Fox Finally Sets a Date for Jack Bauer’s Return to the Airwaves

Last May, Fox announced that they had ordered a new mini-season of 24. Now, finally, they've decided to let us all know when we can see Jack Bauer in our living rooms again. 24: Live Another Day, the 12-episode limited run "event series," will kick off with a two-hour premier on Monday, May 5 at 8pm. Then, for the next 11 weeks after that, you can catch it in its regular time slot on Mondays at 9pm.

Of course, this isn't quite going to be the 24 you're used to. The mini-season will still chronicle one day in the life of terrorist-hunter Jack Bauer, and each episode will still account for one single hour of that day. But obviously, since there will only be 12 episodes, there will 12 hours of Jack's day that go unaccounted for.

What do the producers think of this change? Well, they sound pretty relieved, actually. Speaking today at the Television Critics Association press tour, EP Howard Gordon said making the show will feel less like a marathon and allow them to "see the horizon" and "imagine the other side." (Still sounds like cheating to me, but whatever.)

Kiefer Sutherland, meanwhile, says he's excited but supposedly nervous.

There was always something we all wished was better [during the original run], but we were very proud of this show. To open it up again and to not make the best 12 episodes we've ever made is frightening. I won't lie to you. To not give them the best that we have to offer would be very disappointing. Until we start shooting, everything is intangible.

As for the million dollar question—will you have to go back and watching Seasons 1-8 to follow Live Another Day—the answer is no. Gordon said they're going to make the narrative "abundantly clear," while Sutherland noted that the fact that the characters have been apart for four years requires some exposition that will get the audience all caught up.

That being said, if you wanted to go back and watch the first eight seasons on Netflix, I'm sure they wouldn't mind.

[Via]