24 news and notes - TONY LIVES!

Near the end of Season 5, we all bowed our heads in silent tribute when everyone's favorite CTU agent (after Jack of course....and probably Bill...well - don't forget Chloe....err - you get the point), Tony Almeida, was killed.

Not. So. Fast.

According to the friendly folks at Fox - "when the seventh season of "24" returns on Jan. 13, 2008, CTU will be dismantled and Jack Bauer will be in trial in Washington DC, where the show will now be set instead of the subterranean Los Angeles headquarters of the former Counter Terrorist Unit where the first six seasons have been set."

More importantly - Tony Almeida will be back!!!!!

"Tony's uncertain fate near the end of Day 5 left the door open for his return," executive producer Howard Gordon said in a press release. "And since there was no silent clock at the conclusion of his last appearance -- the '24' tribute to a major character's demise -- we always kept this as a possibility."

ROCK ON!!

Other Day 7 tidbits:

Jack Bauer will be on trial for "his actions in the pursuit of justice." Yeah - whatever!

Chloe O'Brien and Bill Buchanan will both be back!

There will be a host of newcomers as well including Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor (so much for Wayne), Janeane Garofalo as FBI agent Janis Gold, Colm Feore as First Gentleman Henry Taylor and Bob Gunton as White House Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin.

Day 7 begins with hour long episodes on Sunday Jan. 13th and Monday Jan. 14th rather than the 2-hour episodes that started the last two seasons.

I'm sure the Fox folks are doing that solely so that I will have the ability to re-cap the first two episodes quickly and not fall hopelessly behind....right?