TVSquad

With less than two months to go until 24 returns for its New York City set eighth season (it premieres on Sunday, January 17th and Monday, January 18th with the traditional two-night, four-hour event), FOX has released the official cast photo with the new and returning series regulars.

For as cool as last season's cast shot was with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, this one trumps it and then some -- the United Nations backdrop is very, very cool. You have to wonder though... think there's any meaning to the flags that are visible? From left to right, the first three are the UK, the US, and Nicaragua. The fourth one in line is harder to make out. I'm probably reading into it too much, but you never know when it comes to 24 -- anything could be a clue.

If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch the trailer for the new season here and if you really feel like analyzing the cast photo, there's a high-res image here.

I remember watching Boomtown for the first time. I remember where I was, and at what point in our lives it was on the air. Now, I watch a lot of television and have seen and forgotten more shows than most people would ever even want to be aware of. But Boomtown had that much of an impact on me.

Oh, I'm a sucker for a unique premise or take on familiar territory. I first tuned in to 24 because it took place in "real time," and I just had to see how that would work. I tuned into Boomtown because it promised me a look at crime from every possible perspective. How, I wondered, is that possible? And yet it brilliantly, beautifully and all too briefly was.

Well, here's a quirky little plot twist no one expected.

Even though NBC pulled the show - twice - the network started showing the eight unaired episodes of Kidnapped last night (or early this morning) at midnight! They'll run the show at this time each week this summer. Not sure if it can be seen at that time in all areas. I know it wasn't on at that time where I live, so it's probably on at different times overnight.

This is an interesting move by NBC, considering the episodes have been available on the web site and the complete series was released on DVD. Maybe the other networks can follow NBC's lead and show short-lived/canceled shows overnight.

When I was asked to review the DVD of the series Kidnapped, I eagerly jumped at the chance. After all, I've been a fan of the show since before it even aired: I visited the set, I went to the premiere, I reviewed the pilot, I was among the throngs at TVS and elsewhere that reported that the show was cancelled, and now I get to review the "thanks for everything, fans!" DVD. I feel like I witnessed the show's birth and death, and now I'm attending its funeral.

Despite the show's quality, it never had a chance; saddled with a bad time slot (Wednesdays at 10), NBC showed four episodes, then told the producers to stop at 13, shuttled the show to the Saturday death slot, then canned it after one Saturday airing.

We've had a couple of stories here about the possibility of a Kidnapped DVD set in '07, and today Sony made it official. The Complete Series will be released on April 24. That's 13 episodes. No word on extras yet.

I actually liked this show, from the handful of episodes that NBC showed before dumping it on Saturday nights and then pulling it from the schedule altogether. But you know what? When the show went online only, I didn't even watch the remaining episodes. I'm not sure why. I was interested in the plot and what the outcome was going to be, but I just never took the time to watch the rest. Of course, I'm not sure I want to buy the show on DVD either, so maybe I'll watch them online after all (if they're still available, that is).

Kidnapped fans were upset when the show was canceled, but given 13 episodes to wrap up the plot. Then they were more upset when the show was taken off of Wednesday night and put on Saturday nights. And then they were absolutely ticked off when NBC pulled the show from Saturday nights because of low ratings (gee, low ratings on a Saturday night...what did they expect?). But now, fans can at least rejoice in the news that there might be a box DVD set of the show coming in 2007.

Folks, I never got into this job to be a red carpet/party reporter. I'm not good in noisy crowds of people I don't know, and I'm especially not good at fighting other people to be heard in a group. But when I found myself on the press side of the red carpet for the premiere of NBC's Kidnapped last night, I tried to do my best.

The red carpet consists of whatever stars are coming to the premiere slowly walking down a procession of press people: first they pose for photographers, then they talk to television and other video outlets, then they answer questions from lowly print outlets like us. I decided to hang out at the end of the line and catch what I could, since I'd also be going to the screening and the afterparty (which also doubled as the NYTVF launch party). And since I was on the Kidnapped set a few weeks ago (that post is in the works), there wasn't much more to ask the principals that I hadn't already. But it was still an interesting evening. After the jump, a few pictures of my night.