Tick Tock: Strike Forces 24 Off 2008 Schedule

Jack Bauer has survived threats from terrorists, the Chinese government, Christmas trees, but when faced with a group of pasty nerds holding picket signs, he seems to have met his match.

The Fox Network has announced some schedule changes in the wake of the writer's strike, and most notable is the complete absence of 24 from the schedule. Says the network:

The seventh season premiere of 24 is being postponed to ensure that Day 7 can air uninterrupted, in its entirety.

Although the first three seasons of the show were spread throughout the year, since the fourth "day", 24 has started in January and run without repeats until May each year. Without enough scripts in the can to make it a full 24 episodes, it seems that the producers and the network don't want to risk spoiling a good thing.

Instead, Prison Break will go off the air after this Monday's episode and return on January 14th, paired with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It's not clear just how many episodes we'll get of either, but by then many shows will have exhausted their supply of scripts so people may be starved for anything new.

The network also laid down dates for American Idol (January 15) and a whole slew of midseason replacements and reality shows. Check the link below for more details.

Personally, I'm looking forward to using this strike to better myself by checking books out of my local library, volunteering at the local animal shelter, and maybe taking a class at a community college -- bwah ha ha, no, no -- I tried to keep a straight face. I'll probably just be playing all the video games I don't have time for from this month, or maybe just sitting in front of the dark TV screen, waiting for all my friends to come back to me.

Fox "strike" schedule subtracts 24 but adds Prison Break [TVGuide]