So much of broadcast TV a vast, empty wasteland completely devoid of intelligent life. Indeed, it's almost as bad as the surface of Mars. And the situation is only going to get worse: Angel, arguably the best written show on commercial television, has been canceled by the geniuses at the WB; ABC has already announced that Karen Sisco won't be back at all; and the future of Fox's Arrested Development is in doubtful at best. That leaves The Simpsons as the one show I'll be watching come next season.
That's what makes HBO and The Sopranos all the more precious. Sure, it's a violent and dysfunctional family, but that only serves to make you appreciate your own relatives' foibles more.
Even more importantly, I'm willing to bet your mother hasn't tried to have you whacked.
