Famous people play fictional versions of themselves on screen all the time.

Actors, athletes, even politicians have done it.

But what makes it work when it works?

Sometimes it's just a flat-out unflattering take. Sometimes it's just weird. We're talking about

when celebrities portray themselves and we're breaking it down from the mundane to the

inspired. Listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour Podcast from NPR.

This is Fresh Air.

I'm TV Critic David Bienkule.

25 years ago, in January 1999, HBO premiered a new drama series called The Sopranos, created by David Chase and

starring James Gandolfini as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano.

It had a major impact on television viewers and TV history from start to finish, especially that

infamous finish.

On the show's silver anniversary, HBO looks back, with a new documentary on the Sopranos

and the people who collaborated to make it.

We'll look back, too, revisiting some of our archival

fresh air interviews from some of the artists who worked on the series.

But first, let's start with my review of the new HBO documentary.

Director Alex Gibney's two-part documentary presented this weekend on HBO and then streaming on Max is called Wise Guy, David Chase and The Sopranos.

It's new to television, but already premiered in June at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In Gibney's long career, he's done deep dive documentaries on everything from Enron and

Scientology to Robin Williams and Porn Hub.

Last year he directed an outstanding two-part documentary called In Restless Dreams, the

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