Fox are finished with "24" and NBC don't want a series with such a hefty price tag. At least, that's how the latest reports look.

The fate of the action-packed international hit, "24," has been in question for the best part of its current eighth season after ratings have continued to decline while the production costs rise even further. And, at one point rumors persisted that NBC, part of the Universal group, were interested in the possibility of taking on the series for a season or two.

Not anymore ... it now looks like "24" is as good as gone.

According to the latest reports, a casting call has gone out for the final episodes of the season that indicate these will in fact become the last ever episodes of the series. Producers are seeking an authority presence to take on the role of a U.N. secretary general, which came with a cryptic warning; if you want to be seen on "24," do it now.

"These are the final episodes," the casting call which was sent to talent agencies explained. "So if some of your name people would like to do something on the show, this is the time for them to do it.

"24" was once a huge hit with critics and viewers, but has come under intense scrutiny over recent years for unbelievable plot twists. More recently, the series has struggled in the ratings, particularly this year, and hit a series low of 8.5 million viewers when placed up against the Vancouver Olympics on NBC. Overall, the series is down approx. 10 percent in viewership from last year.

However, all hope is not lost. There is still considerable interest in adapting the show for the big screen for a larger adventure in the same scale as the Bourne movies. Rumors of such a development have been a regular occurrence throughout the shows nine seasons, however have recently received more notable attention in the media.

Writer Billy Ray has been hired by Twentieth Century Fox to work on a script for a big screen version which will take CTU to Europe and his plan for the project has been a hit with producers.

Please note that there has been no official confirmation from Fox regarding the future of "24."

"24" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.