The Sopranos (1999-2007)

Gandolfini struck gold when he landed the role of mafia boss Tony Soprano on HBO’s critically beloved drama from David Chase. The actor scored six Emmy nominations, winning three awards — in 2000, 2001 and 2003. Gandolfini reflected on the moment he became aware of the show’s significance in a 2012 Vanity Fair oral history: “I went to a boxing match with some of the guys, and it was like this crowd just went, ‘Roarrrr.’ So that was like, OK, it’s pretty big.” Tony Soprano is an iconic TV character, often landing on lists celebrating the small-screen’s best creations. According to Metacritic, which aggregates critics’ reviews, The Sopranos has a superb 96 rating.