On the final day of the TCA press tour, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo strung together these words in a sentence concerning the premium cable network’s longest running series Entourage: “Next summer will definitely be the final season.”  Yes, tear.  After seven seasons of watching Ari Gold and crew perform their comedic magic creator Doug Ellin is ready to call it quits.  Summer 2011 will be host to a shortened final season that will likely air a six episode story arc that may or may not lead into an Entourage theatrical release sometime in the future.  Lombardo: “[Ellin] wants to write a film, but wants to do it when the story will make sense.”  Hey–at least the idea of a movie was mentioned; better than no news at all.  Apparently Ellin is ready to move on to new projects.  He’s already pitched multiple show ideas to HBO.  Lombardo “expect[s] that within the next couple years” he will have another show up and running on the network.  Entourage fans, it’s been a great run.  (But what am I saying?  We still have this season plus the mini-season next summer, then possibly a movie; it’s not over just yet!)

[Via THR; M&G]