According to Jon Cassar’s Twitter feed, he won’t be directing any episodes for Season 8 as he’s going to be involved with making a film.

“I won’t direct any episodes in Season 8. I’ve left the show to chase a feature film career. They’ve already shot eps 1&2″

T.J. Ramini, who played Yaniv, the Israeli boot camp instructor who got Gabby into shape on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” this past season, has joined Fox’s “24” as a recurring.

He will play Tarin Karoush, an associate of the Middle Eastern leader played by new series regular Anil Kapoor.

Brit Ramini, who also co-starred on the long-running U.K. cop drama “The Bill,” is repped by Pakula/King and manager Brian Ferrantino.

Clayne Crawford has been added to Fox’s “24” as a recurring.

On the 20th TV/Imagine-produced “24,” in production on its upcoming eighth season, Crawford will play a bad boy from Dana Walsh’s (Katee Sackhoff) past. Sackhoff recently signed on as a new regular on the real-time drama starring Kiefer Sutherland, playing an expert data analyst at CTU with a secret past who is involved with CTU agent Davis Cole (Freddie Prinze Jr.).

Crawford, who recently wrapped Joe Carnahan’s prequel “Smokin’ Aces: Blowback,” is repped by Innovative and Elevate Entertainment.

His credits also include the features “Swimfan” and “A Love Song for Bobby Long” and an arc on CBS’ “Jericho.”

Suddenly, I find myself counting the minutes until 24’s new season. Perhaps this is why: Katee Sackhoff is joining the cast!

Sources confirm to me exclusively that the Battlestar Galactica heroine has been tapped to play the series regular role of Dayna Pakkala, a highly respected and down-to-earth data analyst at the new and improved New York branch of CTU.

Translation: Chloe-Starbuck catfight alert!

This fraktastic casting coup hit a road block last week when Sackhoff abruptly took herself out of running, prompting me to post this blind item. But late Friday, word surfaced that the BSG badass was once again in the mix.

Here’s more scoop on Sackhoff’s character…

She’s in a relationship with fellow agent Davis Cole (played by the just-cast Freddie Prinze. Jr.), and she apparently has a skeleton in her closet she’s trying desperately to keep hidden.

As I previously reported, 24’s eighth season — which premieres Jan. 17, 2010 — will be set in the Big Apple and center on an assassination plot against a visiting foreign leader (Slumdog Millionaire’s Anil Kapoor). In addition to Sackhoff, Prinze, and Williamson, new Day 8 blood includes Kissing Jessica Stein’s Jennifer Westfeldt (as a journalist with ties to Kapoor’s diplomat) and The Starter Wife’s Chris Diamantopoulos (as President Taylor’s Chief of Staff).

Jennifer Westfeldt and John Boyd have joined the cast of Fox’s “24.”

On the upcoming eighth season of the real-time drama, to be set in New York, “Kissing Jessica Stein” star Westfeldt will play the recurring role of Meredith Reed, an ambitious journalist with ties to Arman Hashemi (Anil Kapoor), a Middle East leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission.

Boyd (”The Notorious Bettie Page”) will be a regular on the 20th TV/Imagine series, playing CTU systems analyst Jonah Schwartz.

Westfeldt and Boyd join previously cast Kapoor and Chris Diamantopoulos as the “24″ producers are filling nine major new roles for Season 8, slated to begin production today.

Westfeldt recently recurred on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and launched a production company with “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm.

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Kiefer Sutherland and Jack McCollough may have patched up after the headbutting incident between the two early this month, but apparently there was more at stake for the 24 star. All that coverage about who did what and why–all those finger-pointing, in other words–allegedly almost cost the actor a role in an upcoming movie.

A source told New York Daily News that the cast and crew of the upcoming Twelve were monitoring the progress of Sutherland’s case very closely. The film’s director, Joel Schumacher, wasn’t happy with all the negative press coverage surrounding the actor. “For the entire week following [the incident], Kiefer’s drama was the white elephant in the room,” the source said. “Joel did not want to talk about it and instructed his cast not to mention anything around him or to the press.”

However, the apology between both parties over the weekend–done days after the 24 star surrendered to authorities and set himself up for a court appearance next month–has cooled everybody down, and decided to keep the actor in his role. “Kiefer’s role in the film isn’t huge anyway,” the source said. “He’s mostly narrating and wouldn’t have been working with very many cast or crew members, which everyone on-set is pretty relieved about. Twelve is in post-production right now, and it wouldn’t make sense to cut Kiefer at this stage of the game.”

The apology came through a joint statement released by both Sutherland and fashion designer McCollough, who was hurt after an altercation in a party in New York City. The agreement sets up the possibility of the assault charges against the actor being dropped.

While there’s no word yet on whether the case will officially be dropped, another source says Sutherland’s relieved after all this–that he’s keeping his job, and that he’s staying out of trouble, for now. “Kiefer is very glad to have settled this so quickly and relatively quietly,” the source said. “He knows the ramifications his actions in New York would have had on his [other legal troubles] … He’s looking forward to just staying out of harm’s way and is content to focus on his work for now. But he hasn’t stopped drinking.”

Kiefer Sutherland visited “The Late Show with David Letterman” Monday night (April 27). Others on the show included Matthew Fox (LOST) and the All American Rejects.



I have no idea if the show has aired with his appearance because I didn’t watch (Leno fan here) and I can’t find any video clips either. So, if you saw it, feel free to chime in here and let us know how it was. Until then, I’ll just keep trying to hunt down the clips.

For now, enjoy these pictures of Kiefer Sutherland below. +2…