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Will You Miss 24 If It Gets Canceled?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:30:25 -0800

Jack Bauer may not live to see another day on the small screen after all. Word on the street is that execs at Fox are ready to pull the plug on 24 since ratings are down and the show costs so much to produce. The good news is that the 24 movie is still on the table, which means we don't have to worry about Jack kicking the bucket at the end of season eight.

I've run hot and cold with the series over the eight seasons, so I wouldn't be totally heartbroken to see the end of 24. How many times can Jack Bauer really escape death anyway? What about you - will you miss 24 if it gets canceled?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Buzz In: What Other TV Shows Should Be Made Into Movies?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:21 -0800

I guess Jack Bauer isn't retiring any time soon: 24 is about to be made into a full-length feature film starring Kiefer Sutherland. The show's two-hour TV movie in 2008, "Redemption," was both successful and satisfying - and a good indication that the big screen version of 24 could be awesome as well.

The Simpsons and The X-Files were made into films while their TV counterparts were still on the air, but it's not known if the production on the 24 movie will start before or after the series ends.

Old TV series have long been mined for movie material; right now, The A-Team and Gunsmoke are headed to the movies, but what current TV shows would you want to see jump from the small to big screen? Lost is an obvious one, while Mad Men has the kind of production value that could translate into a film. What TV shows would you like to see turned into a movie?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Are You Digging the New Season of 24?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0800

I don't know about you, but my love for Jack Bauer and 24 has wavered a bit over the years. Some seasons kept me on the edge of my seat (particularly the first and fifth), while others just weren't enough to keep me tuned in (like the sixth).

That's why I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hooked on season 8. Though Jack is gettin' a little older, he hasn't lost any of his grit - and the new supporting characters like Freddie Prinze Jr. and Katee Sackhoff are definitely adding a new level of appeal for me. I'm also glad to see the show take on a new setting in NY, and though the attempted assassination on a President has been done to death, I'm already enjoying the twists and turns thus far. Plus I still love Cherry Jones and Mary Lynn Rajskub, and a little cameo from The Vampire Diaries's Paul Wesley doesn't hurt either.

Only time will tell if I'll stay engrossed as the hours tick on, but what are your thoughts - are you digging the new season?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Buzz Interview: Katee Sackhoff Sees a New Day

BuzzSugar — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0800

You probably recognize Katee Sackhoff from her iconic role as Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica, but the actress is ready to keep her feet on the ground as a newcomer on 24. Sackhoff will be playing Dana Walsh, a CTU analyst with some skeletons in her closet. Season eight kicks off its big season premiere tomorrow night, and I recently had the chance to chat with Katee about her character, Kiefer Sutherland, and why she still hasn't seen Avatar. Here are highlights:

On landing her new part: I was excited. When it was presented to me, I had another offer to do a TV show at the same time. As a fan of 24, I was so curious. I dug a little deeper and talked to the producers about it, and obviously I had auditioned for it. Ultimately it was such a great move for me, creatively and career-wise. I just kind of jumped at it, it was fantastic. And I continue to be excited about it, it's great.
On the sense of camaraderie on the set: It's all like a big family. 24, if there's anything they do well, it's welcome new cast members. They have so many new cast members that come on every single season that they're very good at it. Especially Mary Lynn [Rajskub], she's like "Hey, welcome aboard, I hope you don't die!" So, it's great. I've learned over the years to treat this as a job and not get too caught up in it and emotionally attached to anything. It's difficult but it has served me well on 24, because you never know what's comin'. I'm very aware that my place on 24 and in this business is finite.
On keeping things light on the set: Kiefer has Air Supply "All Outta Love" on his cell phone. So every time it rings, we hear Air Supply. That kind of starts it. Like, at one point we all broke into song. So it's great. Kiefer is a very, very, very funny man. I know that on the panels he doesn't show that side of him, but he is absolutely hysterical and everyone on the show has a great sense of humor. It's pretty easy to have fun.

To see what else Katee had to say about loving sci-fi fans and leaving Battlestar in the dust, just read more.

On preparing for a role when you never know what's next: You just have to be committed to every moment that you play. It's a blessing and a curse, but I knew a little bit more about my character than most people would going in, just because I had so many questions about it. It hasn't shocked me too much, and I kinda knew how to play her. But it's definitely something that you have to think about, that they could turn you into a German tomorrow. You have absolutely no idea what's gonna happen.
On BSG's rabid fan base: I love the fans. I owe Battlestar and SyFy channel so much that the only reason I would be sick of it is if I didn't have something to look forward to right now. Because I do, I get to look back on it fondly instead of with resentment. It's great. I love the show, I love the fans. It's phenomenal. I have no desire to go back - it was two years ago, and I've definitely left it behind me, and I've moved on to hopefully just as exciting work.
On loving sci-fi: I grew up watching Star Trek, because in my family we had one television and two channels. So it was between Star Trek and the mating rituals of beavers. With a school teacher for a mother, you're kind of like, "Dang it, please don't make me watch another beaver special." So I definitely love sci-fi. The first movie I ever remember watching with my father was Alien. Sigourney Weaver is still my favorite actress of all time. I could only hope to have the career she's had. She's pretty amazing.
On Avatar: I haven't seen Avatar yet, 'cause I'm avoiding it until people stop seeing it. I'm not very good with crowds. I went to go see Sherlock Holmes over the holiday, and there were so many people in there. I cracked open my beer and everyone turned, and I was like "Why is everyone looking at me? Oh, it's because I snuck beer into the theater. I forgot about that." I like to sit there and pull out my food from home, like my veggie snacks and my Miller 64. I don't want to be judged. So I'm gonna wait until people stop seeing Avatar, and I'll be like the second billion dollars they make.
Will we ever see her in comedy? I don't see anyone hiring me for a half hour comedy in the near future. Which is fine, I enjoy drama. And for right now, I'll do what people want to see me do. Which is beat people up.

TCA Tidbits: Parks and Recreation Bring the Funny, Maybe More 24 on the Way

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:30:30 -0800

The Winter TCA is still going strong, but let's backtrack a bit to recap highlights from two beloved shows. One of the more lively panels of the weekend was with the cast and showrunners of Parks and Recreation. Now that they're midway through their second season, creator Greg Ellis, Amy Poehler, and the rest of the cast joked about how they finally found their niche and why we shouldn't expect any crossovers in the near future. Meanwhile, Kiefer Sutherland lightened up the 24 panel with jokes about going through airport security and revealed that he's game for more seasons of the show. Here are highlights:

The creators of Parks and Rec admitted that the show needed some time to find its footing, but other major changes helped: notably, toning down Poehler's character (their new motto is "More Knope, Less Dope") and keeping Chris Pratt on as a series regular.
Amy shared a few thoughts on the show's success: "What’s been nice is there has been a slow build of our show in many ways, and certainly the critical response, including some of the people probably in this room who we are very grateful for, have helped people take a second look at the show, and that’s felt very - very satisfying and very genuine. And so we’re kind of just hoping, of course, that that continues, that that word of mouth and the people that like our show like other things and they’ll come and find it."
Fun episodes to look forward to: Tom will bond with Justin Theroux's character over a love of fashion (apparently Tom's love for polo shirts and the like was Aziz Ansari's idea). Also: we'll finally get a peek at Leslie Knope's home and, according to Poehler, "see how she lives."
But don't get your hopes too high for a crossover with another show. When asked about teaming up with 30 Rock, Poehler said, "Well, I want do something with Lost
but they’re not on NBC. . . . It would be very difficult to do a crossover. That would be great, like, to try to shoehorn a crossover and, like, where we just go,'ding-dong.'"

To see what happened over on the 24 panel, just read more.

Jack Bauer may be a grandpa these days, but that doesn't mean season eight is necessarily Sutherland's last. When asked about continuing the show, he said, "We’ve always approached each season, just the task of doing it, as so great that
literally from the very first season on, we’ve completed that season, and it was really Fox’s decision to pick us up. There’s never been one specific season that the next season was guaranteed or ensured. This has been one of the greatest gifts of my life, the ability to do 24. So for me, yeah. It’s something that is absolutely open. I’ve always said that as long as people wanted us to make it, and people were really interested in watching it, I would be interested."
In the season premiere, we actually get a few smiles from Jack Bauer (you know, before all the explosions and terrorism set in). When asked about what it's like to play a happy Jack, Sutherland quipped, "The only time Jack Bauer smiled – and again, just because it happened so rarely we noted it, was when he finally in Season 3, when he had captured Nina and was flying back with her on the cargo plane and he had her in handcuffs, he looked at her and smiled. And that was about four episodes before he got to shoot her."
24 newbies Katee Sackhoff and Freddie Prinze Jr. got some attention. Prinze joked about how excited he is to finally get a break from the romantic comedies he's known for, saying, "I don’t get offered this kind of a job, period. You know, for most of my career, if I’m in it, I’m struggling to fall in love for 96 minutes, and I always get the girl." Meanwhile, Sackhoff joked about how different the show is from Battlestar Galactica: "This is so different. It’s on land. The other one was in space and so - you know, it’s good."
Mary Lynn Rajskub on how she feels about Chloe surviving so many seasons: "I mean, there was a turning point where people thought I was weird and annoying, and then I started really helping Jack, and then that was really cool because then people started to like me a lot. So, you know, yeah, I do think that I could die, but I just hope that I don’t."
Just for fun, Kiefer's response to whether or not he gets special treatment at airport security: "No, I - honestly, going through the airport security thing, I get in the same line as everybody else, go through the same search as everybody else. They probably talk to me a little more than the other passengers, but that’s about it. You know, I think people make a joke more than anything. You know, I’ve always been shocked that people that actually I’m flying with say, 'Oh, I feel safer on the plane.' I’m thinking, 'You must not watch the show because everybody around me gets killed.'"

Stay tuned for lots more interviews, and highlights from the Winter TCA!

Which Show's Return Are You Most Looking Forward To?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 07:30:00 -0800

Mid-season TV is about to rev up, and I couldn't be happier! I've already given you a sneak peek at what you can expect from the new season of Big Love and some insider scoop from Chuck's own Zachary Levi, but they're not the only shows that I'm marking on my calendar. Lost is especially high on my list of priorities; I cannot wait to see what tricks the writers are hiding for the final season. And I'm still holding out hope that more viewers get behind Damages. I have a bit of a soft spot for Patty Hewes, even if she is a cold-blooded killer.

There are lots of returning programs to choose from, so tell me - which has you excited?

Buzz-Worthy Video: Jack Bauer Lands on the Naughty List

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:30:59 -0800

The holiday season isn't always merriment and cheer: just take Jack Bauer for example. Sure, we've never seen a holiday played out on 24 (though how amazing would it be to see Jack save the world between bites of pie?), but let's imagine what it would be like to see Jack interrogating Kris Kringle himself. Check out the video below from the folks at rebel Christmas card to see what happens when Jack learns he's not on the nice list this year, and don't forget to play my holiday movie faceoff for a chance to win a prize package!

Battlestar's Katee Sackhoff Signs on For 24

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:30:08 -0700

Battlestar Galactica fans, take note: Starbuck has a new job. Battlestar's Katee Sackhoff is joining the cast of 24 for the upcoming season.

Sackhoff will play an analyst in the new, shiny New York office of CTU. Her Dana Walsh is highly respected and down to earth, but she also "has a skeleton in her closet she's trying desperately to keep hidden." She's in a relationship with agent Davis Cole (to be played by Freddie Prinze Jr.), a former Marine with dreams of being like Jack Bauer.

Post-Battlestar, Sackhoff initially starred in an NBC pilot called Lost and Found from Law and Order's Dick Wolf, where she would have played a tough police officer. But NBC somewhat surprisingly passed on the pilot, leaving Sackhoff free to find other work. Apparently she took herself out of the running for the 24 role last week but changed her mind, threw her name back in, and ended up with the job.

Does 24 seem like a good fit for Sackhoff?

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TV News: Casting, Recasting, and Some Dream Casting

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:30:03 -0700

We now mostly know what shows will be on our TVs come Fall - but who will be starring in them? After pilot season comes a flurry of casting and recasting, as actors whose shows didn't get picked up look for work and networks change up the lineups on some of the forthcoming series. Today, there's word of a big casting, some recastings, and Joss Whedon's dream casting:

The casting: Freddie Prinze Jr.'s ABC comedy pilot wasn't picked up, but the actor didn't have to wait long for a job: He's joining the cast of 24 as a Marine who dreams of becoming a sort of Jack Bauer Jr. He joins a growing number of new cast members for the season, including Anil Kapoor, John Boyd, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Jennifer Westfeldt.
The recastings: A few pilots-turned-series are already searching for replacements for their lead actors. Among those now out of work: Julia Ormond, who was supposed to play the head of surgery in CBS's Three Rivers, and two lead actors in ABC's The Forgotten, Reiko Aylesworth and Rupert Penry-Jones.
The dream casting: Summer Glau is out of work following the cancellation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but Joss Whedon might have a job for her. As you read this, he's trying to come up with just the right role to get her onto Dollhouse next season. He doesn't really want her to play an active, though - so what else could you picture her doing on the show?

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Buzz News Roundup, 5/27

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:30:11 -0700

John Lithgow has landed a - ahem - killer role on the upcoming season of Dexter. - The Futon Critic
Dustin Hoffman will star opposite Paul Giamatti in the indie drama Barney's Version, based on Mordecai Richler's final novel. - Variety
Jennifer Westfeldt and John Boyd are the newest cast members of 24 season eight, joining Anil Kapoor and Chris Diamantopoulos. - TV Guide
Eminem's back on top of the Billboard charts this week, while the Glee cast's "Don't Stop Believin'" hits the singles chart at No. 4. - Billboard
HBO's new series Hung will launch after True Blood in June. - Variety
Speaking of HBO, Al Pacino is in talks to portray Dr. Kevorkian in the HBO movie You Don't Know Jack. - Reuters
Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig will star together in a new dramatic play titled A Steady Rain this fall on Broadway. - NY Post
Former Wilco member Jay Bennett died on Sunday at the age of 45. - Billboard

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