Article: Tom Fontana prepares to lock the doors at `Oz'.

Byline: Kate O'Hare

LOS ANGELES _ Unlike most TV producers, Tom Fontana was not surprised by the recent announcement that his raw, uncompromising HBO prison drama "Oz" was ending after the next run of eight episodes in early 2003, making a total of 56 hours over six seasons.

"It was partly my decision," he said. "Chris (Albrecht, president, HBO Original Programming) and I talked. God love HBO, I've never been in a position where I've been asked if I wanted to stop. Usually it's the other way."

"It's unlike `Homicide: Life on the Street,' where we kept being strung along (by NBC), so when I wrote the last episode, I had to write half of a series ...

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