According to TVGuide.com, there’s more evidence that the end is near for 24. Howard Gordon, the show’s executive producer, has already lined up his next project.

Gordon will produce the Israeli series Prisoners of War for U.S. audiences. In the Israeli drama, three soldiers return home after being held captive in Syria for 17 years. The U.S. import, tentatively titled Patriots, will center on three American soldiers presumed dead after the 2003 invasion in Iraq, but are found to be alive in a cave 10 years later.

Alex Gansa, another 24 producer, and show’s creator, Gideon Raff, will write the pilot with Gordon. The American version will also feature a new character, a counterterrorism agent, who won’t be jack Bauer.

As for 24, Gordon said “discussions are still being held” and he claims both he and star Kiefer Sutherland, whose contract expires at the end of the season, would be open to a ninth season.

“If there is 24 past Season 8, I will be part of that,” Gordon said, adding that he may be demoted from showrunner. “[Sutherland] is inclined to do another season if there is a good story.”

Though Fox has made it clear it probably won’t pick up 24, there has been speculation another network, maybe NBC, will take the show off their hands.

According to Variety, 24’s time is almost up.

The trade magazine claims that 20th Century Fox TV and Fox are ready to end the long-running hit after this season.

Though the network has declined to comment on the speculation, it would not come as a huge surprise.The cost of producing 24 has increased each season while the rating have dropped.

Even if 24 is canceled, there is a possibility that the the franchise will move to the big screen. The team behind the show, including Kiefer Sutherland, have made major strides in recent months toward a 24 movie a la Sex And The City. There’s also talk that the film version would take Jack Bauer to Europe.

Throughout its eight year run, the show has won the Emmy and the Golden Globe awards for best drama and Sutherland has scored both an Emmy and a Globe for best actor. 24 has also received Emmy Awards for writing and directing and last year, Cherry Jones won an Emmy for supporting actress in a drama.

But even with the prospect of a movie, fans aren’t satisfied. They want to see 24 come back for a ninth season. A Facebook page called “Renew 24 for a 9th Season” already has 1575 members and several fans have also joined a Twitter campaign to try to save the show.

But, their efforts may be too late as some are expecting an official announcement from Fox in the next few days.

Shows in general are getting old.  Some are even leaving, like Lost.  With NBC in shambles and basically out of the ratings picture besides Thursday nights, the other big networks are left to battle for the wandering viewers.  The cable networks are actually capitalizing on these “lost” viewers, coming up with new shows like Burn Notice and Caprica.  But while we might give the new shows a couple of episodes or a season trial, we still want the “lock-of-the-week”, a show or shows that we know will leave us satisfied.  But it seems like the industry is transitioning.  There are new shows, new players and its just coming down to attrition.  It’s only a matter of time before series like 24 and others fade out into the distance.

24 is getting old, there’s no doubt about it.  There are only so many times that Jack Bauer can save the world.  He’s fought the Russians, the eastern Europeans, the Arabs, the Chinese.  The only thing that is left for him to conquer is global warming.  I like how they’ve retained Elisha Cuthbert and Mary Lynn Rajskub.  But unlike Chloe O’Brien, Cuthbert’s character really brings nothing to the table, except for the fact that she’s Jack’s daughter.  The show’s producers are trying to show a different side of Bauer, a softer, more family-oriented person.  But they will never be able to get away from the fact that he is a stone-cold killer.  And viewers will want to see that action of him killing five guys with three bullets over some sappy romance that seems to be budding with him and Agent Walker.

CSI’s experiment with Morpheus has helped it tread water for a little bit.  But still, ratings have slipped and it is no longer the top show on television.  I think what might help it come back is the reappearance of Grissom, something that I think they are setting up for the season finale.  In the show there has been more reference to him and more questions being asked towards Sara as well.  But to the show’s credit, they still come up with ingenious storylines that still have me coming back week after week after week.

Because of these shows dying off, more people are turning to cable networks.  The distribution of power is trickling down and is being more evenly distributed.  Plus, more people are turning to HBO and Cinemax for original series since those channels allow more blood, swearing, and sex.  I’m convinced that every single idea that has ever been imagined in human history has been made into a television show.  We are out of good ideas.  But this is why the television executives are paid the big bucks–they come up with ideas that the people want to see.  Let’s get more shows like the ones on FX, ones that push the lines of both morality and the television content rating system.  Gone are the days where conservative television reigned supreme.  Execs need to get with the times if they want to keep making money off successful shows.

Is Jack Bauer, dare I say, happy in season 8 of 24? The latest promo for season 8 shows a smiley Jack laughing with his daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) and playing with his granddaughter.

But don’t worry, this softer, kinder Bauer doesn’t seem to last for long. The promo also shows “The Shield’s” Benito Martinez as the man who lures Jack back into the terrorism-fighting business and more of the New York CTU (including a shot of Freddie Prinze Jr.). Thankfully there are few familiar faces back too, like Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and President Taylor (cherry Jones).

The promo even has a couple of the classic one liners 24’s become known for like when a young staff member asks, “Who is Jack Bauer?” and at one point Jack says, “I hate this place”.

Season 8 of 24 premieres Sunday, Jan. 17 and continues on its regular Monday home the next night. Are you ready for another 24 hours? Here’s a look at the promo below:

Just when you thought it was safe to believe in your president…he returns to the spotlight.

No, I’m not talking about French politics, I’m talking about the dastardly U.S. president, Charles Logan, from Fox’s real-time action hit 24.

Gregory Itzin played the nefarious head of state in 24 and was nominated for an Emmy award for his initial performance. He recently signed on for a multi-episode arc on the upcoming eighth season. Logan was last seen during Season 6 when the former president was flatlining en route to a hospital after being stabbed by his emotionally unstable wife, Martha Logan (played brilliantly by Jean Smart). During the opening of Season 7, Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) told Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) that Logan was alive and still serving under house arrest in Colorado. He was never seen nor heard from again.

Killing off Logan was never the plan for the show as the character possesses rich background and interest. Former executive producer Jon Cassar stated after Logan’s ambulance ride, “I did everything I could not to kill him. I wanted to give us the [option] to potentially bring him back.”

Logan will be enlisted by still-President Taylor (Emmy winning Cherry Jones) who “reluctantly enlists Logan to assist with an escalating international diplomatic crisis.” “The opportunity for these two remarkable actors to share the stage was simply too compelling to pass up,” said executive producer Howard Gordon.

The eighth season of 24 debuts with the typical two-night, four-hour premiere beginning on January 17th. The upcoming season will feature a now-retired Jack Bauer who is pulled back into action after learning that a Middle East peacekeeper (Anil Kapoor) may be assassinated.

Wersching, along with 24 alum Mary Lynn Rajskub, will be joining Sutherland this season. Joining the cast and who will probably be killed off pretty quickly are Katee Sackhoff, Mykelti Williamson and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Itzin was last seen in the feature film Law Abiding Citizen as the warden of the prison holding Gerard Butler’s deranged Clyde Shelton. Despite poor reviews, the film has amassed over $50 million and remains strong in the U.S. box office.

“24″ doesn’t return until January 2010 but FOX is already teasing us with a first look at Day 8.

Jack Bauer has another very long day in front of him. This time, he is trying to save the president of a middle eastern country who is about to be assassinated at the U.N. This also means most of the day will take place in New York City.

We also learn Jack will be reunited with his daughter Kim and will finally get to meet his granddaughter. It also looks as though President Taylor (Cherry Jones) and Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) will be back.

Day 8, will premiere in a two-hour, four-night event on Sunday, January 17th on FOX.

All week, the networks will be unveiling their fall schedules at the Upfronts in NYC. The upfronts are basically meetings between television network executives with the press, show stars and advertisers. It gives advertisers a chance to buy commercial airtime before the season starts in the fall. This morning Fox announced their line-up.

The network is introducing six new shows, the musical “Glee”, three comedies, the animated “The Cleveland Show”, “Brothers”, “Sons of Tucson” and two dramas, dramas “Human Target” and “Past Life”.

The network is also introducing a few scheduling changes. “Lie to Me” will follow “House” on Monday nights, while “Fringe” movies to Thursdays, where it will follow “Bones.”

“So You Think You Can Dance,” which has its Season 5 premiere Thursday, will have its first shot at the fall season while “Dollhouse” was given a second chance on Friday nights.

“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Sit Down, Shut Up” and “Do Not Disturb” were all cancelled.

Here’s the full schedule:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME

TUESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

The midseason schedule is after the jump…

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: MIDSEASON 2010

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:00-10:00 PM PAST LIFE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (January) / GLEE (spring)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM SONS OF TUCSON
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW

As we found out in the last episode, Jack has been contaminated, and the CDC shows up to find out exactly what he’s been into. He’s not yet showing any symptoms, which is rather ominous of what’s to come. Testing will take about 15 minutes, and in the interim jack wants to go to the FBI.

Meanwhile, the canisters filled with the bioweapon show up at Starkwood, as does Tony, who was previously captured. Hodges wants the weapon to be deployed yesterday and two hours to set it up is too long. Unsurprisingly, Tony gets beat up a bit, and Hodges says he will keep him alive if he talks, but Tony refuses (I’m sure he was doubtful as to whether he’ll actually be kept alive). Greg Seaton shows up and wants the plan to be called off, but Hodges is determined to go through with it.

Back at the White House, our newly found leak, Olivia, recommends Rick Berman to replace Ethan for Chief of Staff. The President says she wants Olivia to do the job while the replacement search is on, and she agrees. Larry calls the President to let her knwo Jack was (surprise!) innocent, and that Starkwood is behind the terrorist attacks. They begin to prepare to strike at Starkwood. Larry also lets go of Renee and wants her to bring Jack up to speed. He even apologizes for not trusting her, as does she in turn. Olivia meets with Aaron Pierce and asks him to be in charge of her security detail. She wants him reinstated, but he is reluctant about it. The bioweapon gets identified as an agent that will attack the brain and nervous system and kills the average person within a day or two, and no cure is on the horizon.

Tony still isn’t talking, and Stokes has had enough and about to blow his head off when Greg Seaton busts in and shoots him. Seaton is convinced that Hodges has completely lost it and he lets Tony go. Both of them ehad into Seaton’s office and then Hodges calls. Seaton tells him that they’re still trying to get Tony to talk, and Hodges wants Seaton to report to him. Then they call the FBI, where Seaton wants immunity in exchange for the bioweapon location. Larry needs to ask the President first, but he updates Tony on Jack’s “condition,” aka impending demise. Jack gets his report as well, he’s infected, but not contagious. Some bioweapon that is!

The President and Olivia both watch pretty awful footage of a bioweapon being tested on people in Sangala. The President then gives Larry authorization to move on Starkwood and agrees to pardon Seaton. Seaton then gives the location where the canisters are stored, and it will take the FBI 10 minutes to get there. Renee asks Seaton to get Tony to the warehouse. Jack wants to go, but as you might expect being a dead man walking probably isn’t the best idea in the field. Seaton brings Tony inside the warehouse, where Hidges and his security team are working on the bioweapon. They have about an hour before it is ready to go. Larry tells Starkwood’s air tower to let them in by executive order.

Hodges hears the helicopters coming and Larry blows open the doors. The FBI team enters but no one is there. Larry isn’t too pleased at this development, but Seaton doesn’t know where they went. Larry doesn’t believe him. Hodges, meanwhile, looks at the scene through a security monitor at a totally different warehouse. Larry moves the FBI out and keeps searching, but they’re met by a team led by Stokes, who I guess isn’t dead. Neither group appears to back down, and we’re left at a stand off situation.

The FBI is still on the look out for Jack, and Larry gets on the horn to talk to Ethan and informs him that Mayer (the Senator) dead. Unfortunately for Jack, they think that he killed him. Ethan isn’t pleased at all with Larry letting Jack get away and murdering the Senator.  Larry points out that he told Ethan to leave Jack out of this in the first place.  Realizing this, Ethan submits his resignation.

The President’s husband is still recovering and she tries to convince Ethan to decide against resigning, but he’s convinced that his poor judgment has tarnished her administration.

Jack calls Tony and notifies him that a bioweapon that Starkwood is about to get it’s hands on will be used to kill U.S. civilians so that it looks like Starkwood is providing necessary protection. Jack thinks the weapon is at the port, but there’s only one security officer there. Carl is talking to his pregnant wife when Jack and Tony meet up and disarm him.

Hodges is told that Quinn hasn’t been heard from. He addresses the board and tells them to stop cooperating with the government. Don’t answer anymore subpoenas, and points out that Starkwood will be a vital too in protecting the U.S. in the future.  Hodges pretty much admits that he was involved in Senator Mayer’s death to the board’s chairman.

Back at the port, Carl explains to Jack and Tony that he’s trying to make extra cash for his soon to be twins. He was supposed to aid the men smuggle in some cargo, which he thought were bringing in electronics. They’re not there yet, and Jack tries to get in touch with the FBI, no go there as communication is out. They force Carl to help them out. Tony tells jack he knows Carl is pretty much a dead guy.

Olivia apologies to Ethan about his resignation, though she agrees that it’s best for the president. Ethan apologized in turn for saying she was a leak to the press. He goes on to to tell her that the President needs to do what’s right for the people. She then calls the White House reporter to inform him that he can run the story about Ethan and Jack. Bam, she’s the leak.

At the port, Jack refuses to move out with his friend Carl, who he said he would protect. He can’t let anyone else die because of his actions. One of the men he’s supposed to meet leads off Carl to be executed, but Jack saves him despite Tony’s protests. Time for plan B, which is steal the truck. The dead executioner is found and Tony and Jack open fire. Jack jumps on the truck and prepares to drive away when he hears Tony has been caught. He then calls larry and asks him to put teams together at the weigh station.

Jack gets him off the phone, but quickly realizes one of the containers has broken open and the gas is leaking out. He manages to hammer the leak closed. Then Starkwood shows up with gunmen and a helicopter, and they take the bioweapon away. Jack calls larry and tells him Starkwood has the weapon, but Larry can’t just go barging in to a private compound. Jack says he has the evidence, himself.

So now we have Jack, who’s once again a fugitive, heading for the garage to make his escape. Morris O’Brian shows up at the FBI wanting to know where his wife is. He finds that Chloe has been arrested. Larry calls Janis and then tells her that Ryan Burnett was killed, and our main man Jack is the best lead they have for a suspect.  Renee is filing paperwork for her suspension, and asks what’s going on.

Renee goes back to her office where Jack calls and, as you might expect, explains he is innocent. Thankfully, Jack took a surveillance DVD from the hospital security. He e-mails her a screen of Quinn.

Quinn then gets Hodges on the phone and informs him that Jack got away. Hodges doesn’t really care since the “shipment” from Juma will arrive soon. They’ll deploy the weapons so that it doesn’t matter who finds out. Hodges goes on to insist that they’re in a war and they need to do what is necessary to get the job done.

Renee then gets Jack on the phone and informs him that Quinn works for Starkwood, which is a private military organization. A Senator has been investigating the firm and she tells Jack to have a chat with him. Renee gives him the current location of the Senator. Then Larry walks in and has Janis track Renee’s phone workstation. Renee will lead them to Jack.

The President is preparing to address the nation when Ethan arrives and explains what happened with Jack at the hospital. He also admits his involvement in Jack’s plan. Meanwhile Renee is arrested by Larry. Jack confronts Senator Mayer in his house, who doesn’t recognize Quinn. Mayer says that Starkwood is connected to Juma or Sangala. Jack wants him to give him the case files for the investigation.

The President addresses the nation and a news reporter asks Ethan for a statement regarding Jack Bauer. The reporter also goes on to ask about his involvement. It turns out Olivia leaked this information to the press. Etahn isn’t too pleased about this and confronts Olivia.

Janis has a rough time decoding Renee’s workstation and gets Morris to help, who does if Chloe gets full immunity. Larry agrees. Morris then decrypts the files and finds Jack’s location, and Larry sends the SWAT teams in after him. Morris is back with Chloe again.

Jack is going through Mayer’s files and finds that Juma tested a bioweapon against his own people. Starkwood was somehow involved and wanted the bioweapons to fight against Mayer’s attempts to bring them down. Just then Quinn shows up and shoots the Senator. Jack runs away.

Olivia meets with the President and Ethan. She says that she was not in fact the leak and CNB news confirmed it was not from the White House. Ethan apologizes to Olivia since he’s an idiot.

Quinn, meanwhile, is still chasing after Jack and they end up at a construction site. He catches up to Jack, who ends up killing Quinn with a screwdriver, but not until he finds a text message on Quinn’s phone that identifies the possible location of the weapons.

Larry calls Janis and says that Jack murdered the Senator and that they’ll kill him on sight from here out. Jack uses Quinn’s phone to call Tony Almeida for help and Jack asks him to bring weapons and surveillance to the Port of Alexandria. Cue dramatic music!