Gandolfini's character Tony Soprano is the star of the show

Cable network HBO agreed a sixth series with writer David Chase, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Mr Chase had wanted to stop writing the show after the fifth series, which is currently in production.

The show is based around a crime family headed by the troubled Tony Soprano played by James Gandolfini.

"The big issue was the creative one that David had to make. He had to decide whether he had more stories to tell and he decided that he did," said Brad Grey, one of the show's executive producers.

The sixth series will go into production next year. It is not likely to be shown until 2005 on UK screens, where it is shown by Channel 4.

The sixth series will have 10 episodes instead of the usual 13, it was reported.

Syndication

The Sopranos, the most successful show ever shown on a cable TV channel, has recently been locked in a bitter dispute between the show's makers and star Gandolfini.

The announcement of the sixth season meant that the programme now had 75 episodes that could be offered for lucrative syndication deals to other US networks.

Gandolfini, 41, was locked in legal negotiations with HBO in March, wanting $16m (�9.5m) for the 13-episode fifth season.

HBO did not want to pay him any more than $11m (�6.5m), according to industry sources earlier in the year.

After his demands were rebuffed, Gandolfini sued HBO in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking to be released from his contract with the network, which had two optional years remaining.

HBO countersued three days later but talks between the network and the star, mediated by Sopranos' producer Brad Gray, broke the deadlock.

In March Gandolfini agreed to drop his lawsuit and honour the terms of his original contract.