James Gandolfini

Not everyone can say he's taken on a Mafia don and the president of the U.S. and lived to tell about it. Actor James Spader, known for off-beat movie roles, scored a major upset, beating James Gandolfini ("Sopranos") and Martin Sheen ("The West Wing") to win an Emmy for outstanding actor in a TV drama for his role on "The Practice."

Eight months ago, James Gandolfini drove his white SUV out of the parking lot of Satriale's in Kearny, N.J., for the last time, as HBO wrapped up the final season of "The Sopranos." Now, the building has followed the same fate as the popular show. It's gone. Last month, owner Manny Costeira demolished the structure, home to a fictional pork store where TV mobster Tony Soprano and his Jersey crew hung out on the acclaimed mob drama. On TV, a life-sized pig sat atop the building.

NBC's "The West Wing" scored a landslide victory as the 1999-2000 season's outstanding program in a vote by a group of more than 200 television critics, with the White House drama receiving a trio of awards Saturday as best drama, new program and overall program. The Television Critics Assn. also honored the first-year Fox series "Malcolm in the Middle" as best comedy and HBO's gritty production "The Corner" as the year's outstanding movie or miniseries.

Tony Soprano isn't going down just yet. The sixth season of the critically acclaimed mob drama "The Sopranos," due in March, was supposed to be its last. But HBO said Thursday that in addition to those 12 episodes, it has now ordered eight more installments from creator David Chase. That batch will premiere in January 2007, with James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco continuing in the lead roles.

Childhood is magical and difficult in director Spike Jonze's imaginative adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic. The film's expanded narrative swings deftly between Max (Max Records) acting out and Max figuring it out ("it" being life, of course). As the ruler of the beautifully rendered, very bizarre beasts of his kingdom, Records has all the exasperating charm of a bright, energetic and angry young boy, as do the rangy beasts, particularly James Gandolfini as Carol, who rages about a lot like Max did back home.

Series--drama: "The Sopranos" (HBO) Actress in a series--drama: Edie Falco, "The Sopranos" (HBO) Actor in a series--drama: James Gandolfini, "The Sopranos" (HBO) Series--musical or comedy: "Sex and the City" (HBO) Actress in a series--musical or comedy: Sarah Jessica Parker, "Sex and the City" (HBO) Actor in a series--musical or comedy: Michael J.

The Sopranos have put a legal hit on Best Buy Co. Actors playing America's favorite dysfunctional gangsters are suing the Minnesota-based electronics chain in Los Angeles County Superior Court for allegedly misappropriating their likenesses in a newspaper ad supplement last year. Best Buy representatives could not be reached for comment.

The bridge of the starship Enterprise is filling up. Chris Pine, who had been in talks to join the cast of J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" flick, will play the young James Kirk, while Karl Urban will take on the role of Dr. Leonard McCoy, Paramount says. They join previously announced cast members Zachary Quinto as Vulcan scientist Spock, Simon Pegg as engineer Scotty, John Cho as helmsman Sulu, Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura and Anton Yelchin as navigator Chekov.

David Chase, creator of HBO's "The Sopranos," will launch his first feature film, "Not Fade Away," at the New York Film Festival on Oct. 6, organizers have announced. The coming-of-age movie, set in 1964, centers on a group of friends in New Jersey who are inspired to form their own rock band fronted by a gifted singer-songwriter (played by John Magaro).  The film features Mr. Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini, and a soundtrack by Steven Van Zandt, aka "Sopranos" strip club owner Silvio Dante.