Jack Bauer will be back to smash more terrorist cells, but will TV’s toughest crime fighter still pull out all the stops to save innocent lives?
Fox is expected to announce a new, limited series version of the popular terrorism drama 24 today, May 13, with showrunner Howard Gordon and star Kiefer Sutherland returning to the franchise.
That’s great news for fans of the show, which featured Sutherland’s character doing anything and everything necessary to prevent terrorist attacks on the home front.
Torture? Sure. Harsh interrogations? Of course. The series featured that worst case, ticking time bomb scenario that turned some doves into hawks on the matter of televised terrorism.
That didn’t sit well with the Left, although the show’s popularity overshadowed most of the outrage. The series came of age before the Twitter revolution, and by the time 24 wrapped its final season in May of 2010 the social networking site hadn’t yet assumed its full clout. Plus, the series has lost some of its pop culture might in its final episodes.
We’re living in an age when the current administration dubs terrorism “workplace violence” and overseas attacks are scrubbed of their terrorist roots.
Can we expect a kinder, gentler Jack Bauer? Or will Fox executives realize the formula which made 24 such an unrelenting thriller should be left alone?