All Columns in Alphabetical Order


Sunday, December 5, 2021

#ReadThis #WokeUpThisMorning tracked by #WillieBoySchirripa #PaulSchirripa written by @StevenSchirripa #BobbyBaccalieri and #MichaelImperioli #ChristopherMoltisanti @HarperCollins @WmMorrowBooks #WilliamMorrow #HarperCollins

Willie Boy and Paul Schirripa tracking the bestseller list.  Obviously buy this book so we can see more pictures of them doing their book stats.  They told us that indeed Steve is smarter than both a dolphin and a squid.
We don't always take recommendations from dogs and bunnies, but when we do their last name is Schirripa.

If you haven't seen The Sopranos by now, there's something wrong with you.  We must admit we did not watch it when it first aired as Peachy was being put through the wringer of corporate America...but we did watch all of it in order from first to last season a few years ago and absolutely loved it.  You do not need to be Italian or from New Jersey to appreciate the fabulous storytelling and superior acting: you only need to be human and possess good taste and a heightened sense of humor.  The Sopranos is about The American Dream, our favorite subject for anything of all time.

This is a chock-full source of background, insider info on the show we know and love and there is no other way to gain this knowledge in writing!  They held nothing back - because they figured, what the fuck?  They just let it all out.  (p. 5)  Of course you already should be drinking the koolaid from the podcast and this is the transcript of much of what is said in the podcast.  


We particularly liked what the casting directors had to say and we loved Georgianne referencing Hemingway and A Moveable Feast, previously featured. (p.22)  Yeah, so you didn't think the Sopranos were intellectual?  You now stand corrected.

Top Ten Reasons to Read This

1.  The centerfold pictures are fabulous: can't get these from a podcast

2.  You'll see how James Gandolfini became the first television astronaut

3. You want to know what Lorraine did with Anabella Sciorra's hair extension

4.  You'll learn that The Sopranos is really a 3-act movie structure

5.  You want to know what happened in Central Park's Conservatory Garden in the wee hours of the morning

6.  Find out how Steven Van Zandt learned to protect the boss

7.  Did you know Steve had to wear fat suits and even tried on a fake ass?

8.  Michael's comparison of The Wizard of Oz and Midnight Cowboy are indeed curious

9.  You'll find out that sometimes dog's tongues can be made of something edible

10.  The women characters are not one-dimensional but rather brought to the forefront and this is evidenced

Plus, Peachy, Willie Boy and Paul said so!

A big high 5 to Dominic Chianese who uses whom correctly on page 339.  And EVERYONE LOVES FRANKIE VALLI...so you're going to love p. 355 to p. 359.

Behind the Music, Chapter 11 is perhaps the most interesting chapter as it covers the groundbreaking role that music started to play in television series in an intelligent, effective manner.

Contained in this history are many, many moments of joy and the authors have earned our Highest Recommendation.  Santa, we hope you have stocked up. And like Steve we also want to know what 3am means in the sequel to this book...which we guess is called Steve Schirripa Motherfucks the World! (p. 325)








Who made the phone call that got HBO to launch The Sopranos?

What rock star almost got the role of Tony Soprano?

And, what the hell ever happened to the Russian?

Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, and the entire cast and crew of The Sopranos give all the answers and more in WOKE UP THIS MORNING: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos (Morrow, on sale 11/2/21).

Though The Sopranos premiered more than two decades ago and has been off the air for nearly 15 years now, the fascination with the show has never ebbed, and an entirely new generation has discovered the show via streaming.. Inspired by their incredibly successful Talking Sopranos podcast, The Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby Baccalieri) finally reveal all the Soprano family secrets in this surprising, funny, and honest new book. WOKE UP THIS MORNING is the definitive behind-the-scenes history of the groundbreaking HBO series that became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, ushered in a new Golden Age of Television, and to this day continues to be one of the most binged shows of all time.

Expanding on the podcast with exclusive interviews with the cast, crew, producers, writers, directors, and, of course, the series creator David Chase, Michael and Steve tell all the incredible stories that fans have been waiting to hear, from on the set to behind the scenes. The book covers the entire history of The Sopranos series from the original concept pitch and casting to the infamous cut to black—and answers many of the thousands of fan questions sent to the podcast, as well as dispel some widely propagated myths and reveal things no one outside the show would even know to ask. Michael and Steve delve deep into key moments, the backstage gossip, the camaraderie developed over ten years, , and more as they revisit the greatest TV show ever; and, in doing so, realize what made it so great and how it changed the world of television forever.

WOKE UP THIS MORNING: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos by Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa William Morrow, HC, on-sale 11/2/2021, ISBN: 9780063090026

Back to TOP