Channel Surfing: "24" Shutdown, "BSG" Cast Revealed for Prequel Movie, "Project Runway" Delayed, "Doctor Who," and More

Good morning and welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Production will shut down on 24, whose seventh season has been delayed since last January due to the writers strike, for more than two weeks beginning September 15th. The reason behind the enforced break? 24 executive producer Howard Gordon was reportedly displeased with the direction of the last six episodes of the season. During their time off, scripts will be written in order to change the season's direction, with production set to resume by October 9th. (Variety)

More on that 24 shut down: ""We had a couple of scripts that we weren't happy with," said Howard Gordon in an interview. "We just couldn't get this direction to work, and we found another one that we liked better, so we wound up retooling it [...] The only, only, only concern at all is getting it right. Our feeling was this: We're so happy with what we've done so far, and to the extent that we had that luxury [of time], we said, 'Why not make it as good as we could?'" (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

SCI FI has revealed the cast of its Cylon-centric two-hour untitled Battlestar Galactica event. Suiting up for the prequel feature-length special are Edward James Olmos, Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas, Dean Stockwell, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Callum Keith Rennie, Rick Worthy, and Michael Hogan. Project is written by series co-executive producer Jane Espenson and will be directed by Edward James Olmos. Battlestar Galactica's final season, meanwhile, will resume in January. (TV Guide)

Jamie Bamber (BSG), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who), Bradley Walsh (Coronation Street), and Harriet Walter (Doctors) will star in the British version of Law & Order for ITV, which is being overseen by Torchwood writer Chris Chibnall. (Digital Spy)

CBS has ordered a pilot for multi-camera family comedy The Karenskys, about a woman's return to her large, eccentric, and very ethnic family after her husband takes a gig in her hometown. Project, from writer/executive producer Linwood Boomer (Malcolm in the Middle) was originally set up at CBS ten years ago. Boomer will executive produce the pilot, from Universal Media Studios, along with Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. (Variety)

ABC has given a thirteen-episode order to comedy In the Motherhood, based on the online series starring Chelsea Handler, Leah Remini, and Jenny McCarthy about three women whose trials and travails are based on the stories of real mothers from across the country. Handler will return to star in the linear comedy, with Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) and Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) in talks to join her. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Six of reality competition series Project Runway, which jumps networks from Bravo to Lifetime after the current season ends, has been delayed until January 2009. Season Six was originally meant to launch on Lifetime this November. "With this move, the series will resume its traditional cycle of two seasons per year," said a Lifetime spokeperson. "We look forward to ringing in the New Year by giving Project Runway loyal fans a superlative season six with Heidi, Tim, Nina, and Michael. The new date and time will be announced soon.” (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

NBC has ordered a Muppets Christmas special entitled Letters to Santa: A Muppets Christmas, which will feature guest stars Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Sirico (The Sopranos), Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter) and Madison Pettis (Cory in the House), as well as the entire Muppet gang. (Hollywood Reporter)

Wondering what the hell The CW's head honcho Dawn Ostroff is thinking? Look no further than this interview, in which she answers ten questions about 90210, low ratings, and, well, the netlet's failures. (TV Week)

Little Britain USA, which launches on HBO on September 28th, will air this autumn on BBC One. I've seen the first three episodes and they definitely pack a comedic punch, BTW. (BBC)

Catherine Tate, John Simm, and Bernard Cribbins are allegedly returning to Doctor Who next season as part of the casts for the four specials planned for 2009. According to The Sun (so take it with a huge ball of salt), Tate will reprise her role as former companion Donna Noble, Simm will return as The Master, and Cribbins will again play Wilf, Donna's grandfather. (Digital Spy)

Tom Sizemore has been cast in Starz's drama series Crash (based on the feature film) in the recurring role of Detective Adrian Cooper, an unorthodox cop who is investigating a police-involved shooting. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.