24: “Business Decisions” Might Make Season 8 the Last

If 24 decides to call it a day at the end of the eighth season, it won’t be because the producers wanted to put an end to it, or Kiefer Sutherland wanted out, or they’ve run out of stories to tell.  It’ll be, simply, a business decision.

“It’s our last contractual season of 24,” Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly told iF Magazine.  “There are a lot of moving parts, so we’re not sure what will happen after that.”

But he’s not saying Kiefer’s quitting it, or the producers are quitting it.  In fact, he says, everyone’s committed to the show, and a ninth season–or a film–is not out of the question.  “We don’t have any of them looking to jump ship,” he said.  “It’s going to come down to a business decision.  It’s not an inexpensive show on the network books and we also want to finish strong.  This is not a show we want to prop up.  It will be a whole creative and business decision and something we’ll have to deal with over the next few months.”

While it’s no secret that Fox has 24 signed on for this season at the moment, some people close to the situation are surprised by the remarks.  “I think it’s a sign that the network is ready to play hardball,” an executive, who did not wish to be identified–because he wants to see 24 continue–told The New York Times.

In fact, the newspaper reports, the current season’s already seeing the effects of tighter belts and more prudent wallets.  The show may be set in New York, but don’t expect to see Jack Bauer walk the streets of the city.  The plan is for street scenes to be shot back in Los Angeles–a stark difference from last season, where they shot on location in Washington, D.C.

That, or they’d shoot street scenes behind a green screen, much like a weather report.  That doesn’t look good.

24 – Katee Sackhoff & Brannon Braga Interview

Former Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackhoff will play a CTU analyst and the love interest of Freddie Prinze Jr.’s new CTU agent in the upcoming eighth (and possibly final) season of Fox’s 24, and executive producer Brannon Braga says she brings a lot of her Starbuck credibility to the role.

“Credibility is a very, very good word to use,” Braga (FlashForward) said in an exclusive interview at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif., last week.

Braga added: “Obviously, we’re all fans of Katee from Battlestar, and we were looking for this role of Dana Walsh—that’s the character’s name—a character who is really smart and part of a new CTU that is what we’re calling CTU 2.0. It’s the next generation of CTU. And we wanted to find someone who just had an inherent strength and intelligence, but was also very beautiful. That’s a very hard role to cast, and Katee fit the bill. It’s that Jeri Ryan type of actress, you know?” Braga added, referring to his former Star Trek: Voyager star. “They’re hard to find. I mean, no insult to the talent pool out there, but they’re not easy to find.”

For her part, Sackhoff said that she’ll be playing “the head programmer at CTU.” Will she butt heads with Mary Lynn Rajskub’s irascible Chloe? “Of course,” Sackhoff said. “Of course. That’s part of the fun, yeah.”

The new season, which kicks off at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Jan. 19, 2010, moves the action to New York, Braga said. “CTU has been reconstituted and is in the form of CTU New York,” he said. “And it involves the U.N. And a very, very important peace process that is being threatened. … Jack Bauer [Kiefer Sutherland] will get involved. … There’s some familiar faces coming back, but there are some new faces in the form of Katee Sackhoff and Freddie Prinze Jr. and Anil Kapoor [Slumdog Millionaire], and it’s a very cool season. But there are some big surprises as well that I think I’d be fired if I gave away.”

For Sackhoff, shooting 24 was eerily reminiscent of her time on Battlestar. “It’s a little weird,” she said. “Because Brad Turner directed one of the episodes of Battlestar Galactica, … and he was [one of] the first directors that I had for 24. So I literally, like, came in, and it was a seamless transition. … [Former Battlestar co-star] Callum Keith Rennie was there, and I was there, and Brad was there, and it was like, ‘Wow, this is great!’”

In addition to Sackhoff and Prinze, the eighth season will introduce new cast members Mykelti Williamson, John Boyd, Jennifer Westfeldt and Chris Diamantopoulos.

24 – Is this the Last Season?

Kevin Reilly, Fox Entertainment President, said that the upcoming season of “24” might be its last. Kudos to iFmagazine.com for breaking this story.

The upcoming season of “24” is the last covered by the show’s current contract, and although Kiefer Sutherland remains enthusiastic, Reilly is unsure of the show’s fate. However, he says there is still a chance of the show continuing past this season or the making of a ‘24′ movie.

“It’s our last contractual season of ‘24′,” Reilly said, discussing the issue with iF’s contributing writer Abbie Bernstein at the TV Critic’s Association’s summer press tour in Pasadena. “There are a lot of moving parts, so we’re not sure what will happen after that.”

“We haven’t made any decision whether it’s back or not [after this upcoming season],” says Reilly. “The producers are passionate, Kiefer is passionate and we don’t have any of them looking to jump ship. It’s a show we’re really proud of. It’s going to come down to a business decision. It’s not an inexpensive show on the network books and we also want to finish strong. This is not a show we want to prop up. It will be a whole creative and business discussion and something we’ll have to deal with over the next few months.”

While there has been some slippage in ’24’s’ ratings, the show is coming off one of its strongest seasons yet, creatively. Furthermore, according to Forbes, of all the shows on TV in primetime, only “American Idol”–also on Fox–gets higher ad rates for its commercials than does “24.”.

Howerer, there is no doubt ‘24‘ is expensive, and the networks are facing a poor ad market.

24 Kiefer Sutherland Comic Con Interviews