BEVERLY HILLS

News and notes from television's summer press tour:

With chatter heating up that ABC might be interested in recruiting late-night host Jay Leno when his deal with NBC expires, is Jimmy Kimmel running scared? Not quite.

As a tension-breaking prank, Kimmel showed up here Wednesday morning during ABC's executive press conference and posed as a reporter. Wearing a ball cap and jeans, he jokingly peppered ABC entertainment chief Stephen McPherson about the network's alleged desires to woo Leno. Kimmel, of course, is ABC's current late-night man.

Among the questions posed by the phony reporter: "Are you at all afraid that if you replace Jimmy Kimmel, he might do something crazy to you and your car?"

Joking aside, McPherson told reporters after the session he would love to have Leno on his air, but added, "I can't believe NBC would let him go."

McPherson insisted there's room for both Kimmel and Leno at ABC ("It would be a great pairing") and said he could envision a scenario where Kimmel's show would air earlier in the evening ("That would be a huge possibility") before Leno's.

Such a lineup might mean the death of "Nightline" — a possibility that arose in 2002 when ABC made a failed run to lure David Letterman from CBS.

JACK'S BACK: The writers strike was a gigantic buzzkill for a number of reasons, but perhaps chief among them: "24" fans were

The series still won't return to the air until January, but to whet some appetites and get the adrenaline pumping, Fox will air a two-hour "24" prequel movie on Nov. 23.

So here's the intel: Shot on location in South Africa, the film has our man Jack coping with an international crisis. Meanwhile, here at home, the nation prepares for a new female president — played by Cherry Jones — on Inauguration Day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, the prequel will set the stage for Season 7.

"It wasn't the easiest place to shoot," Sutherland said of the "24" production that left Los Angeles for the first time. "There was very little sunshine and it was probably the windiest shoot I've ever been on. But we went there with one of the best '24' scripts we've ever had."

Joining Sutherland in the prequel will be Jon Voight (aka Angelina Jolie's dad), who will play a villain, and Gil Bellows ("Ally McBeal") as a state department officer. Voight's role will continue into the season, but the prequel is it for Bellows.

Sutherland praises Fox for its decision to hold off Season 7 for a full year when the strike hit.

"I think ultimately they made a courageous choice and correct one in waiting," he said. "We've always done better when we've able to air all 24 episodes continuously. They had to make a hard decision, but I think the whole television season was disrupted badly, that I don't think the people who aired half a season won."

WELCOME, KATIE HOLMES: ABC confirmed a juicy little piece of casting news on Wednesday: Katie Holmes will do a one-episode guest stint on "Eli Stone" this fall.

"It's a great role for her," McPherson said. "She'll do some singing and dancing."

The gig reunites Mrs. Tom Cruise (and Suri's mom) with "Dawson's Creek" producer Greg Berlanti, who oversees "Eli."

"He and Katie wanted to get back together," said McPherson, who said she'll shoot her scenes over the next few days. "We're excited."

A GRAND FINALE? "The Shield" kicks off its final season on FX on Sept. 2, but already some cast members are hyping the series finale, which has been shot and is in the can.

"It's the greatest finale ever," raved CCH Pounder. "It blew my socks off. This finale is exactly what Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) deserves."

Added Chiklis, "What thrills me about the finale is that you will not see this coming."

"The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan, of course, provided no details of the finale episode, but said it will avoid the pitfalls of other series that lose their pace and tone in an attempt to provide a blockbuster finish.

"We stay true to ourselves. It will feel like 'The Shield' universe," he said.

THE LONG GOODBYE: In other FX news, the network announced that "Nip/Tuck" will end its run in 2011 with a batch of 19 episodes. Meanwhile, the show is getting set to return in January to complete its strike-interrupted fifth season.