# Only 5 TV Shows Are Even More Groundbreaking Than ‘The Sopranos’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/only-5-tv-shows-are-even-more-groundbreaking-than-the-sopranos/
- Published: 2026-10-23T20:52:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:22:45+00:00
- Original publisher: Collider
- Original article: https://collider.com/tv-shows-more-groundbreaking-than-the-sopranos/
- Topics: Entertainment, TV

## Key points

- Five earlier series are credited with expanding television’s boundaries.
- *Oz* brought graphic prison drama to HBO two years before *The Sopranos*.
- *The Prisoner* helped make surreal, challenging drama more possible.

## Summary

The article argues that five television series deserve to be considered even more groundbreaking than *The Sopranos*, mainly because they came earlier and helped expand what television could do. It stresses that this is not a claim that they were better shows: *The Sopranos* is praised for its consistency, depth and lasting appeal.

The supplied text discusses two of the five: HBO’s *Oz*, which premiered two years before *The Sopranos*, and the much earlier *The Prisoner*. *Oz* pushed boundaries with graphic violence and adult content in its six-season portrayal of prison life, while *The Prisoner* used surreal, experimental storytelling that may have influenced later dramas such as *Lost*. The article says both helped pave the way for the risks taken by *The Sopranos*.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.