Check out The Sons of Anarchy on the FX TV channel this Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 10 pm ET. This is an original series centered around both a family that rides motorcycles and the motorcycle club family of which they are a part.
I had heard of the new HBO series, 1%, but it's going to come out much later than this one on FX. There was controversy about 1% because Sonny Barger, founder of the Hells Angels, had brought a lawsuit against HBO. The folks involved with Sons of Anarchy do not seem worried about any legal action by anyone.
Here are a couple of links to stories about this drama that some are referring to as "Easy Rider Meets the Sopranos."
http://blog.meevee.com/my_weblog/2008/08/sons-of-anarchy.html
http://vtwinshow.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/biker-wars/
The show also has its own fancy website:
http://fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/#Nav/Homepage
I'm sure there will be mixed reviews on this new show. It will be portraying the lives of motorcycle riders who come from a small segment of motorcyclists. It will be dramatic and might result in non-motorcyclists tending to paint you with the same brush that the creators of Sons of Anarchy used to define its players.
This new series may not be as great as The Sopranos -- which took early barbs for misrepresenting the Italian population -- but give it a chance. It could be like most of the big screen motorcycle club movies of the past with emphasis on violence and mayhem. Then again, with the extra time accorded by episodic TV, it may allow character development so we can begin to know the people involved in the story.
I know I'll be watching. Expect a review after I've seen the pilot and one episode.