THE SOPRANOS - SOPRANOS CREATOR FEELS "SICK" OVER COURT CASE

The creator of hit TV show THE SOPRANOS said he felt "absolutely sick" when he learned a former judge was trying to take credit for the series.

Robert Baer is suing DAVID CHASE as he claims his ideas helped create the show's plot.

He is seeking both credit and payment.

Speaking in a New Jersey court, when he took to the witness stand yesterday, Mr Chase said: "You're a grown man, you're not supposed to cry. But I felt like crying. I felt absolutely sick."

Mr Baer claims that the idea for the series came after he had arranged for Mr Chase to meet with New Jersey police and prosecutors.

Mr Chase has dismissed the former judge's claims saying he only provided a "modest service" and described the characters in the show as "me, my mother, my uncles".

"It was my life," he continued.

He also claimed to have been inspired by watching THE UNTOUCHABLES as a child.

THE SOPRANOS focuses upon the life of a dysfunctional mob family living in New Jersey.

Closing arguments will be presented to the jury today.

The lawsuit has been ongoing for fiver years, Mr Baer's claims have been dismissed twice.

The Sopranos, which won Emmy and Peabody awards, finished its six-series run in June this year.