HBO's "Big Love" Proves Limp

Maybe polygamy isn't the exciting prospect HBO thought it would be. The Sopranos held steady in week two (despite facing a Desperate Housewives repeat instead of an original), drawing 9.2 million viewers, down a tad from 9.5 million. But Big Love had a huge drop, falling from 4.6 million to 3.4 million, a big 30% drop. Another week of falling numbers and it won't even make it to Season Two, something almost all HBO series accomplish, no matter how mucht ehy falter. (See Carnivale and Rome.) By the way, with Entourage its biggest comedy and The Sopranos on its way out and Six Feet Under and Sex and the City gone, HBO must be starting to get a little antsy. They don't need a "hit," as in a blockbuster like The Sopranos. But they do need good reviews and cachet and Big Love and Rome ain't it. Thank God they've got Deadwood, which is their best shot at a signature show.