Nephew…or son? That’s the mystery for viewers to solve, when Evan Ellingson begins his 10-episode storyline Sunday night on 24. Jack Bauer’s latest nuclear crisis leads him to an unlikely terrorist source: his own father and brother. During the tense family reunion, we’re introduced to Jack’s nephew, Josh (aka Evan), who looks a lot more like Kiefer Sutherland than his oily papa. Jack and his sister-in-law exchange glances that seem to indicate there’s more to their past relationship than holiday dinners. Young Josh is used as a pawn throughout this intense season, and Jack’s unusually-obsessed with his safe rescue. So who is Evan Ellingson? A few months ago, Parade magazine cited the charismatic 19-year-old as the new face most likely to become a breakout star. He’s an extreme-sports fanatic who enjoys surfing, snowboarding, skating, mountain climbing and scuba-diving. In fact, Evan was actually “discovered” at a skate park nine years ago, and began racking up some impressive acting credits, including the role as long-lost son of criminologist Horatio Cane. Now, those who’ve followed the heroic exploits of Jack Bauer are savoring the possibility that Evan represents a secret offspring on 24.

When fun facts begin to snowball, interesting trends emerge. I began thinking about various WBNX stars who are also involved in the music industry…and was surprised to quickly list 22. With Cleveland’s strong rock-and-roll ties, having that many actors on one north coast network who also “moonlight” as singers is unusual, if not unprecedented. The impressive group includes three Grammy winners (Reba, Queen and Will), multi-Grammy nominees (Foxx and Milian), and a member of one of the most-popular ‘70s groups, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Telma Hopkins. I also included Kiefer Sutherland, since he’s formed his own recording label and studio for hot indie bands. Many of these stars below can be heard performing on YouTube. Here’s my rockin’ rundown… look over our TV program lineup and see if you can add to the list! If you want more info on a particular star, post a comment.

Reba McEntire (Reba)
Queen Latifah (Living Single)
Will Smith (Fresh Prince)
Jamie Foxx (Jamie Foxx Show)
Telma Hopkins (Half & Half)
Scarlett Pomers (Reba)
Renee Olstead (Still Standing)
Persia White (Girlfriends)
Bethany Joy Galeotti (One Tree Hill)
Wesley Jonathan (What I Like About You)
Calvin Goldspink (Life is Wild)
Katie Cassidy (Supernatural)
Cassie Steele (Degrassi)
Mike Lobel (Degrassi)
Jake Epstein (Degrassi)
Tisha Campbell (My Wife & Kids)
Jim Belushi (According to Jim)
Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince)
Kiefer Sutherland (24)
Christina Milian (8 Days a Week / midseason)
Bret Harrison (Reaper)
Amy Pietz (Aliens in America)

The First Lady is, shall we say…unhinged. And that’s understandable, given what we learn about the President himself! Yes, the wildest season of 24 kicks off Sunday night on WBNX, and while “Day 5” is gut-wrenching for Jack Bauer, viewers can bask in the amazing Emmy-nominated performances of Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin, who fill The White House with outrageous drama. Jean has previously stolen the show on Designing Women and Frasier, but her scenes this season as “Martha Logan” are both over-the-top and riveting. If you’re a night owl, I highly recommend our new drama trio of Stargate: Atlantis, 24, and Stone Undercover.