Clock Ticking for "24" This Fall, After All?

Don't get too excited. 24 won't launch this autumn (FOX is sticking to its plans to launch Day Seven in full, come January 2009), but fans might just get a brief Jack Bauer fix before Season Seven kicks off this winter.

The Hollywood Reporter has reported that FOX is developing a two-hour 24 prequel that will bridge the gap between Day Six (remember back all the way to the 2006-07 season?) and Day Seven, which finds Jack Bauer dealing with the first female president (Cherry Jones) and the return of a familiar face from his past.

While FOX and studio 20th Century Fox Television had no comment about the story, The Hollywood Reporter claims that the network plans to air the 24 prequel sometime this fall and producers are hard at work to secure talent deals for the prequel's cast members.

Let's just hope those cast members don't include that damned cougar.

Warden Pope: FOX Locks Actress for "24"

Is it just me or is Carly Pope suddenly everywhere these days?

The former Popular actress has been turning up everywhere lately (new agent?), from a co-starring role on FX's Dirt (where she played Garbo) to a random one-episode guest starring spot on this past season of The 4400 (remember the girl who randomly slept with Shawn and then promptly vanished after going to the press?).

Pope has turned up again, this time on Day Seven of FOX's real-time thriller 24.

While next to no information has been released about who most actors will play in 24's seventh season, here's what we do know about Pope's character. She'll play Samantha Roth, the girlfriend of the son of the US president (Cherry Jones), who may be involved with his disappearance.

Intriguing. I'll all for a little family disappearance on 24, so long as it doesn't involve (A) Kim Bauer, (B) cougars, or (C) animal traps.

* * *

Paging Patty Hewes...

In other casting news, Firefly's Alan Tudyk (oh, Wash, we miss ye) and British actor Andrew Lincoln (Afterlife, Teachers) have been cast in NBC's untitled legal drama pilot from writer Luke Reitner and director Barry Sonnenfeld (Pushing Daisies) about slick shysters at a high-stakes Manhattan civil firm who will do whatever it takes to win their cases.

Tudyk, currently on the big screen in Death at a Funeral, will play Charlie, a loquacious lawyer desperate to get to the top of the dogpile, while Lincoln--perhaps best known for his work in Love Actually and This Life--will play Joe, a justice-driven lawyer with a mysterious past.

If it weren't enough that Charlie and Joe were diametrically oppoised in their moral outlooks, both men are in love with the same woman.

Production on the pilot, from Universal Media Studios, begins October 22nd in New York.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Singing Bee/Biggest Loser (NBC; 8:30-10 pm); Beauty and the Geek (CW); Cavemen/Carpoolers (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Reaper (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: Cane (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Beauty & the Geek.

I'm a sucker for the CW's "social experiment" Beauty & the Geek. On tonight's episode ("It's Not Rocket Science"), the geeks give their partners massages while the beauties learn about rocket science. All this AND a certain romance turns intense.

10 pm: Damages on FX.

FX's brilliant legal drama continues with an-all new episode tonight ("I Hate These People"), Patty and Frobisher both ramp up their war against each other with the stakes higher than ever, Ellen's new information about George Moore could help Patty but what is it worth to Ellen?

Casting Couch: Paging Kari Matchett to the "ER"

Veteran drama ER, returning this fall for what is possibly its very last outing, has landed yet another doctor.

Kari Matchett, late of 24 (in a role termed by one Televisionary reader as "Slutty Blonde Girl"), Invasion, Shark, and TNT's short-lived medical drama Heartland, has been cast on NBC's ER.

It's hardly surprising that Matchett will play a doctor, a role a role not unfamiliar to this actress, who has played a member of the medical profession twice in the last two seasons. (She also played a nurse a few years back on Canadian series Plague City.) On ER, she'll play Skye Wexler, the new attending in the County General Hospital emergency room.

Matchett, who played the traitorous Lisa Miller last season on 24, will have some company from that real-time thriller as Reiko Aylesworth (a.k.a. Michelle Dessler) joins the cast of the long-running medical drama on October 25th.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother 8 (CBS); 30 Rock (NBC; 8:30-9 pm); Smallville (CW); Ugly Betty (ABC); Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); The Office/Scrubs (NBC); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Don't Forget the Lyrics (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Men in Trees (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8:30 pm: 30 Rock.

On season finale of 30 Rock ("Hiatus"), Liz and Floyd try to work out the kinks in their long-distance relationship, Jack's impending wedding brings his mother (guest star Elaine Stritch) to New York, and Kenneth searches for the missing Tracy.

9 pm: The Office.

On tonight's repeat episode of The Office ("Beach Games"), Michael is up for a promotion at Dunder-Mifflin Corporate and decides to hold a day of Survivor-inspired challenges at the beach as a means of choosing his successor, leading a jealous Pam to watch Jim and Karen from the sidelines.

10-11 pm: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX.

It's the season premiere of FX's hilariously subversive comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, here with two back-to-back episodes. On the first ("The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby"), Dennis, Dee, and Mac find a baby in a Dumpster and Dee and Mac decide to raise him and use him to raise some cash as a baby actor. One problem: white babies aren't in style right now. On the second ("The Gang Gets Invincible"), Mac, Dennis, and Dee try out for the Philadelphia Eagles but really try to outdo one another, only to run afoul of the dreaded McPoyle family. Watch it; you'll thank me in the morning.

10 pm: Tim Gunn's Guide to Style on Bravo.

See the style maven make it work on his own fashion series, where he and supermodel Veronica Webb take on one hapless fashion victim and make them over into a sartorial superstar. On tonight's episode, Tim and Veronica deal with a woman who recently lost a lot of weight.

Casting Couch: "24" Lands its Female Lead

The seventh season of 24 has finally found its female lead: Annie Wersching (General Hospital).

Wersching will star in Day Seven of 24, opposite Kiefer Sutherland, where she will play an FBI agent who finds herself in a rather adversarial relationship with Jack. (Hmmm, adversarial? How many hours will it take our erstwhile ex-CTU agent to bed this federal hottie?)

Wersching most recently appeared in the drama pilot Company Man for FOX.

Also joining the cast of 24 next season is Bob Gunton (Desperate Housewives), who guest-starred in three episodes last season as Secretary of Defense Ethan Kanin. He's currently in negotiations to come on board the real-time thriller as a regular next season; he will now play the chief of staff for the new president (Cherry Jones).

Wersching and Gunton join a now burgeoning 24 cast that includes Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Janeane Garofalo, Colm Feore, Cherry Jones, Jeffrey Nordling, and John Billlingsley, as the series moves its focus from Los Angeles to Washington D.C.

Casting Couch: Two Caught for "24"

Finally, some additional casting information for Day Seven of FOX's real-time thriller 24.

The network has revealed that it has snagged two actors--Jeffrey Nordling and John Billlingsley--for the seventh season of 24, set this time in Washington D.C. (rather than the ubiquitous Los Angeles setting), joining Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Janeane Garofalo, Colm Feore, and Cherry Jones.

Dirt's Jeffrey Nordling has been cast as a regular on the series, where he will play an FBI agent named Larry. (Yes, Larry.) Meanwhile, FOX hasn't released any details about the character that John Billingsley (The Nine) will be portraying, except for a name: Latham. (Let's just hope he doesn't intend to rob a bank and pretend to be a hero on 24.)

But, Dirt fans, rest assured, Nordling will continue on as Courtney Cox's publisher on Season Two of the FX drama next season.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); 1 vs. 100 (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Set for Life (ABC); 13 Going on 30 (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Jericho (CBS); Las Vegas (NBC); George Lopez/George Lopez (ABC)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: The Office on BBC America.

It's the original UK version of The Office, back on BBC America. On tonight's installment ("Training"), a consultant attempts to conduct a training seminar at Wernham-Hogg with disastrous results, David sings, and Dawn encounters some relationship problems with Lee.

8:40 pm: Little Britain on BBC America.

Catch up with Daffyd, Emily Howard, and Sebastian on the weekly repeats of BBC's cult sketch comedy favorite Little Britain. You'll thank me in the morning.

9:20 pm: Absolutely Fabulous on BBC America.

Reflect back to when Edina and Patsy first started spewing hatred and poor, suffering Saffy. On tonight's vintage episode ("Iso Tank"), Edina receives a new isolation tank while Saffron prepares for a class project on DNA.

10 pm: Coupling on BBC America.

On tonight's repeat episode ("Bed Time"), Patrick tries to escape from his girlfriend's apartment after they've spent the night together. Classy guy, that Patrick.

Casting Couch: "24," "Lost," and "Bones" Add Players

A whole slew of casting notices on this chilly early morning in Los Angeles.

John Francis Daley, best known for playing adorable moppet Sam on the still-much-missed Freaks and Geeks, has signed on in a recurring capacity on procedural drama Bones, where he'll play a therapist. (Really, has our little pygmy geek Sam grown up that much?) Daley most recently appeared in the comedy pilot The Call and FOX's short-lived Kitchen Confidential.

Elsewhere, Cherry Jones has landed herself a husband on 24: Colm Feore (Slings and Arrows) will play the First Husband. (Wonder if that means that early plans to give the series' first female president both a husband and a child living at the White House will prove to still be valid.)

Flipping channels over to ABC, Season Four of Lost has gained three new actors. Rebecca Mader (Justice), Jeremy Davies (Band of Brothers), and Lance Reddick (HBO's The Wire) have joined the cast of the drama series, which returns in February 2008. Details on their respective characters are being kept under even tighter wraps than the mystery of Jacob.

Reddick is allegedly playing Arthur Stevens, a corporate recruiter (for Hanso, perhaps?), while it's possible that Mader has been cast as Charlotte, an attractive and loquacious academic. While there is no information about who he'll be playing, Davies will appear in eight episodes of the series next season.

With Kristen Bell no longer available to join the cast of Lost next season, can I make one teensy suggestion to the producers as to a possible replacement, if Mader won't be playing "Charlotte" (the character Bell was meant to play)? Keri Russell?

Casting Couch: Janeane Garofalo to Count Down for "24"

Maybe reality doesn't bite, after all.

Following on the heels of the suggestion that there would be no CTU mole this year on 24, rather largely due to the fact that there would be no CTU at all, FOX has finally announced another piece of the casting puzzle that is Season Seven of 24.

Sure, we already knew that Cherry Jones had been locked as 24's first female president, but who will producers bring in as potential allies and/or enemies to BFFs Jack and Chloe next season?

Surprising answer: former Generation X poster girl Janeane Garofalo, that's who. Garofalo will a government agent tasked with investigating what The Hollywood Reporter calls "the crisis befalling Jack Bauer and company."

Just what the crisis of Day Seven is remains a mystery but perhaps it's just a subtle dig at 24's woeful production delays?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); America's Got Talent (NBC; 8-10 pm); Gilmore Girls (CW); Just for Laughs/Just for Laughs (ABC); On the Lot (FOX)

9 pm: Big Brother 8 (CBS); Beauty and the Geek (CW); Primetime (FOX); House (FOX)

10 pm: The Unit (CBS); Singing Bee (NBC); I-Caught (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Eureka on Sci Fi.

Season Two of Eureka continues tonight with "Family Reunion," in which Fargo's granfather, cryogenically frozen 50 years ago, is awakened with no memory of just how he got there. Curious.

9 pm: As You Like It on HBO.

Director Kenneth Branagh tackles his fifth Shakespeare adaptation with tonight's lavish retelling of comedy As You Like It, set in 19th century Japan. It's got assumed identities, disguises, exile, and forest natives. You know you can't resist.

10 pm: Damages on FX.

FX's addictive legal drama Damages continues. On tonight's episode ("A Regular Earl Anthony"), Fiske is spurred by Frobisher to take a more aggressive tack with Patty, who finds herself on rather insubstantial ground with her clients, while Tom meets with an old friend (Donal Logue) and someone gets beat up.

10 pm: Flipping Out on Bravo.

Okay, I know this is unexpected but I can't help but watch the crazy people in this topsy-turvey world. In this week's episode, Jeff begins to burn some bridges as he pits potential buyers against one another and pushes his contractors a little too far.

Production Delayed Again for FOX's "24"

Stop all the clocks, as W. H. Auden once said.

Production has once again been delayed on FOX's real-time thriller 24, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Shooting was slated to begin on the seventh season of 24 on August 27th but has been pushed back until September 10th in order for the writing staff on the series to stockpile a number of scripts.

It's the second delay for 24 this season (production was originally meant to resume in late July) as the series' producers jettisoned a storyline that would have been set in Africa and have scrambled to find a new overarching plot for Jack Bauer. (What is certain, however, is that there will be no CTU this season.)

Stay tuned as this story develops, but it's not a good sign for a series to scramble like this (even when the launch date isn't until January), especially following a season that critics and viewers alike agreed was seriously lackluster.

Counting Down with "24" at Comic-Con

I've been very upfront about my feelings about 24's Day Six. So I was curious to see how the producers of 24 would address the, er, creative inconsistencies of the series' sixth season.

It was with a little trepidation that I arrived at the 24 panel at Comic-Con. No cast on hand (sorry, Chloe fans!) but the series' producers turned out in droves for this panel, including John Cassar, Evan Katz, David Fury, and Manny Coto.

What tidbits did the producers offer for Day Seven?

-No CTU. However when Season Seven starts, CTU has been disbanded by the government. Jack will be hauled before Senate committee to face crimes and dragged/pushed into something HUGE.

-The writers have been locked in a room for the last three months figuring out a course for Season Seven and confirmed the rumors that the writers went down a particular creative road (Africa), stopped, and then started over from scratch. They said that Season Seven is going places series hasn't gone before.

-Season Seven will take place in Washington, DC and not Los Angeles.

-Who else will get killed? "No characters left to eliminate, " joked David Fury.

-As previously reported, Broadway actress Cherry Jones has been cast as the series' first female president. Also returning: Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe (as if that weren't a given). Producers joked that they were "very close to signing Kiefer."

What else happened at the panel? The producers addressed the numerous complaints about Season Six, for one. Fury suggested "taking complainers about Season Six into the back room." Cassar felt that one of the finest moments in the series to date was Jack torturing his brother, Graem. But fear not: They've been very conscious of the criticism about Season Six.

The series' signature real time format will not be changing, but there will be some radical changes for next season, a la no CTU.

Think Tony Almeida's death was unsatisfying? "Keep watching." Wait, what? David Fury went on and admitted that " to say anything definitive either way would ruin the process." (Hmmm, but see below.)

What happened to the Logans? Fury says that it was deliberately left a little vague. The audience can assume that Martha went to prison for stabbing her villainous husband. Cassar joked that there's a spin-off possibility in seeing Martha Logan in prison: "Caged Martha."

As for the gap between Season Six and Seven, the producers haven't yet decided what the lag will be. Most likely, it's between 18 months and two years.

A prequel season has been discussed several times over by the producers, which would focus on Nina and Jack's affair, etc. Cassar says the possibility was raised as far back as Season Two. However, the "show lives and dies with who lives and dies." By setting a season in the past, you've removed all suspense from the series as the outcome is immediately clear.

Will we see Chase again? Producers aren't sure and right now there's no plans. "Chase won't be back," joked Fury, "but his hand will."

Producers admitted that they weren't too thrilled with how Season Six underutilized Kiefer and felt that the last third of the season was especially Jack-lite. And there was a different cliffhanger ending planned for the sixth season... one that involved the sudden reappearance of a certain Tony Almeida!

Will Jack be more physical next season? "It's hard to imagine him more physical, but he's on his own" next season. Hmmm.

Is Audrey coming back? "She's on a show," referring to Kim Raver's casting on NBC's new drama Lipstick Jungle. The audience then begged for Kim Bauer to never, ever return to the series. (I second that notion wholeheartedly.)

Is Josh Jack's son or not? "He's the cougar's son," joked Fury. Cassar said there was the possibility of Josh being Jack's son but they ultimately decided to leave it up to the audience to decide. In fact, one potential plot strand had Josh being Philip Bauer (James Cromwell)'s son! That twist was floating around the writers' room for about three weeks but was ultimately scrapped because, in Cassar's words, "it made us feel dirty."

How do the show's writers decide who lives or dies? Evan Katz says that they try to save deaths for when they are dramatically impactful. The nerve gas incident at CTU wouldn't have been as dramatic had someone (i.e. Edgar) not died. Cassar said that they started telling actors in advance if their characters were going to get killed off, but some actors were able to talk their way out of death for a while. Peter Weller, for example was meant to die no less than five times.

Cassar confirmed that there will be no 24 prequel mini-sode this year. But what about the long gestating 24 feature film? Cassar admitted that it was "very ambitious" to think that they could do the series and the feature at the same time and, as for when a 24 feature will finally get made, he said that when 24 finished on television, the movie will come out. Will the format of the film mirror the real-time structure of the series? Cassar joked that it will be "a 24-hour movie," but said that the first hour will not be in real time and the second hour will unfold in real-time.

Casting Couch: Cherry Jones Elected to Presidency on "24"

24 has elected its first female president.

Supporting a rumor I had heard last week (which FOX, via the Hollywood Reporter, still refused to confirm), Season Seven of beleaguered drama 24 will feature its first female president and has cast Cherry Jones.

Producers on the series had been weighing creating a female president for the series, which returns for its seventh season in January, after a season that many--both viewers and critics (myself included)--felt was creatively lacking.

No word on whether the early rumors that indicated the female president would be living at the White House with a husband and child are still true or if these characters have been removed.

The Tony Award-winning Jones, best known for her work as an acclaimed stage actor, has also been featured in films such as Ocean's Twelve, Signs, Cradle Will Rock, and The Village.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Age of Love (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/All of Us (CW); Wife Swap (ABC); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/How I Met Your Mother (CBS); Age of Love (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock (ABC; 9-11 pm); Hell's Kitchen (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Dateline (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Big Love on HBO.

HBO's polygamist family drama Big Love is back. On tonight's episode ("Good Guys and Bad Guys"), Margene's mother--who seems unaware her daughter is a polygamist--visits the Henricksons and catches Bill in a liplock with Barb, Bill plays Roman and Hollis against one another, Barb picks up Wanda from the hospital, and Frank comes home, possibly none too pleased that it was his daughter-in-law who poisoned him.

9 pm: Hell's Kitchen.

No, I don't know why I am still watching this train wreck of a culinary competition. On tonight's episode, the five remaining contestants are merged into one worse-than-ever team, but just when they've finally come together, they're forced to compete against one another in an individual challenge where they must present dishes to a rather discerning clientèle: 100 high school students.

Shot to the Heart: CTU Loses Another on "24"

Alas, poor Milo.

I had a feeling someone would take a bullet in this week's episode of 24 but I hardly expected it to be Milo. That is until he and Nadia tried to have an adult conversation about their stolen kiss earlier this season. That's when I knew he was a goner.

Milo Pressman, grumpy, prone to tantrums, and odd facial hair, stood up to the Chinese terrorists who invaded CTU and announced himself as the acting director (following Bill Buchanan's firing by, you know, his wife Karen) in order to protect his would-be girlfriend Nadia Yassir from possible danger. I did actually gasp when the gun-toting villain then shot Milo right in the head. (In a show that's gotten as needlessly serpentine and dull as this season's 24, I take my rightfully earned shocks as they come.) While there was barely a reaction from Chloe or Morris, Nadia was shaken (justifiably), especially when the gunmen then learned she was the actual acting director of CTU.

Still, if anyone was going to take a bullet, I thought it was going to be Morris of all people, who would sacrifice himself in order to, say, save Chloe in the end, despite their separation. Chloe recently revealed that she thinks Morris is a coward for helping Fayed arm those suitcase nukes a few episodes back. I pictured the gruff Morris pushing Chloe out of harm's way to offer up his own life, thus proving to Chloe and the entire gang at CTU that he's not a coward after all.

So, not quite what I had envisioned, after all. Still, it's common knowledge that Eric Balfour wouldn't be back for Day Seven (even if his drama pilot. Protect and Serve, isn't picked up by CBS) and, given the workforce turnover at CTU, it's not a guarantee that any of the personnel will return to face another day. (Well, except perpetually frowning Chloe, that is.)

Milo, we'll miss ye. You never did tell us exactly what went down in Denver with Agent Doyle, despite much teasing to the opposite. But then again, you never did get a date with Nadia, either. So consider us even.

Me, I feel even worse for Nadia. The poor woman just had a potential suitor killed in front of her, following a day in which she was suspected of being a mole, tortured, strangled, promoted to acting director... If anyone deserves a mental health day, it's Nadia.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Gilmore Girls (CW); George Lopez (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Veronica Mars (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Gilmore Girls.

The girls are leaving Stars Hollow for good and not a moment too soon. For those few devotees still watching, here's what's going on. On tonight's episode ("Unto the Breach"), Emily and Richard throw Rory a pre-graduation party and perform a song in her honor, while Lorelai and Christopher are thrown together for the first time since their separation. And, oh, there's a proposal. Guess who.

9 pm: Veronica Mars.

On tonight's episode of Veronica Mars ("Debasement Tapes"), Piz turns to Veronica for help when some recordings that belong to his idol (guest star Paul Rudd) vanish while Keith faces some unlikely competition when a new candidate enters the election race for Neptune sheriff. A new Veronica episode plus Paul Rudd? I am so there.

Our Lady of the Sensible Pantsuit: Why Karen Hayes Keeps Me Watching "24"

Oh, 24, I keep giving you chances and you keep biting me.

I finally got around to watching this week's episode of 24 last night (blame it on the fact that I was out Monday night and, well, hardly find the show that interesting anymore) and was shocked to learn that there's only a handful of episodes left. This season has been plagued with such stop and go storytelling (guess we'll never learn if Charles Logan lived or died after being stabbed by a knife-wielding former First Lady) and such an over the top beginning (after detonating a nuclear bomb in Valencia, where do you really go from there?) that it's hard to take the show seriously. And don't even get me started on the Very Special Episode where Jack bonded with a mentally disabled guy in a plot to ensnare the dead-and-forgotten "Mr. Grendenko."

Still, it's a telling sign that a series is getting a little old and creaky when the most exciting thing about 24 that week isn't Jack's daring rescue of Audrey (who may or may not be insane) but the fractured marital relationship between Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes.

What's that you say? How can the strained relations between two supporting characters be the most exciting thing going on? Here's the skinny. A few weeks back, weaselly Reed Pollack (Chad Lowe) and the Biscuit (Peter MacNichol) discovered that Bill Buchanan that actually detained Fayed two years earlier and released him, due to a lack of evidence. Now that said terrorist detonated a nuclear blast in the US, the Justice Department is looking for a scapegoat. And since both Bill and Karen were involved with Fayed's release (or in Karen's case, the routine processing of paperwork involving the release), either she or Bill will have to take the fall. Due to Karen's proximity to the president (both the real one and the Kari Matchett-sniffing Acting one), it's advised that it's Bill who be the fall guy.

Poor Karen. Just a few hours ago, she tried to resign to cover up just this very story to keep Bill in his position as director of CTU and now she's willing--for the greater good--to fire her husband and destroy his career (before he can check his voicemail messages, apparently). Bill is grief-stricken that his wife would turn on him as quickly as she does and hangs up on her. A distraught Karen tries to call back but Bill refuses to speak to her. Please tell me my favorite TV couple (loved that photo of them on their honeymoon in Hawaii, BTW) isn't splitting up!

While Karen's role as National Security Advisor might seem more pivotal, I did think that perhaps it would be in the interest of the country to keep Bill running CTU until the 73rd international crisis that day was completely averted (given that Jack had gone rogue for the umpteenth time and was running around with Russian missile schematics). Or at least until the end of the season. As for Karen, she and her always sensible pantsuits have given this season a much needed kick in the pants as she continues to provide both steely resolve and (as evidenced from this week's episode) grim determination that her career--or that of her beloved husband's--can be sacrificed in the name of national security.

Meanwhile, I do think that Bill chose the perfect replacement for himself in Nadia, who will be acting director of CTU until a suitable replacement for Bill can be found (read: next season). It's at least a fitting apology to the woman they had suspected of being a mole, detained, interrogated, strangled, and then released without giving her a mental health day or a change of clothes. And, hell, she'll do a better job than the dour Chloe, who's too busy arguing with ex-husband Morris (whose involvement in the Fayed affair is thrown back in his face) to do her job.

But if there's one reason I've stuck around with 24 this season, it's definitely because of Karen Hayes. And while next week's episode seeks to reveal just what the Chinese did to Audrey, the real reason I'm tuning in isn't to watch Jack try to reach out to her but to see just what the fallout is from Karen's betrayal of Bill, both politically and romantically and whether their marriage will be fractured forever.

Had you been in Karen's position, would you have taken the fall or would you have pinned it on your partner? Discuss.

Next week on 24, Audrey experiences a severe post-traumatic reaction to her captivity in the hands of the Chinese, while Acting President Noah Daniels receives a rather shocking message from Russian President Suvarov.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Jericho (CBS); Thank God You're Here (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); According to Jim/Notes from the Underbelly (ABC); American Idol (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Crossing Jordan (ABC); Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (CW); Lost (ABC)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Lost (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("The Girls Who Picks a Fight"), it's time for a clip show, featuring never-before-seen footage from Top Model, including Dionne and Renee going tooth and nail in an argument, and the girls put on a mock fashion show, including impersonations of the judges. Let's just hope they didn't raid Tyra's closet for that one.

9 pm: Lost.

If you missed last week's Desmond-centric episode ("Catch-22"), here's your chance to catch it again. Desmond convinces Charlie, Hurley, and Jin to accompany him on a journey across the jungle, while Kate turns to Sawyer after catching Jack alone with Juliet.

10 pm: Lost.

Lost is more than back on track for me. On tonight's episode ("D.O.C."), Sun reluctantly allows Juliet to examine her after learning that all of the Other's pregnant women have died before giving birth on the island, while Desmond enters an uneasy alliance in order to save Naomi's life.

Counter Torpor Unit: Can "24" Be Saved?

Is it just me or is this season of 24 a monumental disappointment? I'm sorry but I find myself wishing Day 6 were over already. Sure, Jack just managed to get out of a Chinese prison but that's no reason we should find ourselves trapped as well.

Yes, we're in that vale of death known as pre-sweeps but still I was hoping for a lot more excitement than what we've been getting lately. So how can the show's producers get 24 back on track? Here are some pointers.

1. No more moles.

You heard me correctly. Enough with the moles. Did anyone really think that Nadia was the leak at CTU? Um, nope. Instead, we had to slog through two episodes that had poor Nadia being alternately interrogated and ignored until some faceless guy we've never seen before (but who worked with Mike Doyle in Denver) finds the magic bullet and proves Nadia innocent. Bravo guys. You cleared the least likely suspect in the leak and managed to learn something about racial profiling in the process. Well, bully on you. Maybe you could have given the woman the rest of the day off after having an agent strangle her in a detention room. Just a thought.

2. No more Mr. Nice Jack.

What was up with this week's episode in which Jack calmly spoke to the autistic Brady in a calm soothing voice, engaging him in a mission to nab "Mr. Gredenko"? (Yes, he actually referred to one of our major villains as "Mr.") I'm sorry but the scenes between Jack and Brady may have well also contained them jumping over a shark in the room and did anyone bother to consult Dustin Hoffman to make sure he was okay with the actor playing Brady stealing his entire Rain Man shtick? Hell, at least there was no mention of People's Court.

3. No more random new characters.

What happened to Philip? Or Marilyn? Or, hell, Walid? There are always a revolving cast of characters on 24, but it's felt all rather pointless this season when they keep losing the precious traction they've gained by jettisoning characters like it's going out of style and bringing in some new faces for an episode or two. I'm not digging Rick Schroder's Mike Doyle but he at least adds some much needed spark and conflict to the sagging show. But did we really need Devon Gummersall's security consultant around this week? (Not to mention his brother Brady to boot?) Or whatshisname who tries to sell Mike out? Nevermind that there's been no mention of former President Charles Logan's condition since the ex-First Lady stabbed him a few episodes ago. Work with what you've got and stop trying to cram so many characters down our collective throat. Sheesh.

4. Tell Chloe to lighten up.

Chloe kissing Morris not as an act of passion but to test the recovering alcoholic's breath? Good. Chloe glowering in the shadows as Milo and Nadia make out? Not good. I understand that Chloe is a fan favorite (or so the series' producers remind us at every turn), but the girl definitely needs to lighten up a bit. She makes teenage angst seem positively cheerful by comparison.

What do you all think? What can save 24 from sliding further over the brink? Or is it too late to save this once great series?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Jericho (CBS); Friday Night Lights (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); The Great American Dream Vote (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Crossing Jordan (ABC); Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (CW); According to Jim/In Case of Emergency (ABC); American Idol/'Til Death (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Lost (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("The Girl Who Takes Credit"), the girls are given some harsh lessons in what not to wear (sadly, no Trinny or Susannah in sight) and must create department store displays using themselves as the mannequins (no Kim Cattrall in sight, either) and pose in a fashion shoot as men.

10 pm: Lost.

I can't tell you how happy I am that Lost is back on the air again. On tonight's episode ("Exposé"), we finally see the conclusion to a long-dangling plot point as Sun learns the truth about the Others' attempted kidnapping (and decks Sawyer), fresh graves are dug, and an accomplice of the Others right in the castaways' midst is exposed. (Please be Nikki and Paolo!)

Red Highlighters and House Arrests: Does "24" Feel a Little Tired?

Is it just me or is 24 feeling a little... tired this season?

Sure, it's had to face a crippling onslaught from new kid on the block Heroes, but it just sort of feels this season as if the series is just going through the motions: another presidential assassination attempt, another possible raid on a foreign consulate (don't get trigger-happy, Jack!), familial drama, etc. When half the episode involves Chloe wondering if Morris is drinking (hell, after being tortured with a drill and forced to create a suitcase nuke trigger, I'd need a drink too) and bursting into the men's room, something's not right in Bauer-land.

Yes, there were some nice twists... like Logan being the one that Jack needs to turn to in order to find Gredenko, though seeing as it was Jack's murderous dad Phillip that gave him the phone number, I wouldn't totally trust the crazy SOB to play fairly. And, wait, no one knows that Logan arranged the assassination on Palmer? So the grizzly dude is now under house arrest at his palatial estate and no one in America wonders where he is or what went down? Um, okay.

But the entire episode felt way too stretched out and a little unbelievable. (I also have a hard time accepting Jack tenderly stroking Marilyn's cheek as he bundles her and Josh--so obviously their son that it's infuriating--back in the car headed for CTU.) There's no way Morris would still be standing, much less plugging away at work. Why would Jack and Logan drive 45 minutes to the consulate when going via helicopter would be so much faster?

But why oh why would Reed Pollack plant that tape-recorder-turned-bomb on the podium and activate it before Palmer got up there to speak? That's just foolish. As soon as he started to position it (and it's highlighter-laden lode) on the podium, it was painfully obvious that it was Assad who would be killed/injured/plot deviced away by the blast. Similarly: why wouldn't the Biscuit (aka Tom Lennox) have told anyone about the assassination plot rather than go and meet his deputy chief of staff in a darkened basement room alone?

And that's perhaps the problem this season. In a show that's governed by the unexpected twists and turns (along with a clear through line and theme), 24 feels a little bit like it's gone off the rails lately. We've gotten so far away from any concise understand of what's going on (or going on inside these characters heads) that it's hard to really take this seriously... and we're nearly halfway through the season already.

Was it really only a few hours ago that Jack was nearly executed after being released from a Chinese prison? Did a nuclear bomb really go off in Valencia just a few hours ago? 'Cause no one seems to be acting that way. Instead, Chloe is moping around CTU, suspicious of Morris' erratic behavior, Bill Buchanan seems willing to give Morris "one more chance" despite putting at risk the lives of millions should the recovering alcoholic analyst not be up to the task.

But the real question is: where the hell did Jack get a suit from, all of the sudden? And why are they waiting around for Charles Logan to get dressed when there are millions of lives at stake?

Hmmm. Maybe that's just me asking that. But if that's what's sticking out most in my mind as the burning question after an episode of 24, there might just be something wrong.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Gilmore Girls (CW); America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC); American Idol (FOX; 8-9:30 pm); Wicked Wicked Games (MyNet)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Veronica Mars (CW); Primetime (ABC); Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX; 9:30-10 pm); Watch Over Me (MyNet)

10 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8-9:30 pm: American Idol.

Tonight, the top 10 male contestants perform for their chance at pop credibility and probable future anonymity.

8 pm: Gilmore Girls.

Le sigh. I'm not sure why I am still watching this, as it's just so damn depressing to watch this once-great series continue to fall off the tracks. On tonight's episode ("Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore?"), Rory gets a call from The New York Times for an interview, Logan is forced to admit a business disaster, and Liz and TJ try to sell Luke's boat--Wait, sorry, I just can't do this anymore. I quit.

9 pm: Veronica Mars.

Sadly, tonight is the last installment until the dreaded Pussycat Dolls show steals its timeslot for, oh, two months. Grr. On tonight's installment ("Papa's Cabin"), it's the conclusion of the Dean O'Dell mystery as Veronica catches creepy TA Tim Foyle breaking into the Mars Investigations offices, Keith questions Mindy makes he believe Hank Landry killed O'Dell, while Wallace notices Logan and Parker canoodling at lunch. Have I said how much I love this show?

Blood is Thicker Than Water on "24"

Farmer Hoggett is evil!

And when I say evil, I mean eeeeevil, in that way Mike Myers used to say it.

Seriously, Phillip Bauer (played, of course, by James Cromwell) is a stone cold evil killer who murders his son Graem(hate the spelling of that, BTW) without any thought in order to save his own hide (and the interests of his company). And in last night's two-hour episode of 24, we saw that his willingness to exterminate members of his family extends not only to troublemaker Graem but also to prodigal son Jack... and teenage grandson Josh (who is so obviously Jack's kid).

But strangely this Machiavellian villain doesn't want to murder daughter-in-law Marilyn. Could this baddie have a soft spot for women? Or is he thinking that she has more usefulness as a live hostage? Or as bait for Jack?

On another note, I thought that last night's episode would also be the end for feuding analysts Morris and Milo. Poor Morris was tortured by Fayed into creating a trigger to arm the remaining suitcase nukes and, as for the torture itself, it was gruesome: drowning in a scum-coated bathtub, repeated beatings, and, oh did I mention the old drill through the shoulder routine? Ouch.

Meanwhile, Milo was nearly killed trying to rescue Marilyn from that ill-fated mission that screamed tactical error, as Jack was nearly blown up by a bomb planted by his father and Marilyn and Milo faced a firing squad as Phillip's men descended on the command truck. Nice to see Milo in the field, though, and with a gun. And he was smart enough to blow up the truck and keep running with Marilyn.

I'm glad that Marilyn revealed that she hated the shady Graem and wanted to leave her shifty hubby but couldn't bear to lose Josh in the process. (Aha, it finally makes sense.) What exactly happened between Jack and Marilyn to cause him to leave her and join the military? (And was it really 20 years ago? Or more like, say, 15?) Still, I was hoping that Marilyn would level with Jack (before he blindly went into the house) about Phillip's threat to kill Josh. But at least she now knows that her father-in-law means business.

So too does Reed Pollack, who finally tells Thomas Lennox that he's involved with a potential assassination attempt on the life of President Palmer (god, another presidential assassination?) and wants Lennox to see the light: namely, that this president is not strong enough to put measures in place to put an end to terrorism in the US. VP Noah Daniels is definitely involved, but I'm still not sure who's pulling the strings... and who is the mysterious guy that Reed was seen talking to?

All in all, not the strongest episode of 24 to date this season, but I'm not usually a fan of two-hour episodes to begin with. Still, the pieces seem like they are finally moving into place (including why Gredenko would be helping Fayed acquire bombs) and I'm hoping the endgame more than pays off.

Oh Happy Day: "24" Gets Personal for Jack

Looks like things just got a hell of a lot more personal for Jack Bauer... and if last night's episode was any indication things are going to get a lot worse for Jack's day before they get better. After all, this is 24 we're talking about here.

If you were expecting a little breather after last week's nail-bitingly tense two-hour episodes, you were dead wrong. And being forced to kill his compatriot Curtis seems to have snapped Jack out of his funk, as it were. Well, that and a suitcase nuke going off in Valencia.

But enough about that. What I am most interested in is what this all has to do with Jack's estranged family, which were finally introduced last night. Turns out Jack hasn't spoken to his father Philip (to be played by Farmer Hoggett, James Cromwell, himself) in nine years and the old fox seems to have gotten mixed up in some rather shady dealings involving those aforementioned suitcase nukes. But Philip seems to have vanished and the only person who might possibly know where he disappeared to (or had a direct hand in that disappearance) is Jack's brother Graham (Paul McCrane).

And who's Graham? Why he's that serious baddie from last season who orchestrated that whole crazy plot from Day 5 with the Russian separatists and the nerve and kept, you know, trying to kill Jack. (Ah, brotherly love.) It now makes sense why this guy knew so much about Jack and why he had it in for him in the first place... and with evil ex-president Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) scheduled to show up sometime this season, it is only fitting that his co-conspirator play a vital role in this chapter of Jack's life.

Remember way back in Day 2 and Day 3 how the villains were some American business group with ties to oil? Think that Graham and Philip Bauer could be connected to this plot? And that Jack's family might have been pulling the strings of all of the world-threatening activities Jack has been working so damn hard to combat these past few years?

Intriguing.

Meanwhile, I love that Jack had a history with Graham's wife Marilyn (Rena Sofer). Gee, could Graham and Marilyn's blonde-haired son possibly be Jack's kid? And maybe that's why Marilyn is so determined to avoid Jack altogether?

Me, I can't wait to see what happens next.

What's On Tonight*

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Gilmore Girls (CW); America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC; 8-10 pm); American Idol (FOX); Wicked Wicked Games (MyNet)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Veronica Mars (CW); Watch Over Me (MyNet)

10 pm: 48 Hours Mystery (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

*The State of the Union Address will impact the lineup of the Big 4 Networks, so check local listings.

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: American Idol.

Simon, Randy, and Crazy--I mean, Paula Abdul--continue their search for the next great American Idol, but first the show's producers want them to sit through some truly ear-splinteringly bad auditions, starting tonight. Tune in for the music, stay for the humiliation.

8 pm: Gilmore Girls.

Le sigh. I'm not sure why I am still watching this, as it's just so damn depressing to watch this once-great series continue to fall off the tracks. On tonight's episode ("Santa's Secret Stuff"), Lorelai and Christopher put Christmas on ice until Rory returns from London and Luke asks Lorelai to write a recommendation letter for his custody battle for April. I'm boring myself just writing this.

9 pm: Veronica Mars.

YAY! Veronica *finally* returns (at least for a few weeks, before the dreaded Pussycat Dolls reality show knocks it off the schedule again) with new episodes. On tonight's installment ("Show Me the Monkey"), Veronica tracks down a missing monkey, while Mindy O'Dell asks Keith to investigate her husband's suspicious death. Remember how Dean O'Dell (Ed Begley Jr.) was shot in his office by an unseen assailant? Well, the investigation begins tonight.

Quick Takes: "24" in Action (Figures) and "Nobody's Watching" Jim

Just a few random thoughts this morning as I struggle to open my eyes, thankful that it's Friday and (for me any way), a three day weekend lays before me. But before I peel off for work (and the piles of pilot scripts awaiting me there), I thought I'd take a minute to discuss a few items of note.

I'd be terribly remiss if I didn't mention the release of the new 24 Jack Bauer action figure from McFarlane toys. News of the toy was released yesterday, as manufacturer McFarlane Toys (responsible for the growing line of hyper-real Lost action figures) announced that it had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Licensing to create a line of 24-based action figures that would feature the world-saving CTU agent in various scenes lifted directly from the award-winning series.

Two sets of Jack Bauer figures are said to be in production and will be offered as part of a boxed set. The line is expected to hit store shelves in August, with the second batch of designs launching in December.

Word on the street is that, no matter what the latest terror attack might be, Jack Bauer the action figure won't need to pause to use the bathroom either.

24 launches its sixth season, picking up the pieces after Jack was kidnapped by some shadowy Chinese operatives, this Sunday with a two-hour season premiere at 8 pm.

* * *

Meanwhile, I also woke up this morning to discover I had received a bloody marvelous email from Derrick Keith this morning. Derrick is, of course, half of Derrick and Will, the dynamic duo from Nobody's Watching.

Seems these two have another new web clip and their topic this time round: summarizing six seasons of ABC sitcom According to Jim in 90 seconds. Can they do it? Head over here to find out if they can pull it off.

Personally, I think it's hilarious that Will is always dressing up as a blonde woman (Courtney Thorne-Smith here, Maggie Grace in the past) and I have to give them kudos for the shout-out to Ed Helms and The Office.

Despite their contention with NBC (Derrick's question to me: "Will you be coming out to Pasadena for TCA's next week? If so, we'll be the ones throwing goat eggs at Kevin Reilly."), one can't help but fall for the charms of The Office and the Ed Helms, even if he is playing one seriously manipulative bastard.

And, Derrick, yes, I will be at the TCA (at least part of the time) next week, but I'd rather see you take on those punks from the CW's new drama Hidden Palms. Besides, um, goat eggs?

'Twas the Night Before Christmas: A "24" Christmas

Calling Jack Bauer... Or perhaps this is more a job for Christmas operative Kris Kringle?

While it doesn't top the hilarity (not to mention extreme cast dedication) of the Scrubs and Charlie Brown Christmas mash up, below is a rather charming little Christmas wish from FOX.com, which recasts Jack and Chloe of 24 with Santa Claus and an elf with the Christmas Toys Unit (heh, CTU) in a Christmas-themed spoof entitled 24th.



Personally, I love that the creators behind this little viral used not only the iconic 24 font but also the definitive split-screen visuals that make the show the tense nail-biter that it is. Plus, how cute is it that Santa's little Christmas Eve mission is called 24th? Now if only they could have gotten Mary Lyn Rajskub to play the elf...

24's sixth season premieres in a two-night event starting Sunday, January 14th at 8 pm.

Casting Couch: Schroder on "24," Fox Joins "Curb"

And on the sixth day, Jack Bauer got some company.

Rick Schroder (NYPD Blue, Scrubs, and, um, Silver Spoons, anyone?) has joined the cast of 24 in the action/thriller's sixth season, set to launch this January on Fox.

Schroder will play a CTU operative named Mike Doyle who will join Jack Bauer in the field. Further details were not available, but that's hardly surprising in a series as tight-lipped as 24.

Schroder's not the only new kid on the block this season, as he joins the previously announced Chad Lowe, James Cromwell, Regina King, Powers Boothe, Peter MacNicol, Kal Penn, and David Hunt. (Also a lock for a return engagement on 24 this season: Gregory Itzin and Jean Smart.)

In other casting news, Larry David is getting a houseguest on the upcoming sixth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm: Vivica A. Fox.

In an allusion to the events of Hurricane Katrina, Fox will play a member of an African-American family that moves in with Larry and Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) after a natural disaster.

Knowing the sort of racial quagmires that Larry David usually gets into on Curb, something tells me Larry's in for a world of trouble.