Sky has picked up Kiefer Sutherland’s new series Touch for the UK market, to air this Spring.

Sky has announced a deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution to become the exclusive UK home of Kiefer Sutherland’s highly anticipated new drama Touch, from Heroes’ creator Tim Kring. Touch has already been given a series order of 13 episodes on the US network, Fox, home to Sutherland’s previous series 24. The agreement was brokered by Sarah Wright, Controller of Acquisitions, Entertainment, Sky, and Steve Cornish, SVP and Managing Director, 20th Century Fox Television Distribution.

Stuart Murphy, Director, Sky 1 HD said: ““It’s great to have Kiefer back on Sky 1 HD – it feels like his natural home after the phenomenal success of 24. As the face and force behind this new series, we’re confident it will resonate with our customers. Touch is right up there in terms of creative ambition and really delivers on our promise of new, unmissable and exclusive content.”

Sutherland added: “It’s great for Touch to have found a home on Sky. Sky was always supportive of 24 and built some truly innovative promotions for the show. I’m thrilled that UK audiences will get to see the show so soon after the US launch.”

Source: Entertainment Focus (thanks Jack)

Howard Gordon, the Executive Producer of “Homeland” and “24″ has been sued by the family of a man who was killed after Gordon’s wife struck him with the family car.

Here’s what we know … Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Gordon’s wife, Cambria, was driving in Santa Monica on July 20th when her cell phone fell off the seat onto the floor of the car. Cambria reached down to retrieve the phone when her car struck 83-year-old pedestrian William Howard Smerling.

Smerling was taken to the hospital, where he hung on but died a month later.

According to the lawsuit, Smerling had the right of way and Cambria was negligent by taking her eyes off the road. Howard is being sued because he’s the registered owner of the car along with his wife. Under California law, the registered owners are responsible for the misdeeds of those who drive with their permission.

And law enforcement sources tell us … Cambria will be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. The maximum penalty is 1 year in jail, but typically first offenders end up on probation.

In her favor … our law enforcement sources tell us Cambria stopped immediately at the scene and acknowledged responsibility, and she’s been fully cooperative and very remorseful.

Source: TMZ

Today is Kiefer Sutherland’s 45th birthday – he was born on December 21, 1966 in London, England. Happy Birthday, Kiefer!

2012 is set to be a very big year for the actor. First up is the DVD release of The Confession on January 24th. A day later his new drama series Touch will air a special preview event on FOX ahead of the official series premiere on March 19th.

Shortly after that in April is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The 24 movie is scheduled to go into production with Kiefer reprising his role as Jack Bauer. Let’s hope it will be worth the long wait!

FOX has sent out a press release detailing their mid-season schedule and we finally have some information on Touch‘s premiere. First they will air a “special preview” of the pilot episode on January 25th right after American Idol to build buzz, then the series will premiere in 24‘s old time slot on Mondays at 9-10PM in March.

TOUCH, the distinctive new drama created by Tim Kring (“Heroes”) and starring Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) will debut with a special preview Wednesday, Jan. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), immediately following AMERICAN IDOL (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The uplifting drama, which makes its series premiere Monday, March 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), features Sutherland as a widower and single father haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son. But everything changes when he discovers that his son possesses the gift of staggering genius – the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.

In news that flew under the radar, Howard Gordon’s pilot Legends has been picked up to pilot by NBC. The show was originally pitched to the network last year and they ultimately passed on it. But after retooling the script it’s now being given a second chance.

NBC has acquired drama pilot “Legends” from 20th Century Fox TV, with Howard Gordon (“24,” “Homeland”) and Jeffrey Nachmanoff exec producing.

Nachmanoff will direct his own script, about an undercover agent who takes on legendary identities — while coming to face the possibility that his own identity is fictional as well.

Nachmanoff and Gordon formed a partnership after the former directed two episodes of “Homeland,” the Showtime freshman hit.

The writer shares script credit on 2004′s “The Day After Tomorrow” with Roland Emmerich, and also has co-authored “The Last Stand,” a feature with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Forest Whitaker scheduled for a 2013 release.

Source: Variety

Anil Kapoor

Here’s a surprise – 24‘s Anil Kapoor (who starred as Omar Hassan in the final season) has purchased the rights to the television series and will be making an Indian adaptation. Kapoor will play the role of Jack Bauer and plans to cast “top actors” in the leading roles.

Anil Kapoor has bought the rights of one of the most popular American tv series, 24. The show, which ran for eight seasons, also had Kapoor in a cameo in the finale season. His production company has now bought the remake rights and he will adapt it for the Indian telly.

Says a source close to the actor, “It took him a year of negotiations with the American producers and creators of 24 to crack the deal. The international team of 24 will be involved with the making. The show will air in Hindi and will also be dubbed in various regional languages. Kapoor is in talks with India’s top channels and the show will air sometime next year.

In this counter-terrorism drama, Anil will playing the iconic character of Jack Bauer, which is played by Kiefer Sutherland in the original. The show will be shot on a big canvas and will have top actors in leading roles. Anil confirms, “I am really happy that the makers of the show have put their faith in me for its Indian version. When I was shooting for it in the US, I kept wishing that I could take something like this to my Indian audience. Now that wish is close to getting fulfilled.”

When quizzed about stepping into Jack Bauer’s shoes, he says, “It’s a huge honour, but I am anxious as Jack is an iconic character like Jack Sparrow or Batman. He is loved all over the world. It’s a great responsibility for me as an entrepreneur and as actor. I will try my best and hope I can do even 50 per cent of what they have done. If I achieve a little of what Keifer has, I will be happy.”

Interestingly, Jack’s most repeated line on the show is ‘Son of a b***h!’ Wonder how Anil will translate that in Hindi!

Source: Times of India

The Southfork ranch is going to have a bit of a CTU vibe to it when TNT’s Dallas reboot debuts next summer. Vulture has learned that 24 icon Carlos Bernard, who played Jack’s faithful sidekick (until he wasn’t, then was, then wasn’t … ) Tony Almeida, has landed a recurring role on the drama, which will start early in the season. Bernard will play a suave Venezuelan businessman trying to hammer out a deal with J.R. (and hopefully, said deal will include crafty terrorists and several fake deaths). Bernard is currently playing the father of a serial killer in a season-long CSI: Miami arc.

Source: NY Mag/Vulture

Today marks 24‘s tenth anniversary – the show premiered on November 6, 2001 to critical acclaim. Although the ratings weren’t great at first, FOX believed in the show and stuck with it. They aired the seventh episode of the series several days early at 3:00 AM just so it would meet the deadline to be eligible for a Golden Globe nomination. And indeed, Kiefer Sutherland won “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Drama Series” which gave the ratings a nice uptick.

24 10th Anniversary Wallpaper by Galin

FOX also aired the season 2 and 3 premieres commercial free and paired it up with American Idol (the most popular show on TV). With season 4 they bundled the first 24 minutes of the premiere episode on a DVD included in copies of Entertainment Weekly. In order to keep the momentum, they decided to air the season non-stop with no reruns. They shelled out millions of dollars for three advertisements during the Super Bowl. By the fifth season of 24, ratings were at an all-time high. How many other shows can say that?

The fantastic cast members deserve credit too. Think of all the great actors on this show over the years – Dennis Haysbert, Penny Johnson Jerald, Xander Berkeley, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jean Smart, Gregory Itzin, Annie Wersching, Cherry Jones, Jon Voight, and more. And of course we can’t forget the incredible crew who worked tirelessly to create something special. Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow for coming up with this unique idea, Jon Cassar’s fabulous directing which made viewers feel as if they were watching a big-budget movie each week, and Sean Callery’s incredible music which received Emmy nominations for every season of the show.

24 was a great show and will hopefully become a great movie franchise starting next year. Also be sure to check out this great lengthy post from Rita at Addictedto24: 24′s Enduring Legacy and a nice video by Lisa Thomas: 24 Jack Bauer 10th Anniversary Video.

TV Line reports that Sarah Clarke has been cast in CW’s Nikita.

Nikita has recruited Sarah Clarke, the 24 alum fans loved to hate, for a top-secret role, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Clarke — who made a name for herself as CTU mole Nina Myers on 24 — will appear during the second half of Season 2 of The CW’s action-drama (airing Fridays at 8/7c). Yet all other details surrounding her role (character, episode count, first airdate) thus far are being kept under wraps.

Neither do we know if Clarke will get to share scenes with her real-life husband, Xander Berekely, whom she met on 24 and who now plays Nikita‘s Percy.

Source: TV Line

Here’s a brand new promo of Kiefer Sutherland’s upcoming TV series Touch, aired during the World Series.

Rade Sherbedgia

Rade Sherberdgia (24 Season 6′s Dimitri Gredenko) has been cast as the big bad of Taken 2.

Serbian actor Rade Sherbedgia has been cast as the villain in 20th Century Fox and EuropaCorp’s Taken 2, which stars Liam Neeson and is set to begin filming in Turkey and France later this month.

Sherbedgia will play Murad, the father of a kidnapper slain by Bryan Mills (Neeson) in the first film. Murad is described as a vengeful man who gives orders and doesn’t take them. When Murad takes Mills and his wife hostage, their daughter is enlisted to help save them.

Source: THR

Mykelti Williamson

Congrats to 24‘s Mykelti Williamson who has just landed a huge part in FX’s Justified, playing a villain.

Fans of FX’s Justified have been wondering since May’s second season finale how producers would match Margo Martindale’s Emmy-winning performance as Mags Bennett. Well, now we know: Desperate Housewives‘ Neal McDonough and 24‘s Mykelti Williamson, who both starred on Justified EP Graham Yost’s brilliant-but-canceled NBC drama Boomtown, have been cast as the awesomely named big bads of season 3.

McDonough will recur as Quarles, a Detroit mobster in a sharp suit who comes to Kentucky with visions of becoming a crimelord. Williamson will play Limehouse, a man who lives in a small black town in Harlan County and who will do whatever it takes, legal or otherwise, to protect his holler.

Source: EW

Here is the first trailer for Touch starring Kiefer Sutherland. The series was written by Tim Kring (Heroes) and also co-stars Danny Glover. No official date has been announced yet, but the show is expected to debut in March and air on Mondays at 9PM – 24‘s old time slot.

YouTube Link: Touch Trailer

Congrats to former 24 crew members Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, Chip Johannessen, Brad Turner, and Sean Callery for launching a successful new drama series. Not only has Homeland has received universal acclaim amongst critics, but it has great ratings too.

HOMELAND Posts Best Ratings For A New SHOWTIME® Drama Series In Eight Years

Under the stewardship of SHOWTIME Entertainment President David Nevins, HOMELAND becomes the network’s fifth consecutive hit freshman series – on the heels of record-breaking premieres of The Big C, SHAMELESS, EPISODES and The Borgias.

HOMELAND delivered the network’s highest-rated drama premiere in eight years (since Dead Like Me with 1.11 million in 6/2003). With 1.08 million viewers at 10 p.m., the HOMELAND debut outperformed the recent drama premieres of The Borgias (1.06 million viewers) and SHAMELESS (982,000 viewers).

The series premiere of HOMELAND was made available online and via affiliate On Demand channels (as of Sept.13), and to date has delivered over 1.4 million viewers

10:00 p.m. 1.08 million viewers
12:00 a.m. 243,000 viewers
2:00 a.m. 56,000 viewers
Online/On Demand Sampling 1.4 million viewers

Total 2.78 million viewers

Source: Showtime Press Release

Here’s a promo of the upcoming episodes:

FOX has finally given the official series order to Kiefer Sutherland’s drama series Touch. Thirteen episodes will air during midseason in Spring 2012. The pilot was filmed this Summer and presumably production on the other twelve episodes will begin within the next few weeks.

Official press release from FOX below:

FOX has ordered 13 episodes of the new drama series TOUCH, created and written by Emmy-nominated Tim Kring (“Heroes”), it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. TOUCH, starring Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kiefer Sutherland, will join the schedule in the spring of 2012. The pilot was directed and executive-produced by Francis Lawrence (“Water for Elephants”), and the show comes from Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television.

“TOUCH is another ambitious series from Tim Kring that is beautifully executed and has incredibly resonant themes for our times,” said Reilly. “With Kiefer back on the network as the face and force behind this creative new series, I’m confident it will resonate with viewers this spring.”

“Every once in a while, you encounter a piece of material that you just cannot say no to,” Sutherland added. “That, combined with the opportunity to work again with Peter Chernin and the Fox studio and network, makes me thrilled to be a part of this project. I also look forward to working with an extraordinary writer and producer like Tim Kring.”

TOUCH is a distinct and colorful drama in which science and spirituality intersect with the hopeful premise that we are all interconnected, tied in invisible ways to those whose lives we are destined to alter and impact.

At the center of TOUCH is MARTIN BOHM (Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). After multiple failed attempts at keeping Jake in school, Martin is visited by CLEA HOPKINS (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a social worker sent to evaluate Jake’s well-being. Everything changes when Martin discovers that Jake possesses the gift of staggering genius – the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events. Jake is indeed communicating. But it’s not with words, it’s with numbers. Martin meets ARTHUR DEWITT (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Now, it’s up to Martin to decipher the meaning and connect the numbers to the cast of characters whose lives they affect.

TOUCH is a production of Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Kring created the series and wrote the pilot. Kring, Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA), Katherine Pope (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA), Sutherland, Suzan Bymel (“The War at Home”) and Carol Barbee (“Jericho”) are executive producers. Lawrence directed the pilot.