HBO will ring in the new year with the final run of "Sex and the City," then follow up in March with the long-awaited fifth season of "The Sopranos."

"Sex" will begin the march to its series finale Sunday, Jan. 4 with the first of its eight remaining episodes. The show last aired in September, when Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) found herself being swept off her feet by a distinguished Russian artist (Mikhail Baryshnikov).

Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will also return on Jan. 4 to begin its fourth season.

The eight-week final run of "Sex and the City" will last through most of February, leading up to Season 5 of "The Sopranos" on Sunday, March 7. The season premiere will be the first original episode in 15 months, about the same lag time between Seasons 3 and 4.

In between, the show almost came to a screeching halt when star James Gandolfini staged a holdout in the spring to demand a higher salary. HBO and the actor settled the dispute fairly quickly. Creator David Chase has also promised a sixth and (probably) final season of the series to come in 2005.