24 is returning early to the Fox network, having been previously delayed by the writer’s strike and Kiefer Sutherland’s DUI jail time. The series was originally not going to make it to television until early 2009.

The new series, which was originally due to air Stateside in January 2008, will now not go out until January 2009.

To help fans make the transition over the long break, a made-for-TV prequel is planned for the autumn. The two-hour special will be set in Africa a year after the events portrayed in day six.

“(Jack’s) a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace,” explains a source. “But he winds up in Africa in the middle of a coup.”

Hello Magazine

The programme will lay the groundwork for next season’s action which begins and ends at 8am and plays out against a Washington backdrop.

Is Fox bringing back 24 for a special event to test how audiences feel about Jack Bauer now that Kiefer has done some jail time? I’m not sure how much Kiefer’s reputation has been sullied by the drink driving arrest and prison sentence. While it was hardly a first offense, in fact I think you might describe his drinking as a ‘problem’, people didn’t seem to react the same way they did when Paris, Nicole and Lindsay were arrested. Maybe there’s a different standard for women when it comes to a DUI arrest.

It’s possible the network is also hesitant to commit to a full length series because of the anticipated actors strike. I hope the strike doesn’t go on for too long, if it does go ahead. Another season of tv like this one and I’ll turn my television into a fish tank.

Just for a laugh, here’s Kiefer getting arrested for the new series. It’s like a reenactment for those of us that missed the real life drama. Will this be shown on 24 or America’s Most Wanted?

Picture note by Celebitchy: Kiefer Sutherland is shown on the set of “24″ on 5/11/08, thanks to Splash News.

Donald and Kiefer Sutherland at the 2006 Emmys
Since his release from jail for DUI earlier this month, “24” star Kiefer Sutherland appears to be a model citizen—keeping a low profile, staying out of trouble and even spending some quality time with his father, actor Donald Sutherland, currently the star of the ABC hit “Dirty Sexy Money.”

Kiefer, who has been recorded in various stages of drunken undress and infamously attacking an innocent Christmas tree in a hotel lobby, has had an up-and-down relationship with his famous dad for years. Reportedly, Donald pulled some strings behind the scenes to get Kiefer’s acting career started back in the ’80s, and Kiefer has spent years trying to distance himself and prove his talent away from his father’s influence.

In a recent statement, Donald, who struggled with his own substance abuse problems in the ’70s, commended his son for owning up to his mistakes and accepting his punishment accordingly:

DONALD SUTHERLAND has applauded his son KIEFER’s “perfect” behaviour in the aftermath of his arrest for drink (sic)-driving in September (07). 24 star Kiefer will spend Christmas behind bars after a Los Angeles judge sentenced him to 48 days in jail for driving under the influence.

But Donald insists his son conducted himself in an “honourable” manner and that other people, who he refuses to name, behaved in a disrespectful way at the time of the incident.

Sutherland Sr says, “You don’t want to get me going on this. All I can tell you is that he (Kiefer) is the most honourable, responsible, decent man I know, and I love him with a passion.

“(Kiefer) behaved in a way that was so pure and so perfect and so respectful.
There are other elements in our community that were less so, but he was perfect.”

[From PR Inside]

Hmmm. Could that be a dig at the Lohans and Hiltons of the world?

Kiefer and Donald were photographed, smiling and walking together, outside Mr Chow restaurant not long after his release from jail. These two are rarely photographed together—and Kiefer is more rarely photographed smiling. Hopefully, he can learn something from his time in jail and get help for his addiction. It seems like his dad is a great support system these days.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Kiefer and Donald Sutherland are shown in an image from the 2006 Emmys. Page Six has the photos of father and son hugging recently before having dinner.

Though I’ve complained a lot recently about the easy sentences celebrity criminals have been given lately, I’m pleased to report that Kiefer Sutherland will be let out of jail on Monday– after serving his entire sentence. He asked the judge to serve his jail time in Glendale’s city jail to avoid having to go to the massively overcrowded downtown Los Angeles County jail. But he couldn’t get any time off for good behavior or early release due to overcrowding at Glendale. Which makes me think L.A. County must be really miserable if someone would make that trade. By all accounts, Sutherland was a model inmate. Something tells me considering his long history of drinking issues; it’s good that he’s learned how to do his time.

Kiefer Sutherland, who plays the hard-as-nails agent of TV’s “24,” was a softy during his 48 days in jail on a drunken-driving charge. Sutherland, scheduled to be released Monday, has spent his sentence cleaning sheets, pillowcases and blankets on laundry duty, police Officer John Balian said Friday.

“He was very humble, never complained,” Balian said. “He didn’t give us any problems at all.” Sutherland, 41, pleaded no contest in October to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was sentenced to 30 days, as well as 18 days for violating probation stemming from a 2004 drunken-driving arrest.

After entering his plea last fall, Sutherland issued a statement saying he was “very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I’m deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers.”

[From the Huffington Post]

I think the long-term(ish) incarcerations of Kiefer Sutherland and Paris Hilton have almost renewed my faith in the celebrity justice system. Note that I didn’t just say justice system, since celebs seem to have their own separate legal system. Nicole Richie’s and Lindsay Lohan’s 80-some minutes in jail were a pretty big letdown, but hopefully the tides are slowly starting to turn, and we can expect our favorite celebrity offenders to do some quality time in the near future. I’d love to say we can expect our favorite celebrities to stop committing crimes and shape up, but that trend unfortunately seems to be moving in the other direction. Next time around, we’ll hear about Lindsay Lohan on janitorial duty and Nicole Richie being traded for a pack of cigarettes. Few things make me happier.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Kiefer Sutherland at the 2007 FOX Primetime Emmy After Party on September 16th . Images thanks to PR Photos.

Kiefer Sutherland won’t be getting any breaks on his prison time. Though it was originally thought that he wouldn’t actually serve many hours on his 48 day sentence for DUI and probation violation, it turns out that he will do every single day. It was believed Kiefer, 40, would get time off five days a week to go to work, and have to report to jail for the evenings and weekends. Yeah, doesn’t that sound nice. If everyone got that, I think 95% of the population would recklessly commit crimes. You get to go to work, save your cash, and flop down on a free (albeit concrete) bed with a complimentary dinner every night. Yeah it’s not plus, but think about it – every dollar you earn would be pure profit. Apparently realizing that getting to go to work on a catered television set with your own private trailer wasn’t much of a punishment, Judge Stuart M. Rice sentenced Sutherland to the full 49 days in the Glendale City Jail along with five years probation, and six months of weekly therapy, and the mandatory completion of an 18-month alcohol education program. Kiefer cannot earn time off for good behavior or work release.

“Mr. Sutherland is very polite and humble. He was very cooperative during the booking process,” said jail spokesman Officer John Balian. “He will be issued an orange jumpsuit, and will be housed alone in a cell, since he’ll be a long-term inmate.” Sutherland will be assigned to laundry and kitchen duty, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to the other inmates. As an inmate worker, he’ll be allowed the roam the jail “about 75 percent of the time” – rather than be confined to his cell all day – though the only time he’ll be in contact with other inmates is when he’s serving food, said Balian.

Sutherland previously released a statement saying, “I’m very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I’m deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on 24 and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally.”

[From People]

Kiefer’s new residence won’t be nearly as nice as his plush mansion. His trailer, relatively Spartan when compared to his home, is absolutely luxurious compared to his cell, which measures 8 by 10 feet. It has a toilet, water fountain, and a sink. He’ll get two hot meals a day and one cold – generally a cereal breakfast. Like Paris Hilton and all the Hollywood socialites before him, he’ll get a simple diet of turkey and bologna sandwiches supplemented with the occasional macaroni, meatloaf, and chicken.

Kiefer seems to be a pretty hard-living kind of guy, so I’m reluctant to give him the old “Hopefully this will turn him around” treatment. But you never know. He’ll either realize nothing’s worth bologna, or start to get used to it.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Header image is Keifer’s booking photo, thanks to Splash News.

Kiefer Sutherland not only committed a second DUI in under five years, a crime that will get him a mandatory five days in jail under California law if he’s convicted, he violated his probation. And TMZ points out that the judge for the case for which he violated probation, a 2004 DUI, is none other than Judge Michael Sauer, the guy who put Paris Hilton in jail for 45 days for driving on a suspended license.

Sutherland has a long history of driving-related arrests, and the judge could that into account.

He was also busted in 1989 and 1993 for reckless driving. Both incidents had DUI charges, which were dismissed. His 1989 arrest also including charges for carrying a concealed, loaded firearm, but that didn’t stick either.

Now he’s still on probation for that 2004 DUI, and getting another DUI three years later isn’t going to bode well for him. What seems most damning for Sutherland is the fact that Judge Sauer could be presiding. He sent Paris Hilton away and then made sure she stayed in jail and didn’t get a medical pass from the warden. It’s unclear to me whether he will still have jurisdiction over Sutherland’s case, but he’ll be sure to get a lesson if that guy is in charge of sentencing.

Sutherland is due in court on October 16.

Kiefer Sutherland is shown in a tux at the FOX Primetime Emmy After Party on 9/16, and in a brown shirt at the FOX TCA All Star Party at the Pier on 7/32/07. Thanks to PRPhotos.

24 star Kiefer Sutherland has been videotaped, photographed and witnessed in various compromising drunken situations, including performing karate in a restaurant, attacking a Christmas tree, and subsequently passing out on the floor of a hotel lobby, and taking his pants off at a restaurant. He’s pretty straightforward about his issues, and calls the Christmas tree incident his most embarrassing moment.

Now Sutherland has been popped for DUI for a second time in five years. He was pulled over at 1:34 AM in Hollywood after making an illegal U-turn last night and blew over twice the .08 limit on the breathalyzer. He was booked at 4:09 AM and got out about an hour an a half later after meeting bail of $25k. He was said to be cooperative in jail. Sutherland is due to appear in court on October 16:

TMZ has learned that “24″ star Kiefer Sutherland was busted on suspicion of DUI in West Hollywood last night, after allegedly blowing more than twice the legal limit of .08. This is the actor’s second DUI in the past five years — he was arrested in 2004. By California law, if he’s convicted, he must serve a mandatory minimum of five days in jail.

Police sources tell TMZ 40-year-old Sutherland was pulled over around 1:35 AM PST on the corner of La Cienega and Beverly. Sutherland was at the FOX Fall Eco-Casino party at Area nightclub earlier that evening. The photo in this story was taken at the event.

Sutherland, who was stopped after making an illegal U-turn, was arrested for misdemeanor DUI and transported to the Hollywood Police station. He was booked at 4:09 AM and released at 5:42 AM on $25,000 bail.

We’re told Sutherland was “cooperative and mellow” while he was in custody.

According to the L.A. Sheriff’s Dept. website, the actor is 5′10″ and weighs 150 lbs.

Sutherland is scheduled to face a judge on October 16.

[From TMZ.com]

If Sutherland is convicted or pleads guilty he faces a mandatory minimum of five days in prison. It seems like he’ll be the next celebrity to go to rehab in the hope of avoiding a stricter penalty for DUI. He should stay the hell away from Cirque Lodge in Utah. Lohan already has her hands full there with Richie Sambora, and another celebrity will just add to her already heavy workload.

Seriously, he could have killed someone and should face the penalty for his actions. It’s one thing to engage in drunken hijinks harming flora, it’s another to put people’s lives at risk.

Thanks to CityRag for the header image.