"The Sopranos" began in 1999 as a thirteen-part series and a new season is being created for January, 2000. I can't wait. The show centers around Anthony Soprano, a mob boss in northern New Jersey, his family, and his mafioso crew. When the show began, this central character, played by James Gandolfini, consults a psychiatrist in order to deal with some panic attacks he suffered. Don't worry, this is no silly "Analyze This" situation, but the consultations with the psychiatrist, played by Lorraine Bracco of "Goodfellas" fame, is the launching point for an amazing odyssey through the world of Tony Soprano's life.

It's difficult to describe just how good this show is. It has everything any healthy, red-blooded American male could want: violence, nudity, harsh language, and a kick-ass protagonist who takes no shit from anyone. But it is more than that: the show has the incredible ability to make us relate to the trials and tribulations of this mafia boss, even though not one of us can really understand what it means to be a mafia boss. It is in the details of Anthony Soprano's life that the show triumphs: the episode in which he just wants to stay in bed, his constant difficulty with his mother, his strong-willed wife who constantly wants more from him. You may not be able to understand all of his difficulties, but you will empathize with at least some of them. And, even if you do not, the show's ongoing plot is compelling enough to keep you going.

I have seen the entire series through twice now, and watched particularly carefully the second time around. I knew I loved the show the first time I saw it, but the second time made me realize its greatness. I have yet to see a film this year that equaled "The Sopranos" in dialogue, plotting, and acting. Everything comes together perfectly in this series, and it never loses its edge. Every single episode from first to last is tightly-wound, up to the last two episodes, which are perhaps the best of the show. It's like watching one long great movie that gets better as it goes on. A movie that never reaches any tidy conclusion, but you don't want it to end anyway.

I could go on forever about "The Sopranos." Allow me to just say that it is not only the greatest television show I have ever seen, but one of the best pieces of filmed entertainment ever produced. On that note, I move to the question as to whether or not the networks will ever notice. I'm betting that they'll ignore the success of "The Sopranos" and continue producing the same junk that has been the hallmark of television networks for the past two decades.

As the ratings of the four top networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX) continue to decline, debates rage on in the newspapers about what to do to improve viewership. Well, HBO had a good idea: take a chance on a high-quality show. The networks have had success in the past with different shows, and the best of them have not been formulaic at all. From "Hill Street Blues" to "Seinfeld," the best shows on television have always been original and avoided banal situations set-up to produce either comedy or drama. Nevertheless, the networks continue to produce these awful shows which follow along the same insipid set-ups. The dramas throw together a group of beautiful people (or teenagers) into a dramatic place, whether it be a hospital or police precinct. And how many comedies of single parents trying to raise families must we see? Or young beautiful people living together? I think I described about two-thirds of all network comedies.

Guys, stop insulting the intelligence of the American people. HBO hasn't, and as a result, is reaping the rewards. Nothing attracts viewers like high-quality. And with "The Sopranos," we have the highest-quality television has ever seen.