Ah, this is fantastic news. It's no secret that this season of 24 has been well under par as far as 24 seasons go. We've been talking about that on this very site weekly now. Characters have gotten overly soft, plots are getting recycled to such a point that it feels like very little in this season has been original. And I think none of that would even matter if Jack continued to kick ass, but there's been entire episodes where he was barely even a presence! So the fact that the producers have heard the criticism and are not just aware of it, but planning to do something about it is awesome.

After peaking in the ratings last year, Fox's thriller "24" has been getting dumped on by seemingly everyone in this, its sixth season. Critics and fans alike are aiming tomatoes at the stage, carping about the soapy and repetitive plotlines that unspool Jack's unlikely familial past, tiresome romantic triangles in the security bureaucracy and endless bickering among Oval Office advisors.

Last week, with a fresh episode designed to lay the groundwork for what the creators promise will be a typically suspenseful finale next month, "24's" ratings in the key young-adult category swooned to their lowest level in more than three years, with a total audience of just 10.4 million, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

More than one-third of viewers have bailed since the special four-hour season premiere that aired over two consecutive nights back in January. The vox populi protests have not escaped the attention of the show's producers, who promise that some big changes are on the way for Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and other regulars next season.

"It hurts to hear the criticism," said executive producer and writer Howard Gordon, who spoke with me last week by phone as the cast and crew crashed to finish shooting the season's final episode, set to air May 21. "I don't dispute it's been a challenging season to write for us. But it's reinvigorated our determination to reinvent the show. This year could be seen to be the last iteration of it in its current state."

Oh, dear. Reinvention? That does sound ominous. But Gordon says not to worry, as Jack "won't be flipping burgers." "It won't be a musical or a half-hour," he added. "I've got a couple ideas, none of which I could even begin to share responsibly."

"24's" audience is getting noticeably grayer, typically a sign that a show is losing its purchase on the windy crags of pop culture. According to Brad Adgate, senior vice president at the New York ad firm Horizon Media, the median age is 47.4 so far this season, compared with 45.1 last year and 42 in the 2003-04 season.

Well, the fact that they know this season wasn't very good is some welcome news. And it's good to know they want to change it up without alienating the fans. Guess we'll have to wait until next season to see what changes are in store!