Wikimedia Commons/The Shield TV show Celebrity Stephen King argues The Shield, not The Sopranos, had a bigger impact on TV. Discover the surprising influence of this gritty cop drama. April 13, 2026 AceShowbiz - The Shield is often overshadowed by the monumental success of The Sopranos, yet acclaimed author Stephen King argues that it may have had a greater influence on television. When The Sopranos premiered on HBO in 1999, it revolutionized TV by introducing audiences to a complex antihero in mobster Tony Soprano.