer portraying Frank Tagliano, former second-in-command in the New York mafia. The familiarity proved to be a double-edged sword, unfortunately, as Lilyhammer struggled to escape The Sopranos‘ shadow. Of course, no show can truly live up to the original, no matter how similar.

Release Date

1999 – 2007

Network

HBO

Showrunner

David Chase

Directors

Tim Van Patten, John Patterson, Alan Taylor, Jack Bender, Steve Buscemi, Daniel Attias, David Chase, Andy Wolk, Danny Leiner, David Nutter, James Hayman, Lee Tamahori, Lorraine Senna, Matthew Penn, Mike Figgis, Nick Gomez, Peter Bogdanovich, Phil Abraham, Rodrigo García

Writers

Michael Imperioli, Jason Cahill, Lawrence Konner, David Flebotte, James Manos, Jr., Salvatore Stabile, Toni Kalem, Mark Saraceni, Nick Santora

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  James Gandolfini

  Tony Soprano

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