Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Fox's 24 - Getting 86'd For Now?

TV Guide's Michael Ausiello raises some concerns, issues, and questions in today's TV Guide on line about the fate of Fox's 24 and its man of the day, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland):

"Well, although Fox hasn't confirmed it, I'll go out on a limb and say Jack Bauer isn't returning this season. Even if the strike ends tomorrow, the earliest the show could get back on the air is this summer — and there's no way in hell Fox is dumping 24 onto the summer season. That leaves the network with several options, none of them ideal. One solution is to just kick off Season 7 next January, but by then Jack will have been in hiding for nearly two years. Another, and much more controversial, scenario being bandied about involves taking the eight episodes currently in the can and creating a 10- to 14-episode mini-season to air in the fall. That would be followed by another 10- to 14-episode mini-season — featuring a completely different plot — during the second half of the season. Opponents of that idea have argued, and rightly so, that by splitting the season, you're essentially compromising the show's unique, 24-hour conceit. Proponents, however, argue that these are desperate times. And sometimes desperate times require throwing out the rulebook. I can see that point as well. What do you guys think? Would you rather wait until January and get a traditional uninterrupted 24-episode season? Or would you prefer getting the show back in the fall, even if that meant splitting the season up into two shorter, self-contained chunks? Or do you have another solution? Weigh in with your thoughts in the Ask Ausiello Discussion Thread. I have a feeling Fox will be interested in what you have to say. "

Lots of questions, no answers. I bet Jack Bauer would be able to solve the writer's strike in less than a day, given enough weapons.

24 is one of my favorite shows, despite the fact that sometimes things occur that strain credulity. Still, there is nothing quite like Jack Bauer going all out to solve even the smallest of problems, with weapons of course. OK, sometimes he uses electrical cords, but I digress. One of the hardest things to find credible with 24 is that everything is supposed to occur within a span of 24 hours. Sometimes Jack is able to drive around Los Angeles and get places in times that even Superman would find hard to achieve. Maybe the concept of keeping with this "real time" theme isn't necessary any more. My opinion is the show may benefit in the credibility category if it stepped back from that time constriction.

I guess I'll take 24 hours to think about it before I write to Fox.



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