Jon Gosselin ordered to stop making media appearances. Huzzah!

Jon Gosselin didn't show up at a hearing in TLC's suit against him Thursday, and he missed some bad news: The judge in the case says he can't make any more "unauthorized" media appearances?

Could this spell the end of our long national nightmare? It very well could -- at least for the time being.

The hearing in a Maryland court is part of a lawsuit brought by TLC, which broadcasts "Jon & Kate Plus 8," against Gosselin for breach of contract. The cable channel says it has an exclusive contract with him that bars him from being paid for other appearances outside the show. TLC COO Edward Sabin testified that events like a pool party Gosselin hosted at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas weren't approved by the network (the word "embarrassing" was tossed around) and were at odds with the show's (formerly) warm-and-fuzzy image, the AP reports.

Jon's lawyer, Mark Heller, had previously said his client would be at Thusday's hearing, but Jon never showed in court. Had he been there, he would have heard Judge Michael D. Mason issue a preliminary injunction that bars Gosselin from making media appearances that conflict with his TLC contract. That means no more Jon on "ET" ... or "The Insider" ... or anywhere where he's getting paid for his time.

On behalf of a grateful nation, we'd like to thank Judge Mason for this early Christmas present.

A trial date for TLC's lawsuit and Jon's countersuit -- he claims the TLC contract prevents him from making a living and that "Jon & Kate Plus 8" violated child labor laws by filming the Gosselin kids -- is scheduled to begin in April.

Follow Zap2it's Dish Rag on Twitter and Facebook for all your movie, TV and celebrity news.

More Jon Gosselin Dish:

Jon and Kate Gosselin's divorce terms final
The Jon and Kate Gosselin arbitration: Days of whine and roses
Report: Jon Gosselin will countersue TLC