HBO mistakes and slim pickings

SHAME on HBO. After the wonderful gifts of “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “The Wire” and “Deadwood,” terrible decisions have been made that leave us with the meager offerings of this summer (“John Is No Match for Tony,” by Scott Collins, June 13). I don’t know which to believe: that David Milch wanted to end “Deadwood” to develop “John From Cincinnati,” or that HBO considered “Deadwood” too expensive. Doesn’t matter. Either way it was a dreadful mistake. “Deadwood” was so superb in so many ways -- acting, casting, writing. To replace it with the likes of “John” is a miscalculation. Lots of swearing does not make a show edgy.

SILVIA FISCHER

Yucaipa