Stephen King Says The Shield Changed TV More Than The Sopranos

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While many people think HBO’s The Sopranos revolutionized television by making complex, flawed characters popular, some argue that a different crime drama actually started that trend.

Stephen King recently discussed the FX series The Shield on Threads, pointing out that it premiered three years after The Sopranos. He believes The Shield was more widely watched because it aired on FX, and argues this ultimately made it more impactful in shaping the future of television.

The Shield Helped Popularize TV Antiheroes

As Martin King Jr. pointed out, The Shield revolutionized television with its complex, flawed protagonist and serialized storytelling. While The Sopranos often gets credit for pioneering this approach, it’s important to remember that it aired on HBO, a premium channel. The Shield, on the other hand, was on FX, which was much more widely available to American viewers. Plus, the shows featured very different kinds of antiheroes: Tony Soprano was a mobster, while Vic Mackey was a police officer.

Shawn Ryan’s show, The Shield, featured Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey, a Los Angeles police officer who consistently bent—and often broke—the rules. Despite being deeply flawed and engaging in criminal activity, Vic was a surprisingly popular character. Many believe he paved the way for the complex antiheroes that became common on television in later years, influencing characters like Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy.

The Shield Was a Massive Television Success

FX’s The Shield was a major hit, receiving lots of positive reviews throughout its run. Michael Chiklis won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Vic Mackey. The show was consistently well-received, with an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, and it finished strong with a remarkable 97% rating for its final season.

Besides Michael Chiklis, The Shield featured a talented cast including Catherine Dent (known for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fallout), Jay Karnes (Sons of Anarchy), Benito Martinez (How to Get Away With Murder), CCH Pounder (Avatar), Cathy Cahlin Ryan and David Rees Snell (S.W.A.T.), Kenny Johnson (Sons of Anarchy), Paula Garces (Oz), and David Marciano (Bosch).

I was a huge fan of the show, and it really took off! What’s interesting is that, unlike a lot of popular series these days, they never created any spin-offs. They did release a video game back in 2007, which was a neat way to expand the story – it took place between seasons three and four. And for those of us who loved having a physical copy, they’ve put out some really nice DVD and Blu-ray sets over the years.

The Shield is available to stream on Hulu and Tubi.

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2026-04-13 00:40