As long as there is terrorism in the world, the United States will have something to say about it. And it also means that 24 will never be an irrelevant TV show. (Ridiculous and unrealistic, sure, but not out of place.) 2016 may be the year that the 24 franchise officially moves on without Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer at the forefront, as Fox has given the pilot order to 24: Legacy, a rebooted effort that will center on an all new set of characters, while potentially existing in the same universe as its predecessor.
The 24: Legacy pilot will center on a military hero coming home to the U.S., although it won’t be an easy readjustment, as he’s followed back by all things dangerous. He must ask CTU for assistance in keeping him safe, as well as in thwarting what has the potential to be the biggest terrorist attack this country has ever seen. (As if 24 would have it any other way.) He will form a bond or something with an older female who has a history with the agency that goes back many years, as she is a former head of CTU.
Though the characters will be changing, everything else about the show will basically stay the same. The episodes will play out over the course of an hour of a day of neverending catastrophes and bottomless coffee cups. Storylines will unfold on top of one another, and the split-screen format will once again be utilized. I’m hoping the budget for characters saying “dammit” is the same as it was in the old days.
The creative team behind this updated version of 24 is Homeland co-creator Howard Gordon, Dexter writer/producer Manny Coto and Body of Proof writer/producer Evan Katz. All were writers and producers on 24, with the latter two returning for the limited series 24: Live Another Day. These guys know the subject matter and the process well, so I’m confident they’ll deliver the goods as far as introducing a new day of domestic mayhem.
Though Kiefer Sutherland definitely won’t have any on-screen involvement in this new project, he may be involved behind the scenes as things move forward. It’s expected that some former 24 characters and situations will be referenced, but no one is expected to actually return for a cameo or regular role. And according to Deadline, the new 24: Legacy lead character will be of a different race, as all of the actors that have auditioned so far have been black. That could change, but any way it goes, we’re hoping they find the best person for the gig, as replacing Jack Bauer will be no easy feat.
The pilot script was well received over at Fox, so it’s likely that they’ll decide to add it to their fall schedule alongside the Empire Season 3 and Scream Queens Season 2, both of which were ordered today. Until then, we’ll just go back to wishing 24 was still on Netflix.
