Although the wait between 'seasons' will have been a very long 21 months, a total of 20 new Sopranos episodes are being shot, up from the previously announced 12.  The first 12 new episodes will begin airing in March, 2006; another eight will begin airing in January of 2007. 

 

On the product front, the Inkworks Sopranos Trading Cards and Album have been released, and autographs from Dominic Chianese, who plays 'Uncle Junior' Soprano, have been added at the last minute.  In fact, the cards were not included in the original collation, or flagged with redemption cards.  Instead, the Chianese autograph cards have been made available at a rate of one per case to previous purchasers of the cards, and will be distributed with cases sold after this point.  The Chianese autograph cards will join autographs by Jamie-Lynn DiScala (Meadow), Aida Turturo (Janice), Jerry Adler (Hesh), and more.