Not Quite "The Sopranos" on A&E

I've said it here before, but I'll say it again now that "The Sopranos" is making its A&E premiere this week, on Wednesday night. Cleaning up HBO's greatest series for basic cable distorts its true power. The raw brutality on "The Sopranos" is critical to its de-romanticization of mob life. Without that R-rated content, “The Sopranos” is nicer than it should be.

It's like the TBS version of "Sex and the City." Unabashed honesty about sex was part of the excellence and distinction of “Sex and the City”; without that frankness, the show is far less special. It's still filled with wisdom and humor about relationships, but it's not quite the breakthrough it was in its original form.

So there may be plenty to enjoy if you watch the edited version of a classic HBO series ("The Wire" joins the BET lineup on Wednesday, too). But remember: you’re watching a lesser thing.