24 (TV series)
24 is an American action drama television series created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran for Fox. The series stars Kiefer Sutherland as US counter-terrorist federal agent Jack Bauer. Each season covers 24 consecutive hours in Bauer's life using the real time method of narration, which is emphasized by the display of split screens and a digital clock. The show premiered on November 6, 2001, and spanned 204 episodes over nine seasons, with the series finale broadcast on July 14, 2014. In addition, the television film 24: Redemption aired between seasons six and seven, on November 23, 2008. 24 is a joint production by Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television.
24
- Kiefer Sutherland
- (and others)
United States
English
9
192 + 24: Redemption + 12 (24: Live Another Day) (list of episodes)
- Los Angeles (seasons 1–8)
- Cape Town (Redemption)
- Washington, D.C. (season 7)
- London (Live Another Day)
Peter Levy
Rodney Charters
Jeffrey C. Mygatt
Guy Skinner
David Latham
Scott Powell
Leon Ortiz-Gil
Chris G. Willingham
Casey O. Rohrs
Larry Davenport
Elisa Cohen
David Thompson
43–51 minutes
- Imagine Television
- Real Time Productions
- Teakwood Lane Productions
- 20th Century Fox Television
November 6, 2001 –
May 24, 2010
May 5 –
July 14, 2014
At the start of the series, Bauer is already a highly proficient agent with an "ends justify the means" approach. This means that he will usually threaten, disregard and lie to anyone who refuses to cooperate with him.[2][3] Throughout the series, the plot elements contain both a political thriller and a serial drama, with each episode normally ending on a cliffhanger.[4] Furthermore, the action component shows Bauer using people on both sides of the law in his attempts to prevent terrorist attacks and bring down those responsible, sometimes at great personal expense. These attacks include presidential assassination attempts, bomb detonations, bioterrorism, cyberwarfare, as well as conspiracies that involve government and corporate corruption.
24 received generally positive reviews, with its fifth season being universally praised by critics. However, the series was criticized for perceived Islamophobia and glorification of torture. The show won numerous awards throughout its run, including Best Drama Series at the 2004 Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Drama Series at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards. In May 2013, it was announced that 24 would return with a 12-episode limited series titled 24: Live Another Day, which aired from May 5 to July 14, 2014, bringing the episode count to 204.[5][6] A spin-off series, 24: Legacy, premiered on February 5, 2017, lasting a single 12-episode season.[7][8] 24 is the longest-running U.S. espionage- or counterterrorism-themed television drama, surpassing both Mission: Impossible and the UK's The Avengers.[9]
Synopsis[edit]
Premise[edit]
24 is a serial drama starring Kiefer Sutherland as central character Jack Bauer, an agent initially with the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), whose mandate is to protect the United States from terrorist plots. The episodes take place over the course of one hour, depicting events as they happen, in real time.[10] However, commercial breaks are normally used to skip several minutes multiple times, which means that about 17 minutes of each hour is not shown. To emphasize the real-world flow of events, a clock is prominently displayed on-screen at certain points during the show, and there is regular use of split screens, a technique used to depict multiple scenes occurring simultaneously.
In addition to Bauer, each episode typically follows other US government officials from CTU/FBI/CIA and the White House, as well as the conspirators who set the events in motion. Because many of these conspirators commit murder for political gain, several of Bauer's contacts are killed as a consequence of government intervention. The grief that Bauer experiences from these deaths is often explored throughout the series. While Bauer does have the utmost respect for most of his colleagues, friends and family members, he always believes himself to know how to provide the best way of saving innocent lives and/or achieving his own sense of justice, often being proven right when taking action.
24 is known for employing plot twists which may arise as antagonists adapt, objectives evolve or larger-scale operations unfold. Stories also involve interpersonal relationships, delving into the private lives of the characters. As part of a recurring theme, characters are frequently confronted with ethical dilemmas. Examples of this are a bombing in season 2, which can only be prevented by blowing Bauer's cover, and an ultimatum in season 3, in which a terrorist agrees not to carry out an attack if a high-ranking CTU official is killed. Also, season 4 is notable for a scene in which two men—one of whom possesses crucial information—are dying in a room with only one surgeon.
Production[edit]
Conception[edit]
The idea for the series first came from executive producer Joel Surnow, who initially had the idea of a TV show with 24 episodes in a season. Each episode would be an hour long, taking place over the course of a single day.[14] He discussed the idea over the phone with producer Robert Cochran, whose initial response was "Forget it, that's the worst idea I've ever heard, it will never work and it's too hard".[15] They met the next day at the International House of Pancakes in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, to discuss the idea of this action-espionage series that used the format of real time to create dramatic tension with a race against the clock.[14]
The pilot for 24 was pitched to Fox who immediately bought it, saying they felt that the idea for the series was one that would "move the form of television forward".[16] The episode had a $4 million budget with filming in March 2001. The set of CTU was initially done in a Fox Sports office, with the set reproduced once the series was picked up for the season.[17][18] The series was supposed to be filmed in Toronto, but due to the variability of Canadian weather, Los Angeles was chosen as a filming location.[19]
The pilot of the series was well received by critics, and was signed on for an initial thirteen episodes. Production began in July 2001, and the premiere was planned for October 30, but because of the September 11 attacks, delayed until November 6.[20][21][22] After the first three episodes, Fox greenlit the remaining filmed 11 episodes and following Kiefer Sutherland's Golden Globe win, Fox ordered the second half of the season.[23]