Discussions for a sixth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm are also under way, according to HBO's Albrecht. "We hoped we'd have something to be able to talk to you about today, but we're working toward having it for 2007," Albrecht said, adding later that the deal was "pretty close" to being done.

In another news, Albrecht said that HBO will be cancelling it's massive 1-hour series, Rome. HBO has deemed Rome a two-season-and-out series, and Albrecht reminded TV writers that the network has no set criteria for how it schedules and orders shows.

Albrecht also noted that Rome is not inexpensive. He characterized it as both an "enormous investment" -- the show's $100 million production budget was widely reported -- and "the most cost-efficient show we do," having production partners in the BBC and Italy's RAI.

"The BBC and RAI are only signed for two seasons. It's a big (financial) bite for them. And for us," Albrecht said, earlier noting that the project was initially conceived as a miniseries. "Then again, we may decide that the food in Rome is so good and figure out a way (to keep it going)."