Sopranos in campus row

Not on campus: The Sopranos

Award-winning US series The Sopranos has had to cancel plans to film on a university campus after a row over its portrayal of Italian-Americans.

William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, cancelled plans to allow the Mafia drama to film on its campus next week.

Officials blamed scheduling problems involving filming around the campus, but others had complained the series showed Italian-Americans in a bad light.

Associate professor of sociology Susanna Tardi said she wanted to see Italian-Americans who are "hard-working, educated and articulate" on television.

"They can do that and still make money and win awards," she said.

The show's producers were not available for comment, a spokeswoman for the HBO network said.

The Sopranos has been an enormous success for HBO, winning four Emmys last year and one this year, for star James Gandolfini.

It has also scooped four Golden Globe awards and three prizes from the Screen Actors Guild.

He plays central character Tony Soprano, the under-pressure leader of a criminal family. His troubles mean he must see a therapist, while his family tears itself apart.

The series has also been a hit in the UK for Channel 4, which started screening it last year.