Sopranos Mania

With three seasons of The Sopranos under our belt and a much-anticipated return of the show it seems the Sopranos have captivated the American audience. Originally the show’s creator, David Chase, had only agreed to do four seasons of the mob based hit show. Since the demand for Tony and the rest of the family has been so great he has agreed to a fifth season. Chase and the star, James Gandolfini, have stated that the fifth will be their final season.

The fascination with the show has spawned a number of books slated to hit stores in the near future. HBO is releasing The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco. The cookbook will include recipes by characters from the show. The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America’s Favorite Gangster Family¸ a book written by Dr. Glen Gabbard – a psychoanalyst and professor of psychiatry at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston – is slated to hit stores this month. HBO is releasing its own gourmet food line based on The Sopranos and bearing the name of Artie Bucco.

There has also been talk of possibly turning the Sopranos into a feature-length movie. On September 15, The Cartoon Network will repeat an 11-minute episode that originally aired in July titled "The Dabba Don." "The Dabba Don" is a campy parody of the show starring Fred Flintstone as the dabba don. Sopranos mania has taken over. This season promises to be a "humdinger" and "will blow you away." Let the Sunday night Sopranos theme parties continue.