LOS ANGELES -- We're trapped at the Hilton with network-types and TV critics, and Fox is serving its usual assortment of snacks: roasted almonds, M&Ms, Sour Patch Kids and peanut-butter pretzels. My favorite breakfast! Only today, they've kicked it up a notch with giant pink Simpsons donuts. These things are the size of a small pizza, my friends. Maybe Fox thinks putting us all on a sugar high will somehow make its midseason line-up more palatable? We shall see.

Fox Entertainment prez Kevin Reilly is about to take the stage and fill the room with hope and optimism. But I prefer my men a little crankier, which is why I'm looking forward to seeing 24's Jack Bauer and House's Dr. House -- both due here later today. Stay tuned!

From Reilly's Q&A session:

--This will be Prison Break's last season. "The show's played out. We want to finish strong and not just gimp out next season." There may be some extra episodes in the works when the show returns to the air in April.

--It's the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons. Some kind of poster contest will be involved.

--A new season of Moment of Truth is "on the shelf." It's not currently on the schedule, but look for it later this year, maybe during the summer. Or don't.

--Fox is excited about Glee, a new show about the cutthroat world of high school glee clubs. The show is from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy. Now, who didn't see that one coming?

--Paula Abdul told Barbara Walters she's under contract on American Idol. Will she be back when her contract expires? "Paula's an integral part of the show. We want to have her a long as we can."

--Reilly responding to a question about his former network: "NBC's like the crazy ex-wife I can't get away from."

10:35:51: Tick tock. Jack Bauer and Tony Almeida are here, and I am trying to secretly blow them a kiss for Film.com writer and superfan Maisy Fernandez. Chloe O'Brien is also here, and she did her hair and wore makeup and a navy dress and looks pretty. She cleans up nice!

Kiefer Sutherland is talking about how he was inspired by spending time in South Africa. Did he adopt a kid there? I'm just wondering, because Angelina Jolie's dad is sitting a few seats down from him. Yes, Jon Voight is here and so far he has not said a word.

Chloe speaks! She's talking about filming scenes with old pal Janeane Garofalo. You might notice during these upcoming scenes that they don't actually look each other in the eye because they couldn't do it without laughing.

In case you're wondering why they brought on Janeane Garofalo to 24, it's because the producers just like her and wanted to work with her.

Apparently there was a "lost scene" that actually shows Jack Bauer walking out of a bathroom. Shocking!

Carlos Bernard (aka Tony Almeida): "I didn't think they would bring the character back, but I wasn't actually shocked when they called."

Kiefer: "I was shocked."

Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe) on shooting around her real-life pregnancy: "People were very nice. They said would you like to sit down, would you like a glass of water? So it was a dream scenario for me."

Someone just asked if Mary Lynn really gave birth to a 9-lb. baby, and she said (sarcastically), "Yes, thanks for asking." Then offered up the tidbit that "he had to be taken out from here, not there," with some TMI hand gestures. You kind of had to be there.

Is the new 24 prez anything like Barack Obama? "Well, yeah they're both president. And they're both extraordinary people. They're both aspirational."

Kiefer's workout regime: "Try and work out as much as you can in the off-season. I run, and lucky for me, when I go to work, I run a lot too. On an emotional level, I would say fear and panic ... throughout the season."

When are Jack Bauer and Agent Renee Walker going to hook up, already? Kiefer: "I believe there is a very palpable tension there. She can take of herself as well as he can, and that turns him on." So in other words ... stay tuned!

Just spotted new American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi outside the Green Room and she is teeny-tiny, even by Hollywood standards. She was tightening the belt of her little black dress. Kara and the rest of the Idol crew should be arriving onstage for a Q&A panel any minute now. In case you've been living under a rock: American Idol's 8th season premieres tonight.

Paula Abdul is here, and she is very sparkly: Mirrored dress, rhinestone clutch, sequined shoes, giant earrings and several rings. She just grabbed Kara's hand in an apparent show of solidarity. She may or may not be drunk at this point.

Simon, Randy and Seacrest are not here. Smart move, boys.

I think Paula just threw her former roommate Kara under the bus: "She walks in her sleep. There were many times, in my white carpet, (that) I would see food ground into my carpet." Kara's defense: "I'm Italian! I get hungry." Sorry Kara, but no one is buying this routine that you actually EAT.

Paula is now addressing the rumored conflict behind-the-scenes at Idol over the former contestant/Paula Abdul superfan Paula Godspeed suicide. Which is to say, she's now backing down and saying she never said a bad word about Idol, and it's the best job ever. Back on your meds, Paula!

Paula just told everyone that Kara has selective memory, and then told a story from 10 years ago about some incident at Mardi Gras that Kara would apparently rather forget. Or had, until now. Thanks, Paula!

I want to see the Paula-and-Kara-as-roommates reality show. Bravo, can you hear me?

Up next: Dr. House in the house!

The whole House gang is here, and Jennifer Morrison is looking disturbingly like Lindsay Lohan. Seriously. She's super skinny and is rocking black skinny pants and the long, wavy Lilo hair. It should be noted that her former fiance and current co-star Jesse Spencer is sitting about as far from her onstage as possible. Opposite corners. Kind of like on New Year's Rockin' Eve when Joe Jonas co-hosted with former flame Taylor Swift. Awkward!

House's 100th episode is coming up. So what can fans expect? Apparently, it's business as usual, according to the writers: "It annoyed me that everyone was getting excited about the 100th episode. It's just another really good episode."

Olivia Wilde is a little more forthcoming: "What we've seen from Thirteen is her descent, her downward spiral of destruction ... There will be complications. Luckily, I'm surrounded by brilliant doctors. It's appropriately House-ian that it goes as badly as it does, in the beginning, for Thirteen."

Is it getting harder to find screwball diagnoses? Nope. "Fortunately, there are an endless number of ways the human body can break down."

Hugh Laurie on House and Wilson: "We enjoy working together. We have a relationship that shows itself onscreen. The companionship came very naturally."

Wilde on joining the cast of House: "It's like being adopted by Brangelina."

Can House go 15 seasons like ER? Hugh Laurie: "I can't see myself, physically, going 15 years, on this planet actually. Fifteen seasons of a TV show ... it seems very unlikely to me. I think it'd be good to have a clean ending."

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