24 Spoilers

The role of Mehran has been cast, with Mido Hamada nabbing the part.

Mido Hamada has booked a recurring role on Fox’s “24″ playing Mehran, the leader of a group of operatives in an Islamic country working against their president. Mido has appeared on “Path to 9/11″ and was a series regular on “State of Mind.” He is repped by Laina Cohn Management, Patrick Hambleton Associates and John Meigs.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Here was last months casting call for this character:

MEHRAN – Middle Eastern, in his mid 20s to mid 40s, he is the leader of operatives in an Islamic country working against the President (Anil Kapoor). Mehran is very charismatic but dangerous. Introduced in one scene in Episode 8, this character will be in multiple episodes… GUEST STAR.

Source: Benny Blog

Comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O’Brian) and several other 24 cast members will be performing “The Lie I Told” at The Laugh Factory Hollywood (on 8001 Sunset Blvd) on Thursday August 27, 2009 at 8 PM. The theme of the night is the actors sharing stories of lies they told and what happened as a result of the lie.

Rajskub will be joined by fellow Season 8 cast members Katee Sackhoff and John Boyd (who play CTU analysts Dana Walsh and Arlo Glass) and by former cast-mates Jean Smart (Martha Logan), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Carlo Rota (Morris O’Brian), Sprague Grayden (Olivia Taylor), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), and Roger Cross (Curtis Manning).

As if seeing all of these 24 cast members weren’t enough reason to go, Katee Sackhoff says on her Facebook that money from the ticket sales will go towards the Children’s Hospital.

You can order tickets online at TicketWeb. You must be over 18 years of age to attend.

John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted (another FOX television show) has recently visited the 24 set. Rodney Charters, the Director of Photography on 24 has posted two pictures from the visit: one of him posing with Walsh and another with Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O’Brian).

CTU full cast lots of guests the Canon boys and John Walsh great guy he loves the look of 24

John Walsh came for a set visit and we all had to pose with him such a hero MaryLynn asked me to tw her shot

Source: Rodney Charters Twitter

Question: 24 has been in the news lately due to its massive budget, including its well-paid main actor. I can understand the network needing to watch its budget, especially with a show that, while still performing well, is not pulling in the ratings it was a few years ago. Kiefer Sutherland has openly spoke about his desire to play Jack Bauer on the big screen for some time now, making his departure (if not the show’s) more likely. 24 has reinvented itself many times in the past, usually with good results, and losing Jack Bauer could breathe new life into the show. Annie Wersching is certainly capable of taking over the lead role, possibly the most capable person 24 has had for such a task. Do you think a cheaper, Jack-less incarnation of 24 is possible, and do you think audiences will go for it?—Todd

Matt Roush: Let’s hope it never comes to that. What’s happening now is the first round of negotiations playing out in the press. In the new issue of TV Guide Magazine, Howard Gordon tells us, “It will require several weeks of serious discussion among cast members and executives to make that determination [about whether and how to continue].” There’s no question the show is expensive; the cost is all on the screen. If Fox (network and studio) can figure out how to keep the production economically viable, I’m sure they’ll do what they can to keep it on the schedule, where it’s such an essential asset in the back half of the season. Personally, I can’t see 24 existing without Jack Bauer. It would be like going to a James Bond movie and having 009 show up. That said, there may be a movement afoot to prove that, like ER or Law & Order or CSI (to name a few), maybe the format and franchise is the star here, and 24 can keep the clock running with a new hero. (Much as I like Annie Wersching, I don’t see taking over the lead position.) Again, if that happens, I think we’ll likely see a replay of those Mulder-less seasons of The X-Files, and do we really want that?

Source: TV Guide Magazine

Zap2It has gotten more information regarding David Anders character on 24:

David Anders will be playing a role on the eighth season of “24″ next year. And it looks like the former Mr. Sark is playing bad once again.

Details have been slowly filling in about Anders’ character on the FOX series, which returns in January. He’ll have a recurring part as the son of an Eastern European mobster, producer 20th Century Fox TV confirms.

The character breakdown describes the character, named Josef Bazhaev, as the “heir apparent to an ‘Eastern Promises’-style godfather. Josef is a dangerous man but is cautious and worries about things more than his father.”

The Eastern Promises-style godfather Bazhaev is being played by Jürgen Prochnow.

Source: Zap2It

Freddie Prinze Jr. (24’s Cole Ortiz) guest hosted WWE Raw last night and in it he promoted the show by being involved in a 24 skit in which wrestler Santino Marella begs to be on the show and shows off his “acting skills” as Jack Bauer.

ALI – Middle Eastern in his late 20’s to early 40’s, he is the right hand Lieutenant to the head of the opposition to President Hassan (Anil Kapoor). Ali believes in the cause and has no problem killing or being killed to accomplish it for his boss, Samir. Will be in several episodes.

Source: SpoilerTV

If you’ve followed our Twitter, you may have noticed our post a few days ago pointing to David Anders being listed as 24 character “Josef”. Today, Natalie Abrams from E! Online has gotten official confirmation from Anders reps that he has joined the cast of 24.

From Julian Sark on Alias to Adam Monroe on Heroes, David Anders just can’t keep away from our favorite TV shows.

Reps for Anders confirm to us that David will be a recurring character on season eight of 24, joining the likes of Freddie Prinze Jr. and Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff. 24 is really beefing up its cast this year, raising alarm in fans that it will truly be the final season.

So what’s David doing this season while Jack Bauer is hunting terrorists in New York, and how long will he be sticking around?

“He will be in a handful of episodes,” says David’s rep.

The rep was coy to say what his part would be, but when asked if David’s new 24 character would go the way of Adam Monroe on Heroes, he laughed and said, “You never know.”

Source: E! Online

YouTube user “clairemakeupandhair” has uploaded a great promo video that she created earlier this year for British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) advertising 24’s seventh season airing on Sky1 HD. In the promo, Carlos Bernard (who had difficulty holding back his laughter) is surrounded by beautiful women (including 24’s Annie Wersching) dancing around him to the beat of Solange Knowles song “T.O.N.Y.“.

Although the promo unfortunately never made it to the air, it’s now online for your viewing pleasure below:

Video: 24 Series Promo “Tony Almeida Now Even Sharper”

In the 8/21 issue of Entertainment Weekly, writer and executive producer Evan Katz gives the scoop on Audrey Raines and the future of 24.

No Audrey Raines

With Fox president Kevin Reilly recently hinting that the coming season of 24 may turn out to be its last, longtime fans are counting down the days to a Jack-Audrey reunion. Unfortunately, exec producer Evan Katz says a series-ending story has already been hatched in the event 24 clocks out for good next May – and it doesn’t involve Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack reconnecting with his former love (played by Kim Raver), who lapsed into a catatonic state at the end of Day 6. “Some of the things we’re doing this season preclude [her returning],” he reveals. “So, I think not.”

Future of 24

Katz says a number of “contingencies are in place” that could either tie up the series or keep it going. (Reilly suggested that the show’s hefty budget could make another season cost-prohibitive.) “We have a scenario that would work well [if it's the end],” says Katz. “But we also have a bunch of scenarios where the show could go in different ways … We’re remaining flexible.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly Aug 21/28, 2009 (Issue #1061/1062, page 105)

UPDATE 8/17: the article has now been posted on EW’s website with an additional paragraph from Evan Katz not seen in the magazine:

What happens if a decision isn’t made by the time the final episode is shot in February? “That’s a great question,” says Katz. “Hopefully it’ll be clear before then.”

IMDB lists Roman Mitichyan as playing “Mikhail” in the seventh and eighth episode, something that is confirmed on his official website (along with a picture of him and Kiefer Sutherland on set):

Roman is also an actor/stuntman in the movie and television industry. You may have seen him in TV shows like, 24, Numbers, Desperate Housewives, The Shield, Dexter and many more. Some of the movies you may have seen him in include, The Kingdom with Jamie Fox, Felon with Val Kilmer and Shadows in Paradise with Armand Asante and many more movies to list here.

It’s currently unknown on whether he is playing the character Mikhail on-screen, or working as a stuntman. We have contacted Mitichyan who has confirmed it is an acting role.

Source: Roman Mitichyan official website

With Katee Sackhoff (who is well known for her action roles) being cast as CTU data analyst Dana Walsh, many fans feared she would be stuck behind a desk all day spitting out computer jargon.

At the 24 Comic-Con 2009 panel, Katee told the crowd story about how she had asked the writers for “a gun, preferably two” which received huge applause from the audience. It seems as though her wish may have been granted.

Question: In your Ask Ausiello absence you promised to keep us busy with lots of prattle from the press tour. Well, you lacked a little on the 24 front. How about making up for that now? —Jordan
Ausiello: Katee Sackhoff won’t be stuck sitting behind a computer for long. I’m told her brainy bombshell will be sprung from CTU’s fancy new headquarters by episode 5.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

The official Katee Sackhoff website also repeats this information:

8.14.09 – Dana Walsh Bound for Action!

Katee is currently shooting her parts for Season 8 of the hit show 24, which she of course became a cast member of earlier this year. Her character, Dana Walsh, is a computer guru and data analyst so you might think that our girl will be stuck behind an LCD monitor all season, right?

Not the case.

Source: KateeSackhoff.com

Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly caught up with Cherry Jones at the FOX 2009 Press Tour for a brief video interview.

When questioned about President Taylor’s emotional state at the start of the season, Cherry replied “I’d say she’s having TV dinners for one”, hinting that Allison became estranged from her husband (Henry Taylor) and daughter (Olivia Taylor) after the events of the Season 7 finale.

When asked if her character was a pivotal part of this season [episodes 7 and 8 are currently being filmed], she replied “I think things are about to heat up a little more for her. There’s a lot of diplomacy going on right now in my world.”

Source: EW.com

After falling out of the top 30 the previous week, True Blood climbed back in for the week ending August 2, with over 44,000 units and after 11 weeks of release has sold over $42 million worth on over 1.2 million units.

So far this year, only two DVD shows have earned more than $17 million in revenue. The aforementioned True Blood and 24, which has sold $17.6 million worth in 11 weeks.

Source: TV By the Numbers

If you’re one of the few who haven’t bought it yet, check out Amazon for a good deal on 24 Season 7 either on DVD or the Blu-Ray version

It was announced tonight during Monday Night RAW live from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that Freddie Prinze, Jr., would be the guest host of next week’s RAW, which will be held in St. Louis, Missouri.

Prinze is a long time World Wrestling Entertainment fan and has been shown on camera at many WWE events, including WrestleMania XXIV. He took his fandom to another level when he actually joined the WWE creative team in July 2008, where he was a writer for the SmackDown brand. He parted ways with WWE in an official capacity in February 2009.

As a long-time fan of the company (and former employee), he should be quite effective in his role as guest host for the night. Expect him to be foil for WWE Champion Randy Orton, whose hometown happens to be St. Louis.

Prinze follows other celebrities like Jeremy Piven, Shaquille O’Neal, ZZ Top and Seth Green who have stepped into the temporary leadership role for Monday Night RAW.

Source: Examiner.com

According to McMahon, potential guests include Freddie Prinze, Jr (the actor and former WWE Creative Team member who would plug the eighth season of “24,” which starts in January), Bob Barker (the famed former “Price is Right” host) and the Reverend Al Sharpton.

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. 17, 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!’”

Source: SCI Fi Wire

William Keck from TV Guide Magazine has wrangled a little more information out of 24 writer Brannon Braga regarding Callum Keith Rennie’s character:

Battlestar Galactica vet Callum Keith Rennie, who played Leoben Conoy on the sci-fi series, will be joining his former co-star Katee Sackoff on the new season of 24, premiering in January 2010. Callum, who also had a recurring role on Californication and played Harper’s Island killer John Wakefield, will be playing Vladimir Laitanan. Co-exectuive producer Brannon Braga describes the character as a Russian syndicate mobster who debuts around episode six or seven. “We love this actor,” says Braga.

Expect Vlad to team in some way with 24’s other new villain, Eastern European mobster Bazhaev, played by “Das Boot” actor Jurgen Prochnow.

Source: TV Guide Magazine

IMDB is now listing Jordan Marder under the role of Dimitri. Here is the casting call for Dimitri as a refresher:

DIMITRI – Eastern European, in his mid 30s to mid 40s, he is an enforcer for our “European Godfather.” Dimitri is introduced in Episode 5 and will return in Episode 8 where he has an intense encounter with Jack Bauer. Cannot be any taller than 5’11” and should have a slight Eastern European accent.. GUEST STAR.

Looking at his resume (PDF link), he certainly fits the height requirements standing at 5’9” tall (which is precisely the same height as Kiefer Sutherland).

Source: IMDB.com

Washington, Aug 7 (ANI): Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland have been named the top-earning actors on the small screen in the U.S.

According to a new TV Guide magazine Who Makes What, Sheen rakes in 825,000 dollars per episode of his sitcom ‘Two and a Half Men’, reports Contactmusic.

Sutherland leads the drama list, pocketing 550,000 dollars for every outing as Jack Bauer on ‘24′.

He’s followed by Hugh Laurie of ‘House’ and ‘Law and Order: SVU’ duo Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, who each pick up cheques for 400,000 dollars per episode.