COVER -> RECOMMENDED DAILY REQUIREMENT
IT'S NOT TV... - Most folks with cable television are totally familiar with the Home Box Office (HBO) network's tag-line by now, "It's not TV, it's HBO." Judgin' by the Emmy's, HBO has all kinds of danged reasons to crow. Not only that, of course, but also judging by the HBO independent productions which both film-makers and actors have raved about. In terms of creativity, most folks now feel like HBO is the place to be.
You got your original series like Charles Dutton's "The Corner," from last year. "Oz," "Sex in the City," "The Chris Rock Show," "The Dennis Miller Show," the HBO original film, "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." Yeah, it's a long list. But nothing stands out in the HBO crown of jewels, ya'll, like the danged "Sopranos."
That show just ain't a cult favorite, it has a HUGE following and has broken new television ground. It's already up there, far as I'm concerned, with groundbreakers like "Hill Street Blues," "Law & Order," "Prime Suspect" and "The West Wing." It actually makes watching the Boob Tube seem like an intelligent choice. You never come away from an episode of "The Sopranos" feeling like your brain is rolling out of your ears.
It's not TV for the kiddies, of course, being gang-related, but it makes adults sit up and take notice. James Gandolfini, who portrays Tony Soprano, the central character of this series, is one of the most dark, troublesome-and-still-sympathetic Everyman characters to come along in a very long time. He charms you in spite of yourself. He just gets under your skin.
And the other characters are equally complex and well-drawn, with few exceptions. You feel like you know these people after only a couplah episodes.
I was reading in one rag or another, just t'other week, how this columnist guy was surprised by a phone call from his mother where she was askin' him if he thought Big Pussy would make out okay during the second season. Well, this guy had to admit he was not only surprised (that his mother watched "The Sopranos,") but also shocked at hearing the words "Big Pussy" (the character's mob name) coming out of the mouth of his grey-haired mother. That for him was an indication of how effectively "The Sopranos" had wheedled its way into American popular culture.
There are a lot of double-entendres at work for the fabulous writing team of this show. Another example is Tony's friend and next-door neighbor, Dr. Cusimano, who Tony invariably refers to as "Coos." Let's walk the line here.
I was personally disappointed that Big Pussy had to end up sleepin' with the fishes at the end of the last season, because I liked his character. I could understand it, no rat can ever survive in the mob, but I still hated to see the character go, much as I would losing any of my friends. I like Paulie Walnuts, sure, and Silvio, but they never amused me as much as Pussy. I never felt as close to them. Especially Silvio. He's a funny guy sometimes, but he ain't no Pussy.
That means that until somebody else comes along, my next favorite guy after Tony will be his nephew, Christopher (Michael Imperioli.) Christopher's kind of a wingnut, sure, but he's got more danged character than Silvio, I think.
The late Nancy Marchand's contribution to this great production has gotten tons of well-deserved kudos, of course. She was always a classy actress and her portrayal of Tony's mom, Livia, will certainly go down in television history. Unless you had people like the Borgias as your parents, you had to cringe with some of the stunts Livia pulled on all the members of her family. Her manipulation of Uncle Junior is nothing less than diabolical. Watching her torture Tony was the stuff of skin-crawling.
And I don't think there's a man in America who doesn't secretly want to do Dr. Melfi, Tony's psychiatrist. Lorraine Bracco, my heart would be yours if Jennifer Lopez hadn't been born. Enough said.
So ya'll know where Tom Hart will be this coming Sunday night at 9:00 p.m.: sittin' right in my danged Lazy Boy(tm) down here in the trailer park transfixed by the opening of the new season of Tony and his crew. I'm expecting a lot, because producer David Chase has got to make up for wasting Big Pussy last season.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? Go ahead and email Tom.
This week's Poll: Are layoffs affecting you or those you know?
WEB SITE PICK OF THE DAY: Into gaming? Then you'll enjoy the Gathering of Developers site. We promise.
