Rumour has it audiences could be in for a return of the 24 series franchise. According to Variety, a new prequel series is in development at Fox.
The original creators of the show, Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran, are said to be working alongside showrunner Howard Gordon on a prequel series that will focus on a young Jack Bauer. There has been no official confirmation from Fox; let alone whether this new series will make it to our TV screens.
The original series, which starred Keifer Sutherland as Bauer, ran between 2001 and 2010 and spanned across 192 episodes over 8 series. Each season, comprising 24 episodes, covers 24 hours in Bauer’s life using the real-time method of narration. The series begins with Bauer working for the Los Angeles–based Counter Terrorist Unit, in which he is a highly proficient agent with an “ends justify the means” approach, regardless of the perceived morality of some of his actions. Throughout the series, most of the main plot elements unfold like a political thriller.
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If the new series gets the go-ahead, it will be the third time in which Fox has tried to emulate the success of the original. In 2014, 24: Live Another Day aired. Fox went on to make the spin-off 24: Legacy. Legacy initially gained huge numbers, but after moving its timeslot to the original Monday night, ratings dropped resulting in the cancellation of the show.
24 won numerous awards over its eight seasons, including Best Drama Series at the 2004 Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Drama Series at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards. At the conclusion of its eighth season, 24 became the longest-running U.S. espionage/counterterrorism-themed television drama ever, surpassing both original TV series of Mission: Impossible and The Avengers.
