Just heard that the season being filmed now (Season 5) is gonna be the last season! Some lame show like Gilligan's Island can run for 9 or 10 years, but a great show like The Sopranos is over after only five?!? Man, there is no justice. (And I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news!)

Gilligan's Island only ran for 3 years.

Believe me, M.F.M., it sure SEEMED like it ran 10 years!! Especially if you count those even lousier "reunion" movies they attempted.

Back to The Sopranos, I'm hoping it ain't true. It was stated by Edie Falco ("Carmella") in an interview she did in Parade (we get it in our local Sunday paper). The exact quote is:

"We go back in January to shoot the fifth, and what they say is going to be the final season."

I'm prayin' to God they change their minds!

Snake,from IMDb.com it says this,"The cast is signed up through 6 seasons and creator David Chase is signed up for 5 seasons."

Im not sure what that actually states about only doing 5 seasons.

Playing for the dollars $$$ HBO is known for under paying people....just like everyone else they claim it will be their last until the dollars are there....Happen at the 3rd season too.

By the way..watch the 1st season again and noticed how fresh, raw and mobster like it was back then...see how it has changed. If they ruin it in the next few seasons...who will care by then....Some one will come out with a clone by another studio who thinks that can do it better. Most times it has played out by then. Like ER or LA law years ago.

Well hopefully, it's only the money that's the problem, in which case, you know the cast will end up getting!!I hope so, cause I don't want it to end yet.

Yeah, like in Falco's quote when she said, "...the fifth and what they say is going to be the final season." Sounds pretty vague, all right.

I can't adequately compare The Sopranos variety (or lack thereof) within each season, though. I've only got the first 2 on DVD and we didn't get HBO until season 3's reruns were almost over. I really didn't wanna see the last half of it without the whole enchilada. I'm planning on getting the DVD release of #3 in August, watch it all in a week's time, and then catch season 4 when it begins in September.

But you raised a valid point, C.D., generally speaking. I've seen far too many great T.V. series decline for lack of originality or whatever, and far too many -- to use your excellent choice of words -- "clones" making amateurish rip-offs. If The Sopranos just stayed on the air for the sake of the almighty dollar, or just for reputation's sake, I'd really hate to see it continue. But so far -- in my humble opinion, anyway -- I think they're excelled at what they're doing. I believe they would have to deviate way off course to lose that "magic" which they have. But, then again, as forementioned, I've only got the 2 seasons.

Anyways, I hope they will put in at least 6 seasons, but preferrably more than that... IF they can keep up the great writing and acting.

Me neither, annt. I hope that if money is the problem, HBO will do the right thing. I hope it's not some kind of lame "artistic actor" thing, though. You know, like how some small screen actors on T.V. shows do sometimes. Their T.V. show does well and they get the big head and believe they're ready to branch out and become big superstars on the silver screen (e.g., David Caruso of NYPD Blue comes to mind). Granted, there are exceptions: Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, et. al. But you've gotta' admit that most of 'em fall flat, and before they realize it, they're selling garden tools or costume jewelry on the home shopping network!

Thats going to suck big time if they quit after 5 seasons. By the way I thought Gilligan's Island was a pretty good show

I could be wrong but I think I remember David Chase saying that he intended the Sopranos to run for only 4 years but HBO got him to extend it at least another year.

It had one of my favorite theme songs.After The Jeffersons,Cheers,and All in The Family.

Lets sit right back.....and I will tell you a tale....

You begin discussing apples, and then someone starts talking about

Dont worry Snake,theres always that bump in the road thats gets you right back on track.