Fans of “24” may have to wait a bit longer for the hoped-for big-screen movie, but many of the show’s core cast members remain in touch with — and supportive of — each other.
That will be in evidence tomorrow night, when series star Kiefer Sutherland will help “24” executive producer Howard Gordon celebrate the debut of his first novel, “Gideon’s War,” a suspense thriller published by Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. Sutherland’s “24” co-stars, including Carlos Bernard (Tony Almeida) — who’s narrating the audiobook version — and Cherry Jones, who played President Allison Taylor for two seasons, are also expected at the shindig at The Morris & King Company digs on Fifth Avenue. They’ll be sipping “Gideon’s Gimlet” cocktails (and munching on canapes).
A first script for the “24” movie, written by Billy Ray, was reportedly turned down by 20th Century Fox.
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Ratings for the first full week of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network were nothing to write home about.
OWN averaged 505,000 prime-time viewers for the period covering Jan. 1-9, good enough to finish 25th for the week among all basic cable networks. It was up 49 percent, in total viewers, from what Discovery Health averaged the same week last year but, well, that was Discovery Health. Not exactly a ratings-buster.
In the total-day numbers department, OWN averaged only 239,000 total viewers to finish 28th among all basic cable networks. Whatever.
In other cable news, WGN America is now available to Time Warner Cable’s East Region/NYC customers on its digital tier (Ch. 162). Programming includes “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Unit,” “Scrubs” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” among others.
Somewhere, Jessica Bellucci smiles.
Last, but not least:
* Burt Dubrow will executive-produce Drew Pinsky’s new show, “Dr. Drew,” launching this spring on HLN . . Sunday’s Packers-Eagles NFL Wildcard Game on Fox averaged 39.3 million viewers — 18 percent better than the Jets-Colts on NBC (33.4 million) . . . Melania Trump marathons on QVC Monday, Jan. 31 (midnight to 10 a.m.) to shill her new watch/fashion jewelry collection . . . Thanks to publicist Linda Shafran. She knows why (tweet, tweet) . . . Thursday’s “Maury” goes the gender-bender route with “The Golden Maury Awards” (10 a.m./Ch. 11). Adrienne Bailon co-hosts. Sneer all you want — but it’s usually a ratings-grabber.