Counting down to '24'

Fans of Fox's "24" -- more than 4,500 strong -- got a first look at next year's Season 8, which includes a shiny new CTU (yes, it's back) and something even more remarkable: a happy Jack.

Yes, I'm going to spoil it for you: Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) survived the biological attack that felled him in Season 7. He'll probably even survive Comic-Con, where he and "24" appear to be much beloved.

Freddie Prinze Jr., who's joined the cast for Season 8, got an easy reaction when he dropped a reference to "my wife."

"I forgot that she's big here," he said of Sarah "Buffy" Michelle Gellar.

Not to be outdone, a suddenly long-haired Katee Sackhoff dropped a Starbuck reference.

Thanks to "Battlestar Galactica," she's big here, too.

But back to Jack: He's happy, then he's involved in some threat involving the United Nations, a peace conference and Iran. The clip, which showed Sackhoff playing the latest character unwitting enough to patronize Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) might've been a little talky for Sutherland, who assured the crowd, "we do still blow s--- up."