Very cool news for fans of The Shield (myself included) who can't wait for the new season to start. Similar to the comedy short shown online that FX commissioned for Rescue Me last year, a mini-episode of The Shield is in the works. However, no date has been set for when it will premiere.

Here's what we do know. For the first four weeks of its availability (whenever that will be), the episode will only be viewable at Anheuser-Busch's new online media site Bud TV. It's kind of a pain in the butt since you'll have to register with the site to view the episode. After the four week window, the episode (it's expected to cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million to make) will be available on AOL and other online outlets. Bud TV will launch the day after this Sunday's Super Bowl.