Splash

Fans of the Fox drama “24″ will have to wait until next January to see Jack Bauer again, this television season’s most prominent casualty of the Hollywood writers strike. The network has committed to air a full season on consecutive weeks, and had been planning to start last month.

But if it had started airing new episodes soon, the season finale would not have taken place until the summer, when TV networks rarely show their high-profile programs.

Even though eight episodes for this season had already been filmed before the beginning of the writers strike, producers would have had to ramp up production soon to complete the season.

A January 2009 start seemed the best way to comply with viewers’ wishes that a season’s episodes run without interruption to conclusion, Fox said on Thursday.

The company that produces the series, 20th Century Fox Television, also confirmed that creator Joel Surnow was leaving as one of the executive producers. Fox is owned by News Corp.

Surnow told Daily Variety that he had “decided it was time to see if there were other opportunities I wanted to pursue.”

Source

Kiefer Sutherland is set to be released from the pokie on Monday, after serving his 48 days. Glendale Police have said that he’ll most likely be released in the early morning.

He began serving a 48-day sentence in L.A.’s Glendale City Jail on December 5 for his second DUI conviction and for violating probation.

During his entire stay, Kiefer Sutherland had no visitors, but the Police have said that he gets a ton of fan mail.

Kudos to Kiefer for not trying to pull the “I’m a star” card to get out of paying his debt to society.

Kiefer Sutherland was sentenced to jail for 48 days and has surrendered himself to start his sentence.  He surrendered himself yesterday at about 5:30 p.m.

“Mr. Sutherland is very polite and humble. He was very cooperative during the booking process,” said jail spokesman Officer John Balian. “He will be issued an orange jumpsuit, and will be housed alone in a cell, since he’ll be a long-term inmate.”

Sutherland will be assigned to laundry and kitchen duty, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to the other inmates. As an inmate worker, he’ll be allowed the roam the jail “about 75 percent of the time” – rather than be confined to his cell all day – though the only time he’ll be in contact with other inmates is when he’s serving food, said Balian.

Sutherland is expected to serve his entire term, the L.A. City Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

“Sutherland will be serving the 48 days in the Glendale City Jail, with no early release and no good time/work time credit, so we expect that he will serve the entire 48 days in jail,” the statement said.

His cell measures 8 by 10 feet, and features a toilet, washbasin and water fountain, according to the jail’s Web site.

He will receive two hot and one cold meals a day. Among the menu items: Corn flakes, turkey sandwiches, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and chicken a la king. He will be allowed visitors between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. for 15 minutes each. No more than two visits per day are allowed.

It sucks that people like Lindsay Lohan and such get out after an hour, but he has to serve all 48 days. I wonder what he’ll be thinking for the holidays.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland has been sentenced to 48 days in jail stemming from his DUI arrest this past summer and violating his probation. Kiefer was sentenced to serve the time consecutively at the Glendale City Jail. The alternative was the L.A. County prison, so he lucked out in that regard. He has until March 30 to complete his jail sentence.

Asked if he had any comment, Sutherland, 40, smiled and shook his head as he walked away from the courtroom.

Judge Stuart M. Rice also sentenced Sutherland to five years probation, and he must complete an 18-month alcohol education program and attend weekly therapy sessions for six months.

Sutherland released this statement following his arrest saying, “I’m very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I’m deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on 24 and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally.”

Kiefer Sutherland struck a deal in his DUI case today, pleading no contest to a misdemeanor drunk driving charge, according to court documents. His attorney met with city prosecutors ahead of his scheduled arraignment for next week. The LA City Attorney’s office is recommending, to the judge, that Sutherland be sentenced to 48 days in jail - 30 days for the DUI conviction and an additional 18 days for violating his probation.

The actor will be sentenced on December 21.

“I’m very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I’m deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on 24 and at 20th Century Fox,” Sutherland said in a statement. “I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally.”

The 40-year-old 24 star was arrested on September 25 after he was pulled over for making an illegal U-turn in Hollywood. A statement released by 20th Century Fox indicated that Sutherland’s jail term would not affect production on 24. “Kiefer made it clear to us at the time of his arrest that his first concern was the welfare of those he worked with and that he intended to do whatever was necessary to prevent shutting down the show because of his situation,” said the statement. “He told us that even if he had to sacrifice more time in custody in order to protect the show and the jobs of those who work with him, he would do so. From what occurred today, it is evident he is a man of his word. We wish him well and look forward to a long relationship with him.”