'08
24 is returning early to the Fox network, having been previously delayed by the writer’s strike and Kiefer Sutherland’s DUI jail time. The series was originally not going to make it to television until early 2009.
The new series, which was originally due to air Stateside in January 2008, will now not go out until January 2009.
To help fans make the transition over the long break, a made-for-TV prequel is planned for the autumn. The two-hour special will be set in Africa a year after the events portrayed in day six.
“(Jack’s) a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace,” explains a source. “But he winds up in Africa in the middle of a coup.”
The programme will lay the groundwork for next season’s action which begins and ends at 8am and plays out against a Washington backdrop.
Is Fox bringing back 24 for a special event to test how audiences feel about Jack Bauer now that Kiefer has done some jail time? I’m not sure how much Kiefer’s reputation has been sullied by the drink driving arrest and prison sentence. While it was hardly a first offense, in fact I think you might describe his drinking as a ‘problem’, people didn’t seem to react the same way they did when Paris, Nicole and Lindsay were arrested. Maybe there’s a different standard for women when it comes to a DUI arrest.
It’s possible the network is also hesitant to commit to a full length series because of the anticipated actors strike. I hope the strike doesn’t go on for too long, if it does go ahead. Another season of tv like this one and I’ll turn my television into a fish tank.
Just for a laugh, here’s Kiefer getting arrested for the new series. It’s like a reenactment for those of us that missed the real life drama. Will this be shown on 24 or America’s Most Wanted?
Picture note by Celebitchy: Kiefer Sutherland is shown on the set of “24″ on 5/11/08, thanks to Splash News.































