Michael Shanks is currently filming his four-episode arc on FOX TV hit 24. Although his month-long shooting schedule in Los Angeles prevented him from making the special trip for filming scenes for Stargate: Continuum, Shanks was still able to make his one-day appearance at the Vancouver Creation Con this past weekend. Shanks told his fans that he couldn’t tell much about his role, but only that his character Michael Bishop is a Washington lobbyist who has more to do with the President’s storyline than with Jack Bauer’s.
Curious fans still wanted more, so one has asked TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello in his “Ask Ausiello” feature in which his answers reveal spoilers. Here’s the information he revealed about Shanks’ role in 24:
Question: Do you have any information about Michael Shanks’ upcoming recurring role in 24?— Elizabeth
Ausiello: He’s playing the lover of one of VP Daniel’s key advisors (I’m guessing the Invasion lady) who may have an agenda beyond their courtship. His first airdate is April 23.
Ausiello’s “guess” as to which character Michael Bishop is involved with appears to be Lisa Miller, played by Invasion actor Kari Matchett (she played Dr. Mariel Underlay in that TV series). Miller is VP Daniels’ personal assistant and was introduced in episode 12, “Day 6: 5:00pm – 6:00pm”. According to reports from the Vancouver con, Shanks said that his introductory episode is #18, putting him in at “Day 6: 11:00pm – 12:00am”.
Ausiello announced that Shanks’ first appearance will be April 23. This conflicts with the date previously announced by MSOL (and thus by Solutions), as well as the date currently associated for this episode on the Wiki 24 schedule. Viewers should check their listings to determine why there is this discrepancy. 24 has a regular timeslot on Monday nights at 9pm Eastern on FOX. Viewers in the UK are also getting the current season on Sky One on Sundays at 11pm (their schedule appears to be two weeks behind that of the US).
[Thanks to SueB for the tip.]