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(Tuesday, April 12 04:05 PM)
By Daniel Fienberg

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Ask any true "Sopranos" fan and they'll be able to tell you that the last episode of their favorite mob drama aired back on June 6, 2004. It's a drought that hasn't gotten any easier to bear as it approaches the one-year point. Fortunately, relief is on the way. In a call with reporters on Tuesday (April 12), "Sopranos" co-star Michael Imperioli revealed that production on the show's sixth season is set to begin on Friday, April 29.

Before he returns to his Emmy-winning role as Christopher Moltisanti on the HBO drama, Imperioli is squeezing in a four-episode arc on NBC's "Law & Order," filling in for Jesse L. Martin as Nick Falco, a young detective partnered with Dennis Farina's Joe Fontana. Imperioli's first "L&O" appearance is scheduled for two days before lensing starts on "The Sopranos."

Unfortunately for rabid "Sopranos" aficionados, Imperioli only knows what day he'll be reporting for duty. He hasn't seen a single script and he doesn't know when new episodes will premiere, though he hazards a guess of either January or March of next year. All information about the fate of Johnny Sack or blowback from the Adriana's death remains locked in creator David Chase's head, at least for the time being.


Imperioli says that while he's looking forward to rejoining the cast, he's never gotten antsy during the show's extra-long hiatus.
"For me, the idea that we're going back is enough security," he notes. "It's a luxury to have a sure thing in this business and have so much time in between to do other things. I knew it was coming back, so I knew I had time to do other stuff, like 'Law & Order.'"

Given that Chase only decided to extend "The Sopranos" to six seasons after deciding he was juggling too many storylines to do justice to all of them in the fifth season, the show's admirers are resigned to the idea that the end is approaching. Although Chase has been pretty adamant about ending "The Sopranos" after its next limited run, Imperioli remains a tiny bit skeptical that it's about to be over.

"He said that about the fifth season as well," he says. "They were saying the sixth would be the last and then I heard, a month ago, that we're gonna do a seventh. Then I heard we're not gonna do a seventh. I don't really know what's happening to be honest... Until I heard it out of his mouth as an official statement, I don't know."

It certainly sounds as if Imperioli would be open to the idea of doing a seventh season, provided his character can avoid getting clipped and Chase can keep thinking of plot twists.

"He's the one who comes up with storylines and has the end in sight and see how much space there is between now and then," he says. "Would I like it to go on? Yeah. As long as the stories are good, I could do it for another few years."

In addition to his acting duties, Imperioli has been a steady contributor to the show's writing team. Although he has yet to receive a scripting assignment for the year to come, he's pretty sure he has some idea of how things are going to conclude.

"I've always thought the story's going to end tragically -- for all of us," says Imperioli. "I don't think it's gonna be pretty."


Maybe I will have HBO again, by that time.

Chris

Chew

Start filming at the end of the month for a premiere date anywhere from 8-11 months from now? Is ILM doing the FX this season or something?

Michael Ballack

Oh please god don't bring back a cgi Livia. Wasn't that awful? That's the one thing in the series even I won't defend.

Charlie Goose

I'd rather watch a cgi Livia dance and shimmy around the room than another 45 minute dream sequence, but this isn't the thread for bringing that debate again.

Bill Needle

Good news. Until they actually start putting episodes in the can again, there is no guarrantee it's ever coming back. These long breaks between production always make me nervous.

Phil L.

But since you did bring it up, I'll have to agree. You are right.


By the time the new episodes start up, season 1 shows will be on TV Land right between Leave It To Beaver and Andy of Mayberry.

Geofferson

PacMan2006

When was there a CGI Livia?

mrpayroll

After the actress playing her, Nancy Marchand, died during filming of the 4th season I believe.

Chris

edit: maybe it was the 3rd season

PacMan2006

Really...I didn't know this about the CGI Livia...but I just got into the Sopranos a few months back via the DVD's...

Livia was the mother, right? Do you know if there are any pics circling the internet of what the CGI mother looked like?

JasonF

Nancy Marchand died after Season 2 and before filming started on Season 3, so in the second episode of Season 3, they CGI'ed her into a scene so Tony could have one last conversation with his mother. Livia's end of the conversation consisted entirely of lines she had spoken during the first two seasons of the show and was, as you might expect, disjointed. Meanwhile, the CGI looked unnatural. Not the show's finest hour.

sdcrym

That makes some sense. I'm about halfway through the episodes of season 3 on DVD, and I thought that something seemed a little off during that scene.

MEJHarrison

I'm glad to see they're finally working on the next season. But it's honestly my least favorite HBO series. I'd much rather watch Deadwood, Carnivàle and Six Feet Under. I think Sopranos is really great, but not as great as most of their other dramas. It's a shame the general public don't realize there's more to HBO than The Sopranos.

Michael Ballack

With all do respect MEJ, The Sopranos really made shows like Six Feet Under, Dead Wood, and Carnivale possible. I think Oz was on before the Sopranos, but that never got the following or recognition like The Sopranos.

MEJHarrison

Absolutely. I agree 100%. But that doesn't make Soprano's the better show in my opinion. I even liked Oz better. Not that I don't like Sopranos of course. It's a great show and the cause of me paying HBO $12/month. But I'd swear off Sopranos and never watch another season if I could get just one more season of Carnivàle in return.

Quatermass

Just a heads up that the article states Imperioli's first appearance on Law & Order is not until 4/27, but the previews they were showing on NBC last night indicate it's tonight (4/20).

Geofferson

HBO has an exclusive behind the scenes of season 6 video here

AudioWizard

Sweet thanks

Charlie Goose

They're talking about a 7th season. It would only be about six episodes, but it would be filmed with S6, so there would be a wait of just a few months instead of two years. Of course, talk means nothing.

ytrez

I didn't think it was CGI. I thought they just used some old footage of Livia cut with new footage of Tony and had another actress play Livia for the shots that showed her from behind.

rabbit77

You're confusing CGI (Computer Generated Image) with computer animation.

ytrez

No, I think those guys further up are cofusing the 2

Mopower

I can't even remember what Season 5 was about besides having Steve Buschimi (sp?) in it.

wendersfan

IIRC,

MEJHarrison

I'll watch the next season, but I can't say I'm overly excited. They've spread it out so much I'm having a hard time maintaining my interest.