Sopranos fans will have to wait for finalé

Fans of hit mobster show The Sopranos will have to wait longer than expected for the sixth and final season - because it won't hit screens until 2006.

The Sopranos wrapped up its fifth season last month, and HBO chairman Chris Albrecht says the series' creator and executive producer David Chase can take all the time he needs to write, hinting the final season could become longer than the 10 episodes Chase committed to in January.

Albrecht says: "It's like the Harry Potter book. You'll wait very long and be happy when you get it.

"Until the last episode of The Sopranos airs, I'm always hopeful (it will be an extended series)."