Anyway, FOX has given us dates for the return of the Jack Bauer Power Hour. The 2-hour premiere will drop at 8/7c on Sunday, January 11 and then will follow with a 2-hour bash on Monday, January 12. Then on Monday, January 19, it settles into it’s regular slot at 9/8c.

And don’t forget, the 2-hour telemovie “24 : Redemption” hits on Sunday, November 23. Good times ahead for 24 fans!

Sweet, sweet, sweet…

One of the coolest actors is coming to one of the coolest (sans Season Six) shows around. Jon Voight has been cast as the villain in the forthcoming seventh season of 24, joining the ranks of Dennis Hopper and James Cromwell, who have also been baddies on the show.

Voight will appear in the two-hour prequel in November, and then appear again in the last half of the season in 2009.

Oh man oh man oh man…I know Season 6 sucked terribly…but I’m so inexplicably excited. Could this be just the reinvention that the show needs?

EMMY AND GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER “24″ GETS A JUMPSTART ON THE CLOCK WITH SPECIAL TWO-HOUR PREQUEL SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, ON FOX

“Day 7″ Season Premiere Clocks-In January 2009

Fans have been waiting almost a year for the return of 24, television’s most addictive drama. On Sunday, November 23 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the wait will be over as FOX presents a special two-hour prequel event.

Shot on location in South Africa, Jack Bauer battles an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, the prequel will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven.

“We’re excited about the prequel because it explores Jack’s complex emotional state of mind and still has all the signature excitement and suspense that fans have come to expect from 24,” commented executive producer Howard Gordon. “Shooting in South Africa affirms everyone’s commitment to making this season especially memorable for our fans.”

Celebrating its 150th episode this season, the series has resumed production on “Day 7″ and will unfold without interruption in its regular time period Mondays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) beginning in January 2009.

Set in Washington, DC, “Day 7″ finds CTU dismantled and Jack Bauer 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.

As part of News Corp.’s global commitment to fighting climate change, 24 has pledged significant and innovative changes to its production practices with the goal of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 is a production of Real Time Productions and Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Howard Gordon, Evan Katz, Jon Cassar, Manny Coto, David Fury, Kiefer Sutherland and Brian Grazer are the executive producers.

Okay, so it’s not really all of that, but if you spent any time online in the mid- to late-nineties, you will probably find this video quite appropriate.

I think “Three floppies!” is my new favorite line.

Fox has taken a look at its “revised” fall schedule (i.e. the term they use for cancelling the crap and replacing it with more crap), and made some changes. The most notible?

“24″ has been pulled from the schedule completely, and it will remain that way until the entire season can air with no repeats. Fox is committed to airing “Day 7″ uninterrupted. I can’t really argue with that, but I’m sure it must be disappointing for “24″ fans everywhere.

“Lost” fans take not – ABC is contemplating doing the same thing.

If you live in the New York area, you may want to find a way to be in Times Square at 1 pm on Thursday, October 25.  On the Panasonic jumbo screen, we’ll get our first glimpse of the seventh season of 24.

For those of us who find it difficult to be in the Big Apple that day, the preview will be available at 24Trailer.com, and will also air during Game 2 of the World Series that night.

Here’s the spoilerrific rundown on the new season, premiering January 13 and 14.

“Set in Washington, D.C., Day 7 opens with CTU dismantled and Jack Bauer on trial. Bauer’s day takes an unexpected turn when former colleague Tony Almeida returns. Meanwhile, President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) leads the country alongside White House Chief of Staff Ethan Kanan (Bob Gunton) and First Gentleman Henry Taylor (Colm Feore). A national security crisis prompts an investigation by a team of FBI agents including agents Janis Gold (Janeane Garofalo), Renee Walker (Annie Wersching), Larry Moss (Jeffrey Nordling) and Sean Hillinger (Rhys Coiro), and security specialist Michael Latham (John Billingsley). Although CTU is no longer, Chloe O’Brian and Bill Buchanan are back for another momentous day of shocking events.”

The news came in yesterday that Sutherland will spend 48 days in jail for his DUI bust.  Starting December 21, he must serve 18 days, and then another 30 days by July.  No hopes for house arrests or anything like that.

There’s no word yet on how this will impact the filming of 24.  I would think that, with the show set to premiere in January, this could pose a bit of an obstacle.  As we hear more, we’ll let you know.

Oh, and here’s my PSA…drinking and driving is bad.  Don’t do that.

(Source: NY Daily News)

 

24‘s seventh season will officially premiere on Sunday, January 13.  Following the model for the past few seasons, it will debut the first two-hour episode at 8/7c on Sunday night, followed by a Monday night episode at 9/8c, where it will reside for the rest of the season.

But that’s not the big news.  Carlos Bernard will be returning to the show in the role of Tony “Soul-Patch” Almeida, who was left for dead in Season 5.  It was reported here that he was originally slated to appear in the sixth season finale as a cliffhanger, but that was nixed.

It seems like the producers are making a genuine effort to either take the show back to its roots, or reboot it completely.  Either way, the show needs a renovation.  Hopefully, we’ll see some improvement on January 13.

(Source: Zap2It)

You’ll probably recognize Colm Feore, he’s been in a lot of stuff…most recently, HBO’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.  Feore will be playing the nation’s first First Husband, married to Cherry Jones’s President.  He’ll be struggling to keep the First Children in line.

Next up is Rhys Coiro.  He’s played a bit part in several shows…Raines, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, Ugly Betty, CSI: NY & Miami and Six Feet Under.  His most recognizable part, though, is as troubled filmmaker Billy Walsh in HBO’s Entourage.  In 24, he’ll be working with Jeneane Garofalo’s character, investigating the crisis surrounding Jack Bauer.