The Sopranos: As Good as TV Gets

It appears that there won't be a sophomore slump on HBO's The Sopranos, which debuts on Sunday. The Sopranos is TV at its very best. Some network shows have shown this kind of promise -- NYPD Blue early on comes to mind, as well as some episodes of Homicide -- but the puritanical strictures of prime time unfailingly deny its achievement.

If you don't have HBO, you may still have time to find a friend who'll let you watch The Sopranos. But bring some peppers and capicolla!