Sutherland Surgery Delaying ’24’ Production

Production on “24” will be taking a few hours off, the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to the newspaper, 20th Century Fox has halted production on the show while star Kiefer Sutherland undergoes surgery for a ruptured cyst by his kidney.

The cyst reportedly ruptured earlier this week, though production continued on the show, minus Kiefer, until Friday.

“While Kiefer Sutherland is frustrated to miss even one day of work, he and Fox decided together that it would be best to complete this minor elective procedure now as a precaution as opposed to six weeks from now when production wraps,” a rep for the star told the Times. “He looks forward to returning to work next week.”

However, a Fox rep told the Times that the delay wouldn’t interfere with the show’s schedule.

“We are temporarily suspending production of ‘24’ while our friend and colleague Kiefer Sutherland undergoes a medical procedure,” the rep said. “We hope to resume production shortly and do not anticipate any disruption in the broadcast of this season’s episodes.”