For me, when I watched season 1 of The Sopranos I felt like I'd seen enough stereotypical Italian mafia crap I didn't need to see a whole series about it that didn't add anything new or interesting.
my favorite line from the series was when kareem said was in the hospital ward after the heart attack, and he awoke and pulled out the iv cords and walked out, all the guys are telling said he shouldn't do that, vern was in there getting treatment for his cut eye, and vern looks at said walking out and says
LOL. Another hilarious moment for me was when Kareem finally snaps and starts beating down Aryans and ****. He's in the hole and giving McManus backtalk and McManus goes, "Fine! Maybe you need to spend another week in the hole?" and Said yells back "YEAH!! MAYBE I DO!"
****SPOILER****
Season 1 of Oz contains the greatest scene in the history of TV - when Beecher takes a **** on Shillinger.
For my money, the transformation of Beecher during that season was TV greatness. Oz was also brilliant at making us sympathetic for characters for several episodes only to remind us how they got to Oz to begin with.
Oz was great until midway through Season Four, when Luke Perry gets bricked up in the canteen - after that, terrible, I mean that episode with the ageing drug was one of the biggest WTF!!?!?!?s ever.
My local Costco had all six seasons of Oz on for $15 each a couple of months ago, so I picked them up and stashed them away on my bookshelf for a few months. Started season one a week ago, I'm now five episoes into it. Pretty good so far.
It's weird seeing other HBO characters in these roles. Somehow I can't picture Edie Falco as a correctional officer, I always see her as Carmella Soprano. J.D. Williams (Kenny Wangler/Bodie Broadus) and Frankie Faison (Cornelius Keane/Ervin Burrell) also have made appearances so far... I'm eager to see who else I recognize as the series continues.
First three seasons and first half of season 4 are great, second half of season 4 sucked, mainly due to them having to do the extra episodes in a hurry (what was that for again? filling in for some other show that got cancelled?).
Season 5 and 6 are fine but nowhere near the first couple seasons.