24 will continue to terrorize terrorists

There will be an eighth season of the action show, says Kiefer Sutherland, and he'll be back as Jack Bauer.The great country of The United States of America can rest easy… but terrorists better watch their backsides. Actor Kiefer Sutherland told The Associated Press that he will continue to keep the country safe on the small-screen. While in Hong Kong to promote the release of the animated movie Monsters vs. Aliens, Sutherland said 24 will be back for an eighth season/day and that he will also be back as the butt-kicking Jack Bauer. "If I was going to liken 24 to a girlfriend," Sutherland said, "24 has been really good to me. And I need to be really good back." There had been questions of whether 24 was going to return, and whether or not Sutherland would be back as Jack--but he put those questions to rest. "There are plays I want to do," Sutherland said. "There are so many different things I would like to do, but I was so fortunate to be part of something like 24 that my focus is still on that right now."

Family Guy producer talks Star Trek

The cast of the Next Generation joins this week's episode of Family Guy, what's in store for the Griffins?This Sunday's episode of Family Guy, which takes shots at Star Trek conventions and features the guest appearance of the cast of Star Trek The Next Generation, is aiming to attract two groups of viewers. One will be the loyal fans of the animated hit,and the other will be the loyal fans of the sci-fi spin-off. However, the majority will consider themselves fans of both, as Family Guy and sci-fi--for some reason or other--go together like martinis and talking dogs. Family Guy producer David A. Goodman considers himself to be a hardcore "Trekkie" and sees no problem lampooning one of his favorite properties. "I think it's easy to mock things that take themselves too seriously," Goodman said on a conference call with the media today. "Star Trek is both wonderful and pompous at the same time [laughs]. I am a die-hard Trekkie, but there are moments in a Star Trek where it takes itself very seriously." So the only thing to do was cut it down to size… Family Guy style. Goodman notes that plenty of shows have poked fun at the original Star Trek (Goodman himself wrote the episode of Futurama in which Fry recreates Star Trek with the heads of the original cast members), but few have taken on The Next Generation. In the episode, the Griffins head to a Star Trek convention, but when Stewie doesn't get to ask his fan question during the Next Generation panel, he devises a plan to kidnap the cast: buy a transporter and beam them back to the house. While most of the attention has been put on the Star Trek storyline, the episode's A-story involves a God-finding Meg and atheist Brian butting heads over religion--a controversial topic not unfamiliar to Family Guy.

Krause, Tierney and Nelson Try Parenthood

Peter Krause's latest role is neither dirty nor inherently sexy. Instead, he has been cast as Adam Braverman — aka what we are calling "the Steve Martin role" — in NBC's Parenthood pilot based on the 1989 movie. Sarah Ramos (American Dreams) will play Krause's TV daughter, who actually was a son on the big screen. Yeah, this project is sounding more and more like "inspired by" than "based on."Also on board for Friday Night Lights creator Jason Katims' adaptation of the film is ER fave Maura Tierney, as Krause's single-mom sister (the Dianne Wiest role). Mae Whitman (Thief) will cause drama as Tierney's daughter.

Inside the South Park season 12 DVD

A dozen seasons in, South Park finally goes high-def with its first Blu-ray release--sweet you guys! Blu-ray technology took years to reach the marketplace, but now that it finally has and is coming down in price, the average Joe can now enjoy his favorite movies and television in stunning resolution. So why on Earth would anyone need a copy of that shabbily animated South Park on Blu-ray? 'Cuz it's totally sweet. Well, for the most part. South Park makes its Blu-ray debut with the release of Season 12 on the high-definition format, and it's definitely worth a look for both the casual and hardcore fan of South Park.

Does new role mean death for a Lost character?

One of Lost's cast members signs on for new show; but does new info on role signal death for the actor's character?An upcoming death in Lost is no secret--producers have never been shy about killing off even some of its most beloved faces (*sniff* Charlie *sniff*). Word leaked out earlier this month that the Reaper will once again swing his scythe in the direction of one character, and we may now have a hint. One of Lost's main characters has signed a deal to star in an upcoming show, which may signal that he/she will be gone from Lost forever after this season.

Bones Gets a 'Toon-Up: Boreanaz and "Stewie" Talk Smack

As Bones' Booth ponders becoming a family man, he'll get a visit from Family Guy's Stewie, in a "crossover" episode slated to air May 7.The set-up for this unusual merger of genres: When Bones' Brennan asks Booth to father her a child, the normally nonplussed federal agent becomes consumed by the prospect of procreating. That, coupled with an undiagnosed health issue Booth is suffering from, sets the stage for a visit from diabolical Stewie, who tenders advice to the prospective pop.Asked about his Bones drop-by, Stewie said in a statement, "Oh, have you seen it? Was I good? Because I heard they said I was amazing and they want me to replace Emily [Deschanel]. But that's just a rumor."Boreanaz, in turn, says that Bones' wisecracking guest star "was good during the actual scenes ... but between takes he literally vanished — nowhere to be seen.

Tambor Joins Gilmore Gal's New Show, and More

Jeffrey Tambor will reunite with the creator of Arrested Development as a cast member of The Bridget Show, a Mitchell Hurwitz-produced comedy pilot for ABC.The Bridget Show stars Gilmore gal Lauren Graham as a former talk-show queen attempting a comeback after a disastrous romance. Tambor will play Bridget's business manager.In other ABC pilot news, Kyle Bornheimer's Worst Week may very well be over, now that he has landed a lead — playing Eric Christian' Olsen's needy buddy — on an untitled comedy from Ricky Blitt.Also, Amanda Bynes (What I Like About You) is one of the Canned employees in a comedy about a corporate shake-up, while Lourdes Benedicto (The Nine) and Laura Vandervoort (Smallville) have boarded ABC's V reboot, playing Morris Chestnut's love interest and a Visitor, respectively.