Here's the official "24" cast list for next season, bowing Jan. 17:
Katee Sackhoff
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Mykelti Williamson
John Boyd
Jennifer Westfeldt
Chris Diamantopoulos
Sutherland
Cherry Jones
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Annie Wersching
Anil Kapoor
And your description, on the jump!
Great bad guy: Hakeem Kae-Kazim (AP)
Yes, almost the long weekend, but before "24" becomes a distant memory (how's that for a non-sequitur? Hey, it's late...) I wanted to post one last thought about an actor named Hakeem Kae-Kazim. You probably don't know the name, but you do know him as Colonel Iké Dubaku on the series. I was a fan of the actor almost immediately - hard to be a fan of the character - because he brought great subtlety and intelligence to the role, which wasn't terribly easy considering what a rotten, duplicitous murderous scoundrel ol' Dubaku was. I said as much in various posts, and one day I got a note from his publicist - "would I like to talk to Hakeem?"
Hell yeah.
Anyway, please head to the jump if you want to find out more about this terrific actor and why he helped make "24's" just-concluded season such a memorable one...(And, please have a safe Memorial Day...)
Continue reading ""24:" Dubaku Lives! (And That's the Good News)" »
All over, the seventh day from hell, and much to explore but no time to, so let's go to the bullets:
* Overall, inconclusive. This finale, more than any I can recall, built a bridge to the eighth day, in New York. Jack lives, of course, Mr. Big - AKA Wilson - may or may not. Tony definitely lives. Expect to see them all next season - Tony particularly, as an embittered, incarcerated, 20-day-old-stubbled crank in some jail cell, still spouting emotives about"MY SON MY SON" and establishing ties with the New Evil Baddie to wreak havoc on our fair city and revenge on our head-butting hero.
* Mister Big - AKA Wilson. So he's the master evil genius - the guy who piloted every nasty rotten duplicitous ignominious obstreperous act of infamy up to and including the offing of President Palmer? He looks like the guy who did my taxes and maybe your's too - as menacing as an accountant, as scary as an insurance adjuster. This is the problem with "24" - it kills off all the plausible bad guys and we're left, in the end, with an implausible one.
* Is Renee on the moral equivalency scale alongside Tony? I mean, if she kills Mr. Big, then wouldn't that be one conclusion - albeit an erroneous one given the fact that Tony did after all kill a few hundred, including Mr. Big's squeeze (and his), while Renee's body count, though considerable, is comprised of mostly bad guys? "24" likes to explore the various dimensions of its various action heroes, and how - on one extreme - they become Tony's and - on the other, lonely broken-down head-butters without life or love. Renee's on the fast-track to that extreme, with Larry's body now barely cold, though one suspects she and Jack will discover interpersonal salvation, if ya know what I mean, on day 8.
* Finally, Olivia, and the story that was much ado about nothing. I thought the Olivia-kills-Hodges storyline one of the weakest threads of the entire season and indeed, its silly resolution very nearly ruined the last hour (for me.) The whole premise wasn't only bogus but so was the set-up; there was dad, sitting in his chair the day after suffering a gunshot wound in the chest, looking as though the worst thing he was suffering from was a hang-nail, telling mom to destroy the tape! And there was mom, predictably upholding the Constitution - as though buried within it is some special codicil reading, "thou shalt not destroy the tape that implicates ye daughter in the assassination of a mass murderer." There was absolutely no emotional pay-off here because - well - Jonas did kill a few hundred on day 7, and so what if he joins them? It was all terribly silly, and absolutely drained the last hour of dramatic momentum. We needed to know about Mr. Big, and his motives, and...
* Oh yes, finally Jack. My last question/observation - Why couldn't all this business about stem cells have been resolved four hours ago? Yes, of course Jack told Kim to get lost, but - really - why? Why not just say, "OK, let's talk about this in a little more detail when the mayhem has ended..."
You're right. Always little to be gained from seeking pure logic in "24."
(Kelsey McNeal / Fox Photo)
You've come to the right place, oh loyal friends of one of TV's greatest shows, "24"...
Today, The Baddies Poll.
Over seven seasons, we've had hundreds of baddies, and virtually all of them have received their just desert. But without them, "24" would have been a Sunday picnic (without the ants). Jack would have had no one to battle, no evil to languish, no inner torment over which to anguish.
These are the unsung heroes of this show -- yet they die, never to be heard from again.
But no more! Today, at TVZone, we celebrate them.
With the death of Jonas Hodges last night, we bring the vote to you: Who has been the best bad guy in the history of "24"?
Here's the poll, followed by the rogue's gallery, to prod memories. Yes, it's a selective list, somewhat, and I may have missed someone, and probably have; my sincere apologies to the baddy who didn't make this list and should have...
Continue reading "'24': The Post-Jonas Ultimate Baddies Poll" »
"Dad, you'll be happy to know that..." (Pix: 24headquarters.com)
As we get down to the final hours of this great and wondrous season, I think it's time I start paying just a little closer attention, and thus empowered with a humble blog and desire not to give any plot points away (too much) to those who have yet to see, I will take a "just asking" approach that will tease out questions which may well have no answers...
- Why is ol' Jonas still alive when the Little Red Beddy-Bye Pill he took had enough cyanide (or whatever) to level an army?
- Why don't I trust President Taylor's daughter?
- Why did the Baddies kill Jonas's lawyer, when she was probably a baddy too, and it would have been easier for the Blond and Babelicious Hit Lady to just say, "ummm, mind if I borrow your finger print?"
- Why wasn't Jonas particularly surprised to see the B&BHL; anyway?
- Why didn't anyone else notice that the transponder was outside the bombed building, but it took old eagle-eyed and seriously ill Jack to figure it out?
- Did Prez Taylor REALLY believe a little bit of FBI "pressure" would get Jonas to crack?
- Why didn't anyone notice that poor dearly departed Larry Moss had blood around his mouth which suspiciously looked to be in the shape of a hand-print?
- Why didn't Kim tell dad that he was grandpa Jack and that "hey pop, if you live, you might be able to see the little cutey one of these days?"
Man, I love "24," questions and all...
Boy, what else can you say about last night's "24?"
Except perhaps: Game's on. Really on. Here's poor Jack. Dying. Crying. Telling Kim to get lost. And there's Tony, bluffing, then snuffing... I think Jack will find his strength - and a tissue box - to finish this season off along with Tony, once and for all.
Until Tony comes back next season.
Really, what's "24" without Tony Almeida (well, since season 5, per my recollection.)
But I came across this amusing Carlos Bernard appearance on "Kimmel" from January, just after Tony returned from the land of the dead. Bernard is talking about a bunch of stuff, including a practical joke he joke he played on Kiefer Sutherland's driver, late one night after "shooting a scene in a container yard..." which, I suspect, is exactly the same container yard from last night.
So, just when you think Tony is THE most evil dude in the "24" universe, it's good to break down the fourth wall - and remember a.) what a great character he has truly been this season; and b.) that the guy who plays him has a pretty good sense of humor, too.
(AP Photo / Fox Searchlight, Ishika Mohan)
This is exciting news indeed - beyond the fact that it effectively confirms that there will be an eighth season of "24:"
Anil Kapoor is joining the cast.
I'm am assuming he's going to be one of the bad guys...
You remember Anil, of course: He was the overly-excited "Millionaire" host, who - in fact - was a cad of the first order, called the police, claimed Jamal (Dev Patel) was cheating, which pretty much set up the whole movie - Jamal explaining to the brutal cops that he didn't cheat, and here's how he got the answers, etc.
Here's what Fox says: "In his first American television role, Kapoor will play a Middle Eastern leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission.
"With more than 100 credits to his name, Kapoor is a Bollywood icon and one of India’s most prominent actors. He has earned acclaim for his many award-winning performances over the last three decades, and recently appeared as game show host 'Prem Kumar' in the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire.'”
Of course, he was great in the movie - but then, so was everyone else.
Big news on the carbon neutral front: "24" has gone, ummm, carbon neutral.
Got the release from Fox this morning. It proclaims how '24" has just become TV's first carbon neutral show..the bullet points:
*electricity from renewable power sources, like wind, has reduced show's footprint...
* Show reduced show’s overall carbon footprint by nearly 940 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
* Integrated fuel-efficient and low-emission hybrid vehicles into the production fleet, saving 1,300 gallons gas.
* Scripts distributed by email...
Well, guess what, "24" fans!!
I accidentally received one on of those "emailed" memos from "24!" It lays out even MORE radical plans for carbon reduction next season...Read on!
MEMO: To "24" staffers
RE: Carbon Reduction
Gang, We're not stopping with 940 metric tons. We're going ALL THE WAY. We will not expend ANY carbon next season. A brief overview of our strategy for the 8th season:
* No cars. That's right. All chase scenes to be conducted on bicycle.
* No guns. Huge contributor to carbon footprint; henceforth, Jack will throw stuff at the bad guys.
* No computers. All those screens? Gone. All FBI communications will be conducted via paper; carbon-neutral pencils will be used.
* "24" changes name to "12:" Yes, our day will no longer be "24 hours" but "12 hours." The hours of crisis will also be conducted ONLY during daylight hours, thereby eliminating the need to use lights.
Will true love bloom? Or for JB, is true love doomed?
Nice chat with the producer of "24," Howard Gordon, just concluded, and a couple of worthwhile notes out of it...
HoGo's promoting the 2-hour special this Monday and - forgive me dear reader, but I still haven't put it in the DVD player yet. But the people on the call were extremely enthusiastic. So I'm sure it's good.
You know where we are in the season, right? 'Nother attack pending? Tony needs Jack's help? Debaku in the hospital? And...MAYHEM ON THE WAY!!!
Good old "24.'
Love it.
Here's the news from HoGo:
- "Likelihood of an eighth season is extremely high..." No surprise there - numbers are good, and show is creatively doing well too.
- Jack and Renee Walker MAY have some sort of relationship next season, and per HoGo, "it's not a romance in the traditional sense of the word. [How could it be? We're talking about Bauer who is someone for the whom the sweet lure of true love must forever be sublimated by the fact that madmen are bent on destroying the world...but I digress].It's a lot more broken and jagged than what you might imagine [not me! I couldn't imagine it in any other way.]
Per HoGo, Annie Wershching "has done a spectacular job" this season. I agree one hundred percent.
- The Monday two-parter "really does transition from the first half of the season to the second half of the season. People can watch this not having seen too much of what came before, and participate in the latter half. It's a good place for people to jump in.'
Plus, Jon Voight's evil Jonas Hodges jumps in himself with both feet Monday.
"24" is working for me.
Is it working for you?
I missed last night's episode, and for all I know, it's NOT working for me anymore, but I doubt that. (And yours truly will catch up later today.) I hear another mole has been uncovered - PLEASE DON'T TELL ME WHO. Though I think I can guess...
But here's the important thing: "24" is back firmly on "track" - track being the favorite metaphor of TV scribes who like to describe this classic as either on track or "jumping off the tracks..."
As we close in on the half day mark - the half day solstice passes overhead next Monday night when the two-hour special airs - I decided it was time to do one of my lists. This morning: The Ten Things That Are So Very Fine About This Season's "24."
And away we go, in order!
1.) Annie Wersching and Renee Walker. To me, she's this season's stand-out addition. The semi-conflicted FBI agent who bends the rules, tears up a bit when she does, and then - five minutes later - blasts away four guys in some basement. Like Jack, Agent Walker doesn't believe in falling into a Hamlet-like swoon. Jack needed someone like Walker - there's no sexual tension here at all (and Jack Bauer is truly the most sexless superhero on TV) but she offers that invaluable "hold on, pal. Think about what you're doing..." She's made JACK better.
2.) Washington: A city I'm hardly wild about, along with the rest of the country, but we DO feel like we're in a different world with a different set of insane problems. The B Unit has captured some gorgeous shots, and given the show a whole new dynamic. And here's the amazing thing! Just like LA, there's no traffic. Imagine that...
3.) Bad guy Dubaku, played just about flawlessly by Hakeem Kae-Kazim - who's had a fine career, mostly on South African TV, dating back nearly a quarter of a century but is hardly known here. Oh, that Dubaku's an evil rancid bastard, who will kill as effortlessly and as thoughtlessly as if buying an ice cream cone. I love the guy. Let me re-state: I love the guy in the context of "24." The show needs a complete moral vacuum for Jack to fill, and Dubaku's our man this season, so far.
4.) Janeane Garofalo: What a spectacular addition this season. This has worked perfectly for me. (And please don't tell me she's Mole No. 2...) That red smudged lipstick. The frumpy pantsuit. The office shuffle, from one computer to the next... One of the best lines this season: When Sean Hillinger (Rhys Coiro, and yet ANOTHER good add) tells her, "you're a little bitch," she walks away, and tosses this over her shoulder back at him: "YOU'RE a little bitch..."
5.) The new Chloe: New shag cut, a new kid, and a new sauce-free Morris is back as well.
6.) Tony Almeida: I put the return of Carlos Bernard down here only because I'm slightly conflicted about his character development. I thought the Bad Tony was more interesting than the Good Tony - that psychically scarred Robin (to Jack's Batman) who had turned into a Libertarian Monster after Michelle's death. I was intrigued about the Jack/Tony stand-off, and wondered if Jack had finally found a worthy adversary. But... Still, great to have Tony back. (I wonder - was Michelle REALLY killed in that blast?)
7.) Cherry Jones, President Allison Taylor: She has been a good president indeed, a fraught POTUS who just days into her reign must deal with a son's suicide; a husband's quixotic quest to find the truth; an invasion; Jack Bauer; the kidnapping of a prime minister; a couple of planes colliding over DC; a pesticide plant that nearly went poof; Dubaku; a renegade operation run by Bill Buchanan; the shooting of her husband; the stealing of the thingamajig that breached the nation's security wall...am I missing anything? And good Lord, it's only 8 p.m. Taylor is dealing with more in four hours than Lincoln dealt with in four years...Yet, she purses her lips, gets a little misty-eyed, and then says "charrgge....!"
8.) The plot: Yes, insane, as always, but somewhat believably insane. There's some real care and loving going into the season. You don't get the sense that the writers have broken into the liquor cabinet and drained the gallon of Maker's Mark...
9 .) The peril of the innocents: One of the great hallmarks of "24" is when innocent people are thrown to the wolves...by Jack! (A classic scene many seasons ago - when Jack commandeered that fast food restaurant.) Dubaku's girlfriend is one example here...the wife and child of that creepy renegade spy/agent is another. There the lady is, chained to a coffee table screaming, while Renee is bending over the crib...
10.) The oldie but goodies: I mentioned Chloe and Morris..and Tony...but also Aaron (Glenn Morshower.) I'm sure I'm missing someone. Wouldn't it be splendid if Charles Logan - the wonderful Gregory Itzen - found his back on to the show? Let's see...
(Pix: Fox)
I had a productive chat with "24" honcho/show-runner Howard Gordon yesterday - "HoGo," I've long called him, though not to his face because he'd probably "Jack Bauer" me - and he had a lot of things to say. All interesting...
They'll be included in a "24" seventh-season curtain-raiser that'll run in this Sunday's Newsday (and I encourage you to buy a copy - this is a wonderful newspaper and we need subscribers).
In any event, one of my towering interests - among many related to this show - has to do with its future, and I asked Howard: Well, how many more seasons? And without further ado ... his answer:
"I take it one hour at a time. The important thing is to find the right end to the show. Kiefer feels this way [too] and it's entirely possible the eighth year will be the last year. This is me talking, but we'll know when it's time to leave. We won't want to be dressing a corpse. As long as we can figure out a story that means something to Jack - but we don't want to be glutinous about it and make it go on forever."
Is this posturing of the sort people in showbiz routinely go through - as routinely as you and I brush our teeth? You know that routine: Tell the network you just can't POSSIBLY do another season and then they throw another hundred million at you, and just like that, you can do another season ...
I don't think this is posturing, and here's why. Gordon's serious. By his account, production of the seventh, which launches Sunday, was torture - no pun intended - and he's not sure how much more life this franchise has in it. (Some fans started wondering the same during the sixth season.) This one actually went through three rewrites - sounds more like a feature grind than a TV one ...
My read: A la "Lost," Gordon, Bob Cochran and Sutherland et al. will start to lay the groundwork for a mega-finale season that'll draw new fans and reinvigorate the loyal base. Will this be the eighth or ninth? Beats me, but if numbers lag during the seventh, then it'll be the eighth. Yeah, it's heartbreaking to even contemplate the end of "24" but "Lost" will be gone soon enough - and so will "Battlestar Gallactica" and "Prison Break." All good things must ... you know the rest of the cliche.
Meanwhile, my super-quickie review of the seventh season's first four hours: They're good, often very good. You, dear fan, will be happy. That's a promise.
Honestly, I have no idea what this clip is, other than the fact that it's the new season trailer (!), but my able and trusted colleague, Corris Little, shot it over to me and said -- take a look.
So...why don't we all just take a look together, shall we?
(Idle question of the Day: Would Jack Bauer ever throw his shoes at someone, like maybe a senator?)
That's the fast national straight from Fox, while the two-hour movie scored a ...well, let Fox tell you..."4.0/9 among Adults 18-49 and outperformed its last telecast, the finale on 5/21/07 by +3% among Adults 18-49 (vs. 3.9/10) and a big +15% in Total Viewers (12.0 vs. 10.4 Mil.)"
Lot of numbers and what do they all mean? Honestly, I thought "24: Redemption" would do a little bit better, especially with the huge audience blow-in from the Giants/Cards an hour or so earlier, which - doubtless - lead to a pretty sizable crowd for "The OT." ("The OT?" On a reasonably regular basis, one of the best rated programs on TV this fall...)
I'm thinking a few things here:
1.) The Colts/Chargers game on "Sunday Night Football," which I think was tied going into the half, drew millions of likely viewers away from "24."
2.) Fans knew the movie didn't get gang-buster reviews (mine was so-so), and so probably thought - "meh" (to use the old "Simpsons'" word, now consecrated in some official dictionary somewhere...meh.)
3.) Some fans knew it wasn't REALLY "24" but a movie-prequel-tease, and so not part of the regular day anyway, so...
4.) Some fans remembered all the way back to that silly season-ender a year and a half ago, and said, "no way..."
In any event, I'm thinking Fox is just the tiniest bit disappointed - particularly as the American Music Awards show beat it soundly (by one full rating point) in 18-49.
We finally have a date for you on "24's" return: Fox'll blow out the doors on the new season with a big four-hour two night "event" event, on Sunday January 11 and Monday the 12. The 150th episode, BTW, will be hour four.
Here are some headlines from the presser. Jack's on trial. CTU is dismantled. Tony Almeida is back (I believe that is kind of old news, but for the record anyway, Tony is back.)
Read away on the jump...
The following took place between 3 and 4 p.m.: Your humble correspondent watched a solid chunk of "24:Redemption."
While the theater premiere took place in NYC this past Saturday (and didn't Mary Lynn Rajskub look fab on the red carpet?) DVDs are hitting the critical community as we speak (which could mean that ripped and burned copies, or bitTorrent editions, could be hitting the Web before too long as well). The two-hour movie arrives Sunday, Nov. 23.
My impressions? So glad you asked. Here are three quick ones and I'll add to the list:
1.) This is a markedly different viewing experience, requiring of the viewer almost NO backstory, or mythology, or history or ANYTHING. If it's not a complete reboot, it's as close to one as I've seen of a major television production in a long time. Point being that viewers - and fans, whose memories may have dimmed after so many years (yes, years) - don't really need to exercise the gray matter (or search the Web) to proceed. You know some of the basic plot details already - Jack's in Africa where he's served a subpoena to testify before a Senate panel (and good luck getting him back THERE), while a revolutionary army in Africa is raising arms and soldiers by kidnapping boys at gunpoint.
2.) Jack looks fine. Sure, what else d'ya expect? For a guy who's been on the lam, and on the sidelines during an interminable writers' strike, JB is still JB, which is to say, smoldering, stubbled, mumbly, and still gosh-darn earnest and passionate about what really matters on this earth.
3.) The first hour - it takes place between 3 and 5 p.m. - is solidly expositional, but not absurdly so, which is something else that adds to a distinctly non-"24" viewing experience. Split screens - I think I count only one instance - are kept to a bare minimum, and there's really not a great deal here to suggest that "Redemption" necessarily wants to connect you with any of the past six seasons. CTU doesn't even appear ONCE in the first hour, not ONCE (Chloe, for all any of us know, has gone off and started a family...But she will be back...not to worry.) Beyond JB, the immediate and obvious blast-from-distant-past faces include those of Peter MacNicol (Tom Lennox) and Powers Boothe (President Noah Daniels); latter's getting ready to cede the throne to Cherry Jones, as prez-elect Allison Taylor.
Here, BTW, is that three-minute trailer that's been circulating for a month or so...
And that nice dramatic photo above was taken by...Kelsey McNeal for Fox.
This is interesting and though a couple days old, maybe it's news to you (it was to me.) There's an interview with forthcoming "24" star, Robert Carlyle in Matt Meuller's blog for Premiere.com, in which the Scottish actor says the November prequel will actually be the first two hours of the day, and that when the season picks up in January, we'll jump straight to the third hour
Interesting...and presumably true...because that represents a sharp break with "24" tradition, in which each hour of the day airs in consecutive weeks (I do believe that was one of the original reasons for the January start-date over the years, so Fox could run the hours consecutively through May sweeps.)
Here's what "Full Monty" Carlyle told Meuller at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Where were you shooting in South Africa?
We were in the Stellenbosch region, the wine country. It was doubling for jungle in the fictional country of Sangala.
Who's your character in 24?
My character's called Carl Benton who is Jack Bauer's best buddy and he hasn't seen him for 10 years or something. Jack's on his travels and he comes to see Carl and hang out with him and potentially change his life. Maybe...
Is the movie sticking to the TV show's real-time format?
It is. This two hours is two hours in real time and there'll then be 22 episodes. I don't know how they connect it to the first of those 22 episodes but it's literally the third hour...
So it will lead straight into the new series?
Yeah.
Well, this is THE TV headline this morning. At least the most interesting headline. Jon Voight, who hasn't been on a series since almost forever, will be Jack's nemesis on this season's "24." Hollywood Reporter, which has the scoop, notes that he'll be introduced during that two-hour prequel that'll air Nov. 23; the show's shooting in South Africa as we type. HR correctly notes that Voight has been on a series since "Gunsmoke" in the late '60s - coincidentally, right around the time he created his signature role, Joe Buck, in "Midnight Cowboy" - but he's done a ton of TV. For example, he was in that Pope John Paul biopic a few years ago (I recall he got only lukewarm reviews for that), and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," and other TV movies. In recent years - of course - he's carved a very nice niche in the "National Treasure" franchise (the Gates dad), and will likely be in the "Transformers" sequel. But any way you look at this - upside, downside, left side, right side - it's an absolutely GREAT casting move for this classic series. "24" challenge - a modest one, I think - is to draw attention back to itself after a very long and difficult hiatus; the greater challenge is to slightly re-invent itself, for it has entered that fairytale land of implausibility and over-the-top silliness. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but how much more can you do...?) Voight brings so many strengths - fine actor notwithstanding - but mostly he should be a splendid bad guy. ("24" hasn't asked me but for the season after this one, Christopher Walken would fit the bill too. )
Here's something we can take a little bit of solace in: Jack Bauer may be back sooner than later.
The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Fox and producers are in the early pre-production stages of a prequel that will air this fall; of course, as you know, the actual series won't hit the air until January of '09.
Of course, as you also know, a prequel of this sort raises a few interesting questions: Notably, will this be the first two hours of the day? Or some sort of scene-setter explaining the move to Washington? Or telling people what Jack's been up these last few "months," or...
HR says it'll "bridge the two-year gap" between seasons six and seven; what does that mean? I'm not sure. My hunch is that it's simply smart scheduling by Fox. This - after all - isn't "The Sopranos," which had the luxury (thanks HBO!) of taking multi-year hiatuses between seasons. This is "24," which has to fight for mindshare among viewers with precious little time and even less patience. Getting SOMETHING on the air before January of '09 thus whets appetites and reminds people that evil is still out there and Jack is too.
As you also know, "24" was hit hardest by the strike by just about any show, given its reliance on the 24-hour gimmick. (And, umm, Kiefer was also somewhat indisposed for a little while too.)
Did we forget to list the Fox returnees? (And newbies.) Let us rectify.
Back to You – Original episodes air next Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 26-27 at 9:30. But the Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton TV news sitcom then goes away again until Wednesday, April 16’s “time period premiere” at 8:30.
Unhitched – Sunday, March 2 at 9:30 p.m. for new Farrelly Brothers sitcom.
New Amsterdam – Tuesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 6 “preview” episodes of immortal NYC homicide detective; time period premiere is Monday, March 10 at 9.
Canterbury’s Law – Monday, March 10 at 8 p.m., a strangely early hour for Julianna Margulies’ dark NYC-filmed legal hour.
The Return of Jezebel James – Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m. for hour premiere of sisters comedy from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino; time period premiere Friday, March 21 at 8:30.
’Til Death – Tuesday, March 25 at 9:30 for original episode; time period premiere Wednesday, April 16 at 8 p.m.
Hell’s Kitchen – Tuesday, April 1 at 9 p.m. season premiere of Gordon Ramsay chef show
Bones – Monday, April 14 at 8 p.m.
House – Monday, April 21 at 9 p.m. time period premiere with encore; originals resume Monday, April 28.
Note that Fox’ New Orleans drama “K-Ville” isn’t mentioned here as going back into production.
And “24” stays on hold. The show will “conclude production on its seventh season,” the network says, but that adventure “will not premiere until January 2009, allowing the drama to once again run 24 episodes consecutively.”
"24" is a year away. 
Get used to it.
Even though this has been in the press for days - with the Times saying this Monday that it was "official" - in fact Fox has YET to officially declare that one of the great signature shows of our era - or at least "great signature shows" when it's really really good which is most of the time, with the exception of some of last season when it was really not - is on hiatus for a year.
I can tell you now, though, with no equivocation, hairsplitting, or other forms of BS: "24" is off for another year, to return in January of '09.
It's official. Finally.
Is this a bad thing? Well, duh, YEAH. A very bad thing. A terrible thing.
But it is a real thing, and we'll just have to deal with it.
But just imagine what the world will be like a year from now? A new president - and very possibly an AFRICAN AMERICAN president, which would make dear old "24" remarkably prescient. It will be set in Washington. Kiefer Sutherland will be on the wagon. Chloe - or at least Mary Lynn Rajskub - will have a new baby.
Yup, it'll be a whole new world and whole new "24." Can't wait.
No, no, NOOOOOOOOOO
Oh, yes, yes, YEEEESSSS: Kiefer Sutherland is heading to jail.
Your hero and mine (although, Lord, I'd hate to be driving on a Los Angeles freeway or boulevard anywhere near the party that Kiefer Sutherland has just left) was sentenced yesterday to 48 days for his DUI conviction.
What does this mean? Well, for one, the drivers in Los Angeles can breath just a little bit easier during those forty-eight days.
But seriously, folks...No, not seriously. Don't drink and drive. End of story. Even if you're worth millions and millions of dollars and a franchise is dependent on you, and so are many fans. Don't drink and drive. Maybe Kiefer will get this message now.
Anyway, enough with the preaching. Here are the grim details from the AP:
"Sutherland appeared in court with his attorney for the sentencing. He had pleaded no contest for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 following his Sept. 25 arrest.
Assistant City Attorney Dan Jeffries said a Superior Court judge ordered that the actor serve 48 days in Glendale city jail. Sutherland must begin the sentence before March 30, Jeffries said.
The actor was already on probation for a 2004 drunken driving arrest when he was stopped by police shortly after midnight as he left a Hollywood industry party at the trendy Area nightclub. Authorities said he failed a field sobriety test after being pulled over for making an illegal U-turn.
He pleaded no contest in October to DUI and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 while still on probation for a previous arrest."
Meanwhile, unless this writers' strike is settled soon - very soon - "24" won't even be on the air next year.
So much for “Day 7” with Cherry Jones and Janeane Garofalo. In view of the current Writers Guild strike, the Fox network announced late Wednesday it’s postponing the planned January launch of “24” until it knows the entire seventh season can run “non-stop.” (Oh, well. We can watch the trailer over and over. And over.)
The first WGA-strike-prompted wholesale lineup revision also includes premiere dates for new Fox shows, along with some other shakeups: “Bones” moves to Friday at 8 on Jan. 4 to make way for “American Idol” (back Jan. 15-16), while “Prison Break” picks up on Monday, Jan. 14 at 8.
New arrivals announced include the action movie spinoff “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” which previews Sunday, Jan. 13 at 8, before moving the next night to its regular Monday 9 p.m. slot (where “24” was supposed to run).
Other shows are slated further down the line, which means their premiere dates could well shift depending on strike resolution (or lack thereof). “New Amsterdam” (due Feb. 22) is about an immortal New York homicide detective, while “The Return of Jezebel James” (March 7) is a city-shot comedy from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as estranged sisters.
The gritty Denis Leary-produced drama “Canterbury’s Law” (April 11) also shoots in New York, but was already delayed due to the pregnancy of Julianna Margulies, starring as a tough defense attorney.
Also slated: the single-camera comedy “Unhitched” (March 2), from the Farrelly brothers, about thirtysomethings who include Craig Bierko and Rashida Jones.
Fox’ strike-reflecting lineup loads up on game/reality/“unscripted” offerings. Mark L. Walberg hosts the lie-detecting hour “The Moment of Truth” (Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 9). “When Women Rule the World” (March 3) eavesdrops on women in charge of men in a “primitive, remote location.” Gordon Ramsay’s competition “Hell’s Kitchen” is back April 1.
January's upcoming return of "24" gets previewed during the World Series on Fox Thursday night, as well as online starting at 1 p.m. Thursday.
A trailer promoting the seventh season, starting Jan. 13-14 on Fox, will also be shown at 1 p.m. Thursday in Times Square and other locations around the world.
Here's how Fox PR teases the upcoming season: "Set in Washington, DC, 'Day 7' opens with CTU dismantled and Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on trial. Bauer's day takes an unexpected turn when former colleague Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) returns. Meanwhile, President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) leads the country alongside White House Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin (Bob Gunton) and First Gentleman Henry Taylor (Colm Feore). A national security crisis prompts an investigation by a team of FBI agents including Agent Janis Gold (Janeane Garofalo), Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching), Agent Larry Moss (Jeffrey Nordling), Agent Sean Hillinger (Rhys Coiro) and security specialist Michael Latham (John Billingsley). Although CTU is no longer, Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day of shocking events."
Jack Bauer is back Jan. 13-14, the two-night season premiere event Fox announced today for its rebounding thriller "24."
But the big news is the return of Carlos Bernard as sorely missed -- and previously presumed dead -- CTU cohort Tony Almeida. Turns out maybe Tony wasn't killed when left horribly wounded [Fox photo above] in CTU's infirmary by a terrorist conspirator in Season 5. (Remember what a bloodbath that one was. Michelle Dessler. President Palmer. Sean Astin's new CTU head. A corpse cast of thousands.)
“Tony’s uncertain fate near the end of ‘Day 5’ left the door open for his return,” showrunner Howard Gordon said in Fox' press release. “And since there was no silent clock at the conclusion of his last appearance -- the '24' tribute to a major character’s demise -- we always kept this as a possibility.”
Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer character will now be in D.C. and on trial for last season's renegade activities. In the vicinity will be Mary Lynn Rajskub's Chloe O'Brian and James Morrison's Bill Buchanan.
Others on hand include Cherry Jones (“The Heiress”) as President Allison Taylor and Colm Feore (“Slings & Arrows”) as prez hubby Henry Taylor. Bob Gunton (“Desperate Housewives”) is White House Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin. And Janeane Garofalo (“The Larry Sanders Show”) arrives as FBI agent Janis Gold.
It’s official -- Janeane Garofalo is joining the cast of “24” this season (which doesn’t start till January).
Fox just announced she’ll play “Janis Gold, an FBI systems analyst assigned to the team investigating the crisis befalling Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and company” in this seventh season.
The show will again air Monday nights at 9.
Monday night’s episode was full of slam-bang action. But with next week’s two-hour finale looming, rather than recapping Monday’s show, let's fast forward to May 21 and pose these questions, which better be answered — or else.
How many of the following will show up? President Logan, President Palmer, Audrey Raines, Bill Buchanan.
Will Jack hook up with Marilyn Bauer?
Will Josh be revealed as Jack and Marilyn’s love child?
What really creative way will Jack find to dispatch Cheng?
What really creative way will Jack find to dispatch his old man?
Will Jack walk away from the job and decide he wants a gig that’s calmer and better-paid? We hear there’s an opening in a certain New Jersey mob family for an emotional guy who’s really knows his way around with a gun.
What are your thoughts about the finale? Let us know here.
Lots o’ action Monday night, producing several adrenaline rushes for this viewer. But to reiterate my analogy from last week, it was like watching the 2004 Mets beat up on the Braves in late September when it no longer mattered. In other words, a dollop of satisfaction, but ultimately meaningless.
Anyway, here are random thoughts on Monday’s episode:
Glad to see Old Man Bauer back. Wouldn’t it be something if he concocted all this scheming just to take his grandson on that long-awaited trip to Disney World?
Boy, those mercenaries got into CTU easier than sneaking into a second theater at the multiplex. You might think after previous season’s nerve-gas attacks and bombings, CTU might think about upgrading its security a wee bit.
Now that she’s been spirited away by her father, are we ever going to see Audrey again? Or did the show just waste three hours of our time?
RIP Milo. Now, I bet Nadia really appreciates you.
Memo to Chloe and Morris: You know what, we are really really sick of your bickering.
Back in the day, Jack would have found a way of terminating all of Cheng’s invaders. The boy is definitely losing it.
Let's be honest here: I truly think “24” has not merely jumped the shark, but pole-vaulted the damn fish this season. Yet I continue to watch. Look, I’m a Mets fan of longstanding and out of loyalty to the team, I’ve watched September games when they were, like, 30 games out of place. I kinda feel the same way about “24.”
So here are my random thoughts on Monday’s episode:
Jack saves Defense Secretary Heller’s life two seasons ago — and this is the thanks he gets?
Does Heller have an office somewhere in the CTU complex? How the heck did he get to Jack’s holding cell so quickly?
Where did Chloe go? A) Ladies room to cry over Morris B) Beer run C) To Cheng, because she is the component “expert” whom the Chinese baddie so desperately needs.
Best line of the night: Nadia to Morris: You're asking me to indulge your personal melodrama when we're in the middle of an International crisis.
Where in the world is Old Man Bauer? He’s gotta show up sometime in the next three weeks, right?
That CTU shrink’s bedside manner made Dr. House seem like Marcus Welby.
Random thoughts on Monday’s episode:
That hour really was — for the first time in a long time — truly Old School “24.”
Although it would have been really Super Old School if Jack had pulled a Curtis on Doyle instead of just threatening to.
It seems as if only Dr. House can save President Palmer now. Say, that would be a helluva crossover episode.
Want to take odds that Tom Lennox doesn’t make it out alive this season now that Evil Veep knows he has the incriminating tape?
If Jack rescues Audrey — and is there any doubt he will even if jeopardizes Civilization as we know it — he better marry her.
Just five weeks left to the end of the season. Are we ever gonna learn what Doyle did in Denver? And are we ever gonna see Old Man Bauer again?
Random thoughts on Monday’s episode:
Did the show’s producers end the Fayed/nuke storyline prematurely because they knew it was running on fumes?
But gee, I wish we had one last chance to see Jack really torture the shaven-headed creep. (Fayed, not Morris).
Where in the world is this show going with the born-again Audrey-being-held-by-the Red Chinese plot?
If “The Nine” wasn’t canceled, would Jack still be chasing Fayed?
Did President Palmer collapse from the extra weight of the backbone he seemed to grow from last week’s hour?
One can only wonder: What the heck Jack smells like after hitching a ride on the undercarriage of a garbage truck?
What did you think of Monday's episode and what may be next? Send us a note....
Random thoughts on Monday night’s episode
OK, we’ll give props to the “24” honchos for making a mentally challenged character a hero... and for the writers not squandering their goodwill by having the young man get shot by one of Gridenko’s henchmen.
Gee, Wayne Palmer sure looked chipper after being roused from his medically induced coma. I’ve seen guys come back from two weeks at Club Med looking worse.
Best line of the night: Gridenko to Jack: “I am not martyr. I am soldier.” Boris Badenov sounded more convincing.
Did we really have to see Milo and Nadia suck face? Milo (who is probably not a mole after all, darn it) was also responsible for the second best line of the night: “Maybe this (CTU headquarters) isn’t the best place to start a relationship.”
Will they ever explain just what the heck Doyle did in Denver to piss off so many CTU operatives?
What did you think of the episode? Shoot me a message.
I know you're not supposed to think logically about what happens on "24." But Monday's episode left me with one huge head-scratcher that needs some itchin'.
Namely, where did Jack get that fancy suit and tie he wore when he made his, um, social call on the Russian consul? I've spent several hours pondering and here are my conclusions.
1. CTU has a valet on its premises.
2. Just like another comic book superhero, the Flash, Jack pressed his power ring and out popped his suit ready to wear.
3. He borrowed one from former President Logan. ("I don't trust you, Charles, but I do trust your fashion sense.")
4. CTU gave 1-800 We Dry Clean special dispensation to get through the cordoned-off steets of L.A.
5. Like MacGyver, Jack knows how to stitch together something out of found objects.
It's gotta be one of these reasons, no?
[Above: Kiefer Sutherland as Jack with Gregory Itzin as President Logan, in Fox photo by Kelsey McNeal.]
I know that Monday's "24" really was effective because it's almost two hours after it ended and my heart is still pounding and I'm unable to fall asleep. Better I should tape it and watch it at 9 the next morning after a good night's sleep. But noo, that would be too smart, wouldn't it?
What dya know? Here was an episode with no torture -- hooray! -- just Jack being classic Jack. You knew he would come in at the last minute and shoot the thugs holding MIlo and Marilyn hostage. And Jack didn't disappoint. You knew he would get Josh out alive from the clutches of Grandpa aka the Psycho Pete Townshend lookalike. [See Fox photo by Kelsey McNeal.] And Jack didn't disappoint.
BEST MOMENT: I was floored when Jack dialed that phone number his father left him -- and disgraced former President Logan picked up. He doesn't look like Niixon anymore -- he looks like Saddam Hussein the day he was captured in his rathole. I'm sure that's a nice deliberate touch from the show's producers. Is Logan gonna emerge as a pivotal character? The 15-second preview of next week's episode sure makes it seem that way. I'm thinking here that Logan's (aborted) plan last season to kill the Russian president has something to do with the mad Russian Gridenko's current plan to set off the nukes. But what do I know?
WORST MOMENT: Morris' self-pitying. And now he's a recovering alcoholic, to boot. This kind of hooey belongs on All My Children, not 24. Jeez, I almost found myself wishinhg that Fayed had plunged his power drill into Morris' skull instead of his shoulder last week and we'd be done with him.
My heart is still racing and I'm still not tired.
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