(S08E19) "I just want the people who are responsible for this to be held accountable. All I need to do is expose them." - Jack to Chloe

Jane here, filling in for Mike. I was actually reviewing '24' at the beginning of the season, but found the storyline so preposterous that Mike graciously agreed to take it off my hands.

Somewhere between then and now, the show has gotten much better -- more interesting and less ridiculous. In fact, last week, my nephew emailed me and said the show's gotten better lately, especially with the return of Charles Logan. I wholeheartedly agree. Not that Logan's any less of a weasel, but that's what I love about him.

"It's good to be back in the game, even if it's through the rear entrance." – Charles Logan

(S08E18) Things got ugly last night on '24.' Jack Bauer threatened the lives of women and children, brutally smacked the smirk off Dana Walsh's face, and President Taylor decided to turn a blind eye to the Russian conspiracy.

If you ask most people, the idea of being President of the United States is likely one of the best jobs ever. Every little kid is told if he or she works hard, some day they could be the Commander in Chief. And yet, if you have been watching the eight seasons of '24,' there is probably no worse career choice than running America while Jack Bauer is handling a CTU assignment. In fact, when you look back on the presidents who have inhabited the White House during Jack's tenure, being the most powerful world leader is a high-risk profession that's not for the faint of heart.

Unlike other television series that have taken viewers inside the Oval Office, '24' presents the president in crisis mode, so perhaps it's a bit unfair to compare. Still, if you had your choice, you'd rather be Jed Bartlett on 'The West Wing' than Wayne Palmer or any other '24' president. Here are three reasons why the worst job on '24' is President of the United States:

(S08E06) "If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, we don't do that anymore." - Hastings to Jack, on using unsavory methods with the Russians

Oh, snap. The Russians may have bought Renee's cover, but that doesn't mean she's out of danger. Just the opposite, especially given the fact that she's a loose cannon and doesn't seem to care whether she lives or dies at this point. Or maybe that's not necessarily true.

Hang onto your hats because '24' season 8 premieres this Sunday! The new season begins with a two-night, four-hour premiere on January 17, and star Kiefer Sutherland told TV Guide that it will be "absolutely mind-blowing."

"Jack Bauer is going to have a bad day," said Sutherland. "He's going to face impossible odds and moral dilemmas. And in the end, he's going to triumph." Of that, we have no doubt!

If you'd rather not be spoiled for the new season, we suggest you stop reading here. Those of you who want to know about all the upcoming terrorists, explosions, gunfights, and torture scenes, follow us after the jump.

The final panel of a very eventful FOX day was for the upcoming eighth season of 24, and there were a number of questions that were hanging in the air. How are they going to deal with Jack Bauer running around New York City? Is the show something that people still want to watch when real life is scary enough? But the big question was: Is this Bauer's last roundup?

First, the hats: FOX gave critics Yankees and Mets-ish looking baseball caps to commemorate the season.The caps were fitted, and they were HUGE; they were too big for even my 7.5-sized melon. But I took 'em anyway, because they looked cool.

The reporters pretty much got at the question of another season right away, and as far as Kiefer Sutherland and executive producer Howard Gordon is concerned, they'll keep doing the show as long as FOX wants them to.

You know, I thought we didn't have Charles Logan to kick around anymore. You know, the Nixonian disgraced President from 24? Well, I was wrong. 24 has cast Gregory Itzin to reprise Charles Logan in the upcoming new season.

Itzin -- who's currently been a semi-regular on The Mentalist -- was Emmy-nominated for President Logan, and he really gave it all the shadings and complexities of a dark, corrupt politician. He was a guy you loved to hate, but he had a soft spot and that was his love for his wife. His unbalanced spouse, Martha. When last seen on the show, Martha had stabbed Charles.

TV Squad previously reported that production on the two-hour prequel to 24 season 7 was underway. Now, it's been learned that a few cast members have been added to that TV movie.

The movie has Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) battling terrorists in Africa while the new President of the United States Allison Taylor is sworn in. Already cast are Cherry Jones (as Allison Taylor), Robert Carlyle (as a mentor of Jack Bauer) and Carlos Bernard, who will be returning despite his apparent death in season five.

The new cast members are:

• Tony "Candyman" Todd (who also has a recurring role in NBC's Chuck) as cruel African dictator General Juma.
• Eric Lively (an alumni of the series The L Word and the brother of Gossip Girl star Blake Lively) as the president's son.
• Gil Bellows (best known for his role on Ally McBeal) as a State Department officer ordered to serve Bauer with a subpoena to appear before the Senate.

The project is scheduled to air on November 23rd on Fox.

Even if season 7 of 24 won't air for another 9 months, it doesn't mean we can't get our hopes up when the first official cast picture leaks on the web. Mind you, it may have been out for weeks but today was the first time I saw it thanks to a tip who sent us to SlashFlim.com.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who had never seen this cast picture before which is why I decided to share it with you all and take this opportunity to review what we know, including spoilers, about the seventh season of the FOX drama, including that two-hour prequel that will air this fall.

Spoilers coming up!

Fans of 24 will have to wait until January 2009 for the seventh season to commence, but in a move that's likely to be met with cheers all around, Fox has announced that the producers of the Keifer Sutherland action drama are creating a 24 two-hour TV movie which will be a prequel to the next new season. The story will cover the two years between the end of season six and the beginning of season seven. The actors are being cast now, presumably the essential members of the team who survived the previous 24-hours of a nuclear disaster, terrorism, lies, betrayals, shootings and tragedies.

In mid-April, we reported that the '24' producers were studying potential story lines for the seventh season of the FOX hit series, one featuring Quebec's separatists. About two weeks later, it was confirmed that Jack would go through his next action-packed awful day in a different scenery. In early July, we learned that writers had planned to have the action set in Africa and the U.S. but that the network sent them back to the drawing board because that story line would be too expensive. Eventually, official spoilers started to leak and FOX announced the names of actors joining the show (more after the jump).

But yesterday, FOX sent out a press release so juicy that it had some people pinch themselves to make sure they weren't dreaming!

Spoilers after the jump!

About a month ago, it was announced that the next season of 24 would feature a female president played by actress Cherry Jones. Thanks to Cynthia Turner's Cynopsis, we can now reveal who will play the First Husband. Actor Colm Feore has been cast in the role of the President's husband.

Movie fans may remember him for his roles in The Chronicles of Riddick, Paycheck, and Pearl Harbor, just to name three. He also guest starred in U.S. TV series such as Battlestar Galactica, Boston Public, and The West Wing.

The rumors are true: 24 has gone with a woman to be the President of the United States for its upcoming season.

The show has tapped Cherry Jones for the part. She is a veteran actress who you might remember as Matt Damon's mom in Ocean's Twelve. She's made several appearances on Broadway in plays such as Doubt, Imaginary Friends and A Moon For The Misbegotten.

This is a very cool choice. Not just to actually go ahead and make the role female but to cast Jones. She's a good actress, and has that been-there, commanding air that the role demands.