# Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos
*Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos* is a two-part American documentary directed by [Alex Gibney](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-gibney) about [David Chase](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-chase), the creator of the HBO crime drama *The Sopranos*, examining his life, creative process, and the making of the series. It was produced by HBO Documentary Films as a Jigsaw production and debuted on September 7, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, with streaming on Max, to mark the 25th anniversary of the show's premiere.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Two-part documentary, one season, TV-MA, genre documentary[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos) |
| Director | Alex Gibney, Academy Award winner for *Taxi to the Dark Side*, also director of *Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief*[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en) • [4](https://www.flicks.us/reviews/alex-gibneys-sopranos-doco-wise-guy-examines-the-greatest-tv-show-of-all-time/) |
| Debut | September 7, 2024, on HBO and Max; world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en) |
| Occasion | Released for the 25th anniversary of *The Sopranos*, which premiered January 10, 1999[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/) • [5](https://time.com/6551999/the-sopranos-david-chase-interview-25th-anniversary/) |
| Critical reception | 100% Tomatometer from 23 reviews and 93% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore of 84 ("Universal Acclaim") from 12 critic reviews on Metacritic[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/) |
| Main subject | David Chase, interviewed by Gibney, covering his New Jersey upbringing, his mother, and the development of Tony Soprano[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en) |
## Spoilers
### Content and approach
The documentary centers on extended interviews with Chase, whom Gibney films in the office set of Dr. Melfi, the therapist character from the series. Chase is a reluctant interviewee; at one point he tells Gibney, "I really regret the amount of fucking verbiage from this morning," and "Seriously, I don't know about this."[7](https://avclub.com/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos-documentary)
Part one traces Chase's life: his upbringing in an Italian American family in north New Jersey, a complicated relationship with his mother, his discovery of the films of [Jean-Luc Godard](https://www.edgepedia.org/jean-luc-godard) and [Federico Fellini](https://www.edgepedia.org/federico-fellini) at university, and his entry into Hollywood, where he wrote for television shows including *The Rockford Files* and *Northern Exposure*.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en) • [8](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/online-originals/david-chase-sopranos-interview) The film presents Chase's mother as the origin point of the project: she inspired him to write it, led him into therapy (where, in his words, "I was getting a new mother, that's what Tony was doing"), and shaped the character of [Livia Soprano](https://www.edgepedia.org/livia-soprano), Tony's mother, which proved the hardest role to cast and went to Nancy Marchand.[7](https://avclub.com/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos-documentary) *The Sopranos* began as a feature film script before being reworked as a television series.[9](https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2024/09/10/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos-sur-max-david-chase-passe-sur-le-divan-d-alex-gibney_6311697_3246.html)
Part two covers the series itself: casting (with audition footage of [Michael Imperioli](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-imperioli), Tony Sirico, Vincent Pastore, Drea de Matteo, and [Nancy Marchand](https://www.edgepedia.org/nancy-marchand)), the writers' room, the show's role in HBO's evolution from a movie channel into a prestige television outlet alongside *Sex and the City*, James Gandolfini's struggles with drug and alcohol addiction as the show's popularity grew, his death, and the polarizing final scene.[10](https://inreviewonline.com/2024/09/08/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/) • [11](https://www.omniapartners.com/suppliers-files/E-J/Flagship/Contract_Documents/2025004593/003487-Jul2024_ADV_2024_9_4__for_website_.pdf) • [12](https://www.flicks.co.uk/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
## Participants
Featured interviewees include Chase; *Sopranos* writers and producers Robin Green, Terence Winter, and Frank Renzulli; former HBO chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht; former president of HBO Entertainment Carolyn Strauss; director of photography Alik Sakharov; and actors Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo, Lorraine Bracco, Steven Van Zandt, and [Edie Falco](https://www.edgepedia.org/edie-falco). The film also uses archival interviews with the late actors Nancy Marchand, James Gandolfini, and [Tony Sirico](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-sirico).[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en) Bruce Springsteen also appears in the credited cast.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
The film was produced by Ophelia Harutyunyan and Alex Gibney, with executive producers Nicole Lambert, Richard Perello, and Stacey Offman.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en)
## Reception
Critical response was strongly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 100% Tomatometer from 23 reviews and a 93% Popcornmeter audience score; the site's critics consensus calls it "a thorough dissection of The Sopranos that gleans insight into both its production process and creator David Chase himself."[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos) • [13](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos/s01) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 84, labeled "Universal Acclaim," based on 12 critic reviews, with a user score of 7.6 from 30 ratings.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
Reviewers singled out different strengths. The [Chicago Sun-Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-sun-times) called it "the definitive history" of the series over its 160 minutes.[14](https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/09/04/wise-guy-review-sopranos-max-hbo-documentary-david-chase) Empire gave it 4/5 and called it "the definitive chronicle of The Best Show Ever."[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/) Time's Judy Berman described it as "an insightful two-part history of a TV classic, grounded by a candid conversation."[13](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos/s01) Some critics noted limits: [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter) wrote that it "isn't a be-all and end-all documentary," and a Yahoo review observed that the 85-minute second part, covering most of the series after its first season, is not always as definitive as it aims to be and omits context.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/) • [15](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wise-guy-david-chase-sopranos-225317160.html) Reported running times differ between outlets: the Chicago Sun-Times gives 160 minutes, while a Yahoo review describes a "two-hour-and-40-minute" film.[14](https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/09/04/wise-guy-review-sopranos-max-hbo-documentary-david-chase) • [16](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wise-guy-david-chase-sopranos-065542546.html)
## References
1. [HBO Original Two-Part Documentary WISE GUY DAVID CHASE AND THE SOPRANOS Debuts September 7, WBD Pressroom](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-original-two-part-documentary-wise-guy-david-chase-and-sopranos-debuts-september?language_content_entity=en)
2. [Wise Guy: David Chase And The Sopranos, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
3. [Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos)
4. [Alex Gibney's Sopranos doco Wise Guy examines the greatest TV show of all time, Flicks](https://www.flicks.us/reviews/alex-gibneys-sopranos-doco-wise-guy-examines-the-greatest-tv-show-of-all-time/)
5. [Is TV Too Broken to Ever Make Another Show Like The Sopranos?, Time](https://time.com/6551999/the-sopranos-david-chase-interview-25th-anniversary/)
6. [Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
7. [Wise Guy: David Chase And The Sopranos digs into the show that changed the game, The A.V. Club](https://avclub.com/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos-documentary)
8. [Emmy Rewind: David Chase on Making The Sopranos, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/online-originals/david-chase-sopranos-interview)
9. [« Wise Guy : David Chase and the Sopranos », sur Max, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2024/09/10/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos-sur-max-david-chase-passe-sur-le-divan-d-alex-gibney_6311697_3246.html)
10. [Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, Alex Gibney, In Review Online](https://inreviewonline.com/2024/09/08/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
11. [USA Today, Monday September 9, 2024 (press PDF)](https://www.omniapartners.com/suppliers-files/E-J/Flagship/Contract_Documents/2025004593/003487-Jul2024_ADV_2024_9_4__for_website_.pdf)
12. [Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, Flicks UK](https://www.flicks.co.uk/tv/wise-guy-david-chase-and-the-sopranos/)
13. [Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wise_guy_david_chase_and_the_sopranos/s01)
14. ['Wise Guy' review, Chicago Sun-Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/09/04/wise-guy-review-sopranos-max-hbo-documentary-david-chase)
15. ['Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos' Review, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wise-guy-david-chase-sopranos-225317160.html)
16. ['Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos' Review, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wise-guy-david-chase-sopranos-065542546.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Documentary and biographical films › Individual documentary feature films › Film, television, and comedy figures*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license