For what it's worth, I'd rather wait until they can get back into production rather than see eight episodes and wait months and months to see the other episodes. I can handle the multiple two or three week breaks of S1 to S3 days but a months long breaks would be nuts.
Just read elsewhere that if this ****ing strike doesn't end soon Fox may very well push season 7 back to January of 2008 and the 8th season of the show could be in jeopardy altogether.
If(and it's a big if) the writer's strike gets resolved soon as is widely being reported, is it still early enough in to go on with season 7 as scheduled? I wonder what the cutoff date is for scrapping the season altogether.
Yeah, 24 is in such a weird position since they can't have a shortened season like every other show will end up doing. By the Christmas break, they usually have finished shooting episode 12 or 14 (depending on the year) so IF the strike is resolved and they get back to work at the beginning in January, they are behind by six episodes which is about a month and a half of shooting.
So IF the strike gets resolved by Christmas as rumored, my guess is that they'll start running the episodes on February 4 with two episodes on one night and one a week until a two episode finale and finish on June 30. Although I have the feeling that's a very optimistic guess.
It does present a very interesting predicament. I don't know if Fox would run one of their biggest hit shows all the way into the end of June so the February start might not even be an option. Since they are rumored to already have 9 episodes in the can(as they started shooting earlier than normal this year) I wonder if they could still start in January and work overtime to get the season finished in time to air on schedule. I wish I could find some concrete info on what their plans are if the strike is resolved.
My understanding is that they started shooting three weeks later this year since they tossed the Africa storyline. Like you said, Fox undoubtedly wants the finale in May but it's not possible now. Every year, they're putting the finishing touches on episode 24 the weekend before it airs so getting 2 episodes behind (let alone 4 or 6) is a big mess for them. Since 24 is Fox's biggest drama, I'd guess they will announce what's happening shortly after the strike is settled and the show gets back into production.
The one good thing about the strike is that the writers have had some time off to recharge their batteries and even if they're not getting a check, they're still trying to come up with cool stuff for upcoming episodes. Especially since they know they're going to under the gun once the show gets moving again.
Would you really want this? When writing is weak, many here are quick to point it out and we'd hear all about how it wasn't a good season of "24" because it was written under the gun, rushed, or written by overworked writers. Personally, I'm all about the quality.
I don't know exactly how these things work, so it's possible the writers are still working on the show but just won't deliver anything until they have a contract. I know that would differ by show. But if they truly just checked out and then checked back in after getting a contract, there's no way I'd want them trying to do double the work in the same amount of time. A given season of "24" is already a pretty exhausting experience by all accounts.
Over at TVGuide.com Kiefer Sutherland said that After the very uneven and disjointed S6, I think having a plan for the entire season is a very good idea and will hopefully get the show back on track.
And that prequel movie is set to air on November 23.
Well, I want to say the show couldn't possibly get any worse than Season 6, but I don't want to jinx it. After 5 unbelievably good seasons I don't know what the hell happened last year, but it's very promising that they've outlined everything in advance and if past history is any indicator those writers are more than capable of coming up with an amazing new season. I'm already excited about S7 and it's several still months away.