The following takes place between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.: '24' shuts down
Jack Bauer has cheated death a few dozen times, but he couldn't avoid cancellation.
Tonight, the news becomes official: The clock will stop ticking on "24."
After putting the tireless Counter Terrorist Unit agent to work for eight extra-long days, snapping necks between his thighs and protecting presidents (except when they're evil), Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly has ordered that Jack stand down at this season's end.
Although everyone on set reacted to the news emotionally, no one is perhaps sadder than the man who brought Jack Bauer to life.
"We've done eight years we're very proud of, and we're very excited about going into the film world with this," said Kiefer Sutherland in an interview with The Times. "It's very sad, the only thing tempering this from being all-out heartbreak is the fact that we have this sense of accomplishment. That's the only thing holding people up. Because, for me, and all these people who've been with us since the beginning, it's a very special thing and it's very sad to see it end."
Termination comes in the middle of Day 8, which has been, well, a mixed bag so far, and network executives at Fox seem to think that the Kiefer Sutherland-starring action drama doesn't pack the punch it once used to.
"Everyone concurs that we want the show to end as close to peak form as possible," executive producer Howard Gordon said."If they said tomorrow that you have a ninth season, it's not something we'd be up for because we realize Jack's story in the real-time format has been told. Jack is a wonderful character who can live past the '24' real-time franchise. As far as doing this high wire act...this is far as we can take it."
The ratings have reflected that. The most recent episode of the show drew 8.7 million viewers on Monday -- down 34% from Season 7's average of 13.3 million. While the ratings have cooled, the cost of producing "24" has continued to increase. And critics panned the first several episodes this season. Cancellation was hinted at earlier this month.
The timing of getting the axe could be brutal for loyal viewers. While it's still too early to tell -- "24" turns in a game-changing episode a couple of times over the course of a season -- the show may be headed out the door on a less-than-explosive note: This season began with Jack -- or, as Kim's daughter has dubbed him, "Grandpa Jack" -- attempting to get out of the torture biz but being unable to resist the call to duty when CTU finds itself needing the Power of Bauer one last time.
But it's been slow going: The main stories have revolved not around Jack kicking butt but on his loose-cannon love interest Rene, and a not-so-urgent plot involving missing nuclear rods. Jack has also been overwhelmed with what well may be the lamest of the series' C-story lines (among them, a truly terrible waste of actress Katee Sackhoff.)
But Sutherland and Gordon said writers are working on a finale that he thinks will give the franchise a talked-about send-off.
"We began the season knowing it really could be the end," Gordon said. "We swung for the fences. We're taking some risks and it's going to a place that I gotta say is pretty challenging. My feeling is that when the seconds tick down, I hope people are sitting forward saying they want more. How it ends is far grayer and more complex and more '24' like than anything else."
"What I do like about the ending and what I can say about it is that it's very definitive about where Jack is going to end up," Sutherland said. "It can be perceived as a cliffhanger on some level, but there's no questioning his options. That's something we've never been able to do in the context of this series."
Also comforting for the fans: Jack may not be retiring just yet. Sutherland is eager to get started on a "24" movie. The film side of 20th Century Fox has already hired a writer, Billy Ray, behind the film adaptations "State of Play" and "Shattered Glass," who pitched his own version of a bad day for Bauer. (The movie would send Jack to Europe.) Sutherland personally brought in Ray's idea to the studio.
At its peak, "24" helped transform Fox into a ratings powerhouse in the early 2000s. Alongside shows like "American Idol" and "House," it vaulted the network into to the No. 1 spot among the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. "24" changed television in more ways than one.
"What I've enjoyed is that it's been part of a monumental shift in what television is compared to what it was...it became the home of drama, a phenomenal outlet for actors and writers," Sutherland said.
Over the years, Jack's methods extracting crucial knowledge from terrorists have included tractor-flipping his enemies and, one more than one occasion, snapping their necks with his thighs. According to the official "24" Wiki, he's killed at least 238 people on-screen. A debate about the show's depiction of torture has raged over the years.
The show's creative merits earned it both Emmy and Golden Globe awards for drama and actor Kiefer Sutherland. "24" has also received Emmy Awards for writing and directing, and last year Cherry Jones won an Emmy for supporting actress in a drama.
Known as one of the most grateful actors in the TV business, Sutherland said he is "doing everything in my power not to think about" the fact that there are only two weeks left of production.
"We’re still working, and I’m desperately trying to keep my head in that and I think everyone else is as well," he said. "I know the end will be a very difficult day, and I would love to have avoided it. It’s hard. I broke it down the other day: I've worked on '24' more than half of my professional career. We've made 196 hours of TV...close to 100 movies. That's a very successful career in itself. I think Gene Hackman and my father are the only two people who've made more stuff than that. So it would be silly for me to pretend the end of this would not have a huge impact on my life."
The series finale of "24" airs on May 24.
Photo credit: Fox
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Complete 24 coverage on Showtracker
This season isn't the best but 24 will still go out as one of the best series in history. Lots of excellent work over the years from the talented cast and crew. Let's hope there are many more shows as creative, fun and well-executed as 24 in TV's future!
Posted by: GB | March 26, 2010 at 05:16 PM
I am heartbroken that 24 has been canceled!!!! All I can say is that they are a fantastic bunch of actors and they will be totally missed. My regret is they didn't bring Carols Bernard back to play Tony Almeida. He was a big part of 24 and I really think they should have brought him back for a last hurrah! I am so looking forward to the movie and I hope they really will make one. Bring them all back including Bernard and Jon Casar!
Thanks for everything!
Posted by: Tracy Ouellette | March 26, 2010 at 05:22 PM
Bring back Tony Almeda for the finale!
Posted by: ed | March 26, 2010 at 05:29 PM
What a shame. Such a good show. Probably not stupid enough for American audiences, huh?
Posted by: Richard | March 26, 2010 at 05:35 PM
Dick Cheney is crying in his undisclosed location. Bin Laden has just handed him a tissue.
Posted by: sparkey | March 26, 2010 at 05:41 PM
DAMN IT!
Posted by: ROY | March 26, 2010 at 05:55 PM
I'll miss it but if you need your 24 fix in the future try the BBC's series MI5 aka Spooks. Like 24 but with a brain.
Posted by: Al | March 26, 2010 at 05:59 PM
[[Jack has also been overwhelmed with what well may be the lamest of the series' C-story lines (among them, a truly terrible waste of actress Katee Sackhoff.)]]
False! The worst c-story line? Five words: Kim Bauer vs. mountain lion.
Apart from that, it's a little annoying that double-agents can still call their co-conspirators from within CTU.
Posted by: IMHO | March 26, 2010 at 06:03 PM
I'm sure Dick Cheney will be sad.
A friend who works on the show says that VP and Mrs. Cheney once toured the set, and said that they were fans of the show.
Urban legend? Who knows.
At least 24 accomplished one thing: Of all American communities to nuke, they chose Valencia and said so.
I guess the show's producers didn't think Awesome Town was so great.
Posted by: Valley Girl | March 26, 2010 at 06:08 PM
One of my top 5 shows that I watch.
Yes. A movie production would be fitting and likely worthwhile.
Posted by: zwzw | March 26, 2010 at 06:11 PM
This is sad news to me not because I watch the show, but because I always see them shooting episodes in downtown Los Angeles. The crews are pretty large and it always makes me happy to see creative people able to make a living.
Posted by: Sony Holland | March 26, 2010 at 06:18 PM
Truly saddened...this is the best and only show I watch on TV.
Posted by: Toomy | March 26, 2010 at 06:23 PM
Richard: what are you, 12 yrs old?
Posted by: Bob | March 26, 2010 at 06:27 PM
we lost my first program which was the "shield" and now we loose "24",
who is going to take over this kind of entertament?
Posted by: david | March 26, 2010 at 06:28 PM
(sigh) Seriously? I've been watching since the very beginning, don't want to see it go.
This may not be the best season of 24, but it still beats 90+% of all television. This is a shame. Absolute shame.
Where's the online fan petition to keep the series running until the end? Gotta be one up already...
Posted by: Eddie C | March 26, 2010 at 06:45 PM
How will the "real time" concept translate to film? They going to retitle it "2 Hours" ... ?
Posted by: WrteStuf | March 26, 2010 at 06:55 PM
I'm no fan of violent action-oriented shows on Fox anyway.
Posted by: palmstring | March 26, 2010 at 07:04 PM
I am so sorry to hear that about '24' my husband and I love Jack Baur, we are so excited during each show and can hardly wait for the next show. I wish there was something we could do to make them reconsider this decision
Posted by: Jennifer | March 26, 2010 at 08:06 PM
I have been a huge fan of "24" since the beginning. In offices all over the country it was always the most popular "morning after" conversation.
This season all I ever hear is "what's up with 24?"..The story line is ok but some of the things are just too bizarre. A probation officer from some podunk town can just wander into CTU during a national emergency? Then demanding interviews with key personnel?
It just seems that good ole common sense is lacking in the writing. It's a shame..
Posted by: Bobby McGovern | March 27, 2010 at 05:35 AM
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Posted by: cc | March 27, 2010 at 09:04 AM