The premiere episode of “The Sopranos,” which aired on A&E last week in a heavily publicized launch, drew a record-setting 4.27 million viewers — the highest debut ever for an off-network program on cable.
As a result, A&E management should be able to breathe a little more easily over the (also record-setting) $2.5 million per episode licensing fee they paid for the rights to air the show, assuming those numbers hold reasonably well . . . and assuming viewers are not turned off by the absence of f-bombs and the presence of clothing on the ladies at the Bada Bing.
