Fox today issued a revised midseason schedule, some of it the direct result of the WGA strike. "American Idol" resumes Jan. 15, and unscripted programs bowing after the first of the year include "The Moment of Truth" (a lie-detector competition they surely hope will embarrass someone to death) and "When Women Rule the World" (a show that should be classified as unscripted entertainment because, as long as the glass ceiling remains in place, it sure ain't gonna be reality).
And the announcement stated that "24," which was due back after the NFL post season, as is customary, is now on hold indefinitely "to ensure that 'Day 7' can air uninterrupted, in its entirety." This may be a dreadful disappointment to the show's fans and a problem for the Fox bean-counters who had already begun spending that ad revenue, but it may be a good thing for Kiefer Sutherland.
He still has a 48-day jail sentence to sit through, scheduled to commence on Dec. 21, for the probation violation related to his latest DUI arrest. The legal eagles at TMZ.com already noted that his defense attorney, Blair Berk, is mighty skilled at working the system to her clients' advantages, as with Sutherland's 2004 DUI case, which he plead out in on Election Day that year, well under the radar of the media who were otherwise occupied.
We're betting that Kiefer gets his reservation at the Graybar Hotel moved up to coincide with the production shutdown. And again, most of the media will be diverted, this time photographing WGA picketers and their celeb supporters.