Sopranos Hits High Note with Finale

Cable World,  April 17, 2000  

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The mob scene doesn't just describe the plot behind HBO's series darling, The Sopranos. Last week it also described the audience.

Viewers turned out in droves for the April 9 finale of the hit Mafia series. Tony Soprano and company drew in an estimated 9 million viewers, winning the show a 17.6 rating and a 22 audience share in its universe, according to Nielsen figures. It was the largest HBO audience gathered since the premiere of the weeper Titanic last year.

For bonus points, the resulting ratings were good enough to dethrone the heretofore-impervious game-show juggernaut, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

The massive thud you just heard was Regis Philbin's ego hitting the ground.

But don't cry for Regis just yet. Even with the defeat, the three installments of his wildly popular primetime quiz fest still pulled down three of the top five spots in the weekly Nielsen tally.

You may, however, hear a few whimpers among The Sopranos fans. That's because creator David Chase and the show writers, wanting to take their time and brew the drama right, won't issue episodes for the brand new season until March 2001.

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