24 (TV series)
68769
226183204
2008-07-17T05:40:22Z
68.197.221.183
{{Infobox Television
| show_name = 24
| rated = [[Image:TV14-V.gif|50px]]
| image = [[Image:24tv.jpg|250px]]
| sound = [[Image:24.mp3|24.mp3]]
| caption = ''24'' intertitle
| genre = <!-- let's not edit war over genre's, shall we? :). If there's an issue, take it to the talk page, don't just revert. Okay? -->[[Drama]]<br />[[Action movie|Action]]<br />[[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]]
| creator = [[Joel Surnow]]<br />[[Robert Cochran]]
| starring = [[Kiefer Sutherland]]<br>[[Mary Lynn Rajskub]]<br>[[Carlos Bernard]]<br>[[Cherry Jones]]<br>[[James Morrison (actor)|James Morrison]]<br>[[Bob Gunton]]<br>[[Janeane Garofalo]]<br>[[Annie Wersching]]<br>[[Rhys Coiro]]<br>[[Jeffrey Nordling]]<br>and [[Colm Feore]]
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| num_seasons = 6
| num_episodes = 144
| list_episodes = List of 24 episodes
| runtime = 42-44 minutes;<br /> 52 minutes (season 2 and 3 premieres)
| network = [[FOX]]
| picture_format = [[NTSC]] [[480i]] ([[SDTV]])<br /> [[PAL]] [[576i]] (SDTV)<br />[[720p]] ([[HDTV]]) FOX HD <br />[[1080i]] ([[HDTV]]) SKY HD
| first_aired = [[November 6]], [[2001]]
| last_aired = present <!--(renewed through May 2009)-->
| website = http://www.fox.com/24/
| tv_com_id = 3866
| imdb_id = 0285331
}}
{{Infobox TV ratings
| usa_tv = TV-14-V
| gb_tv = 15
| can_tv = 14+
| dt_tv = 16
| bih_tv = 14
| aus_tv = MA15+ (restricted)
| nz_tv = R16
| hu_tv = 16
| sg_tv = PG
| hk_tv = PG
}}
'''''24''''' is an [[Emmy]] and [[Golden Globe]] award-winning [[United States|American]] [[Action film|action]] [[drama]] [[television series]]. Broadcast by [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Network]] in the USA and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on [[November 6]], [[2001]], with an initial thirteen episodes. The first six seasons were all centered around the fictional Los Angeles branch of the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU).
''24'' is presented in [[Real time (media)|real time]], with each season depicting a 24-hour period in the life of [[Jack Bauer]], who works with the U.S. government as it fights threats on U.S. soil. Bauer is often in the field for the fictional [[Los Angeles]] Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) as they try to safeguard the nation from terrorist threats. The show also follows the actions of other CTU agents, government officials and terrorists associated with the plot. The first six seasons of the show were all based in [[Los Angeles]] and nearby locations — both real and fictional — in California, although occasionally other locations have been featured as well — most notably, [[Washington, D.C.]], where a significant portion of the action took place during the fourth and sixth seasons. Promotional materials for the seventh season have already established that, departing from tradition, it will be set primarily in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.tv.ign.com/articles/821/821061p1.html|title=IGN: 24: The Dead Rise|publisher=au.tv.ign.com|accessdate=2008-04-23|last=|first=}}</ref>
After leading actor [[Kiefer Sutherland]] won a [[Golden Globe]] for his role in the first 10 episodes, the ratings of the show increased, leading FOX to order the second half of the season. There have been six seasons of ''24'' produced. On [[May 15]], [[2007]], it was confirmed that FOX has ordered seventh and eighth seasons.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964963.html?categoryid=1043&cs=1 | title=Fox orders more '24' | accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref> A [[24 (film)|motion picture]] based on the show has been written and was scheduled to be filmed in 2007 for a 2008 release but plans for production were put on hold to focus on the TV series.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=1926 | title=24 DIRECTOR JON CASSAR TAKES A TIME-OUT TO DISCUSS SEASON SIX AND THE 24 MOVIE | accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref>
The seventh season, originally scheduled to premiere on [[January 13]], [[2008]], was initially postponed in the wake of the [[2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike]] to ensure a non stop season, a trademark of the show since the start of its fourth season in January 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-fox200708scheduleoverhaul,0,5434043.story?coll=zap-news-headlines |title=FOX Postpones '24,' Sets 'American Idol' Premiere|accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/08/hollywood.labor.ap/|title='K-Ville,' '24' latest affected by strike — CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> It is now officially postponed until January 2009.<ref name=showshurryupandwait>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/arts/television/11show.html |last=Carter |first=Bill |date=2008-02-11 |accessdate=2008-02-12 |title=After Strike, TV Shows Hurry Up and Wait |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/14/tv.24delay.ap/index.html | title="Fox: '24' on shelf until next January" (CNN)|accessdate=2008-02-16}}</ref>
To help offset the strike-induced delay, ''24'' will return on [[Sunday]], [[November 23]], [[2008]] with a two-hour prequel (titled ''[[24: Exile]]'') that will take place almost a year after day six and will "set up the story that launches season seven".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.tvblogger.org/2008/03/24-prequel-coming-this-fall.html| title='24' Prequel Coming This Fall|publisher=TV Blogger|accessdate=2008-03-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=5899| title=Exclusive News: PRODUCER HOWARD GORDON EXPLAINS THIS FALL'S 2-HOUR '24' TV MOVIE|publisher=iFMagazine|accessdate=2008-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080515fox01| title=EMMY AND GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER "24" GETS A JUMPSTART ON THE CLOCK WITH SPECIAL TWO-HOUR PREQUEL SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, ON FOX|publisher=the futon critic|accessdate=2008-05-15}}</ref>
==Elements==
===Real time===
[[Image:24splitscreenclock.jpg|thumb|left|250px|An example of a ''24'' split-screen with the running clock, from the season 4 premiere.]]
''24'' is a [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] which is shown in "[[real-time (media)|real-time]]", with each minute of airtime corresponding to a minute in the lives of the characters.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tv.com/24/show/3866/summary.html?tag=tabs;summary | title=TV.com Summary of ''24''}}</ref> Commercial breaks are placed at times when non-essential plot is taking place (e.g., characters driving somewhere will begin when a commercial break starts and arrive at their destination at the end of the commercial break). This allows for the show to actually occur in real time without compromising action. The real time clock of the show continues to roll during the commercials, emphasizing the reality of the 24 hours of the season in which the characters work. Finally, ''24'' does not use [[slow motion]] techniques, even on moments of rapid action or sleight-of-hand, which other franchises might choose to emphasize in that way.
Actual show run time without [[television advertisement|commercials]] is between 42-44 minutes, as is typical for hour long television shows on many commercial stations. However, the effect only works if episodes are shown with commercial breaks ''during'' the show and then only if these are inserted at the right points in time and have the same length, which may not fit in with the normal programming of a commercial station.
Watched continuously, each season would take approximately 17 hours to finish. This real-time nature is emphasized by an on-screen digital clock appearing before and after commercial breaks, with a distinct beeping noise for each second, alternating between [[Diatonic scale|C and D tones]]. This time corresponds to the in-universe time of the show. The characters will often place time windows (such as the common "within the hour") on certain events such as terrorist threats, thus strongly hinting the attack/event will occur before the end of the episode.
The action switches between different locations tracing parallel adventures of different characters involved in the same overarching plot. As a result, there may be long sections of unseen narrative for each character, in which case a character may only be seen for a portion of an episode's overall running time.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://24.wikia.com/wiki/Day_3_1:00pm-2:00pm#Background_information_and_notes | title=Wiki24.com Background Notes}}</ref>
===Storytelling and visual style===
''24'' employs fast-paced and complex plots. Though each day's events typically revolve around thwarting an impending terrorist attack, the series maintains an episodic format by requiring its characters to investigate [[evidence|leads]] on said terrorists, with each lead taking roughly an hour and introducing the next episode's lead in its closing minutes. The exact objective of the day may also change over the course of the season, as the terrorists adapt their plans, execute contingencies, or are discovered to have been mere pawns in a larger, more insidious scheme.
A recurring theme of ''24'' has characters faced with the decision of whether to let something tragic happen for the sake of a greater good. In Season 2, a Dept. of Defense staffer has the chance to warn [[24 (TV series)#Counter Terrorist Unit|CTU]] of an imminent attack on their building, but argues doing so would put the culprits on alert and thus cause a valuable trail to go cold.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season2/10am.htm | title=Fox Network summary of Season 2: "10:00 AM-11:00 AM"}}</ref> A similar situation occurs in Season 5, when terrorists plan to release a canister of nerve gas inside a busy shopping mall.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season5/2pm.htm | title=Fox Network summary of Season 5: "2:00 PM-3:00 PM"}}</ref> In Season 3, the President and CTU agents must choose between the life of a high-ranking CTU official and the imminent threat of further attacks,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season3/6am.htm | title=Fox Network summary of Season 3: "6:00 AM-7:00 AM"}}</ref> while Season 4 is notable for a scene in which two men — one of whom possesses crucial information about a nuclear missile strike, and the other is the husband of a major character — lie dying in an emergency room, creating the ethical dilemma of whom to save.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season4/2am.htm | title=Fox Network summary of Season 4: "2:00 - 3:00 AM"}}</ref> In addition, the sitting President often has to deal with a similar quandary. For example, in Season 6, President [[Wayne Palmer]] asks Jack Bauer to sacrifice himself in exchange for the location of a known terrorist.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/6am.htm | title=Fox Network summary of Season 6: "6:00 - 7:00 AM"}}</ref>
The first season began and ended at midnight,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season1/ | title=Fox Network summary of Season 1}}</ref> and during its ninth episode (8:00 - 9:00 AM) Jack mentioned that he had already been awake for 24 hours. Later seasons have tended to use a different time window, starting in the morning<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season2/ | title=Fox Network summary of Season 2}}</ref> or early afternoon<ref>{{cite web | url=http://fox.com/24/episodes/season3/ | title=Fox Network summary of Season 3}}</ref> to allow filming to begin in the summer when there are more daylight hours available.
For the first two seasons, ''24'' frequently used split-screen action to follow multiple plots, although from Season 3 onward this was scaled back somewhat and confined mostly to phone conversations and shots leading into and out of commercial breaks.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://funinfo.com/comment/user_101467/id_35298/prod_158270/lang_1/ | title=Funinfo.com review of Season 3}}</ref>
====Creative influences====
Immediately prior to ''24'', series co-creators [[Joel Surnow]] and [[Robert Cochran]] executive-produced ''[[La Femme Nikita (TV series)|La Femme Nikita]]'' for its entire five-year run on [[USA Network]]. Both series deal with anti-terrorist operations, and the lead characters of both series are placed in situations where they must make a tragic choice in order to serve the greater good. As a result, the on- and off-screen creative connections between ''24'' and ''La Femme Nikita'' are highly pronounced. Numerous actors from ''La Femme Nikita'' have portrayed similar roles on ''24'', a number of story concepts from ''La Femme Nikita'' have been revisited on ''24'', and many of the creative personnel from ''La Femme Nikita'' currently work (or have worked) on ''24'' in the same capacity.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118379/ | title=IMDB entry for ''La Femme Nikita''}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285331/ | title=IMDB entry for ''24''}}</ref>
In addition, ''24'' borrows some aspects of the 1997 film ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'', namely the plane itself and the use of the [[#Recurring plot devices|25th amendment]]. In Seasons 2, 4 and 6, [[Air Force One]] can be seen and the series reused the same set as the one featured in the movie.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285331/trivia | title=IMDB entry for 24-Trivia}}</ref> Additionally, four actors featured on ''24'' — [[Xander Berkeley]], [[Glenn Morshower]], [[Wendy Crewson]] and Spencer Garrett — played roles in ''Air Force One''.
===Counter Terrorist Unit===
Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) is a fictional [[U.S. government]] [[anti-terrorist]] agency and is similar to the real-life [[FBI]]/[[NYPD]] [[Joint Terrorism Task Force]], the [[CIA]] Counterterrorist Center's [[Special Activities Division]] and the [[National Counterterrorism Center]]. Its headquarters are in [[Washington, D.C.]], with satellite operations in major cities where threats are likely. CTU's primary mission is to disrupt and destroy foreign and domestic terror cells hostile to the United States, as well as protect it from terrorist attacks. With an office in nearly every major city, CTU also has a role in creating security policy and fighting groups of organized crime, which fund terrorism.<ref>{{cite book |author=Tara Dilullo, |title=24: The Official Companion Seasons 1 & 2 (24) |publisher=Titan Books (UK) |location= |year= |pages= |isbn=1-84576-313-0 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref>
CTU appears to have been somewhat clandestine, or at least kept out of the public eye. Particularly in the early seasons of the show, CTU agents who identified themselves as such to outsiders were frequently met with skepticism by those who had never heard of the organization, including police officers, until they produced their federal identification.
CTU offices are run by a Director, also called the Special Agent in Charge, to whom the Director of Field Operations and the Chief of Staff report. Departments within a CTU office include Communications ("Comm"), Logistics, and Tactical ("Field Ops"). Communications and Logistics personnel report directly to the Chief of Staff, whereas Tactical personnel are deployed into Tactical Teams ("Tac Teams") by the Director of Field Operations.
The Los Angeles CTU Field Office houses several areas. The first floor contains the Situation Room, as well as the main communications complex and command center, often referred to as "The Floor." On the second floor is the Director's office and Field Ops office. Situated elsewhere in the building are the Information Technology department (I.T.), an in-house Medical clinic, Meteorology department, several Holding Rooms used for interrogation and confinement, and Tech Rooms, which contain the bulk of the physical computer hardware used by CTU.
The CTU offices within a region report to a Divisional Office, overseen by the Division Director. Divisional offices cover a larger amount of territory in their jurisdiction. Finally, the Divisional office and all other offices report to a District Headquarters, overseen by a Regional Director. This title implies each District Headquarters has jurisdiction over an entire region of the United States. However, in Season 1, the reverse was implied: the District Director, George Mason, reported to District Manager Richard Walsh (who was killed in the second episode), and then Ryan Chappelle, the Regional Director from Division. However, in the Season 2 finale, Chappelle referred to a Mr. Vaughn, the District Director, as his superior.
CTU often suffers setbacks for the sake of plot. Despite the high-profile and high-risk nature of its duties, it is frequently infiltrated by double agents, and several times has been attacked or seized by terrorist forces.
It has been confirmed by the Season 7 Trailer that "CTU is gone" and Jack Bauer is on his own while Chloe has to help him. According to issue #11 of ''The Official 24 Magazine,'' CTU has been disbanded at some point between Day 6 and Day 7, although it is possible that this is only a ruse, and that the organization has actually gone underground.
===Recurring plot devices===
{{Original research|section|date=May 2008}}
There are some plot devices which are used frequently on ''24''.
* '''Weapons of mass destruction:''' WMDs, especially nuclear weapons, are constant threats on the show. Seasons 2 and 6 have been based around the threat of nuclear weapons. In Season 3, it was a weaponized virus. Season 5 was a fictional nerve gas variant. Season 4 featured the threat of a nuclear weapon also, but the entire season did not center around this plot.
* '''Ineffective field operatives:''' When arriving at a crime scene or a suspected location of a sought-after character, CTU field agents will often call for establishment of a security perimeter around the area. These tend to be ineffective and the culprit will evade detection and escape.
* '''Traitors in the government:''' CTU is often compromised by moles. A major subplot in Season 1 was the presence of a so-called "dirty agent" working with terrorists. As it turned out, there were 2 dirty agents in Season 1 ([[Nina Myers]] and [[Jamey Farrell]]). [[Jamey Farrell]] was originally thought to be the only dirty agent, but it was later revealed that [[Nina Myers]] was also a dirty agent. Since then, [[Marianne Taylor|another agent]] was found to be dirty in Season 4. Two traitors in the White House were exposed in Season 5 ([[Walt Cummings]] and President [[Charles Logan (24 character)|Charles Logan]]). Many others have been accused of espionage.
* '''Invocation of the [[Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|25th Amendment]]:''' Section 4 of the 25th Amendment states if the Vice President and a majority of the President's cabinet votes that the President is unable to fulfill his duties, he will be removed. It was first invoked during Season 2, to stop then President [[David Palmer (24 character)|David Palmer]] from aborting an attack, which would propel the U.S. into war. He was removed by one vote, but ultimately prevented the attack. It was invoked on Seasons 4 and 6, after assassination attempts injured, but did not kill, Presidents Keeler and Palmer. [[Mike Novick]] was involved with it being invoked in both the 2nd and 4th seasons.
* '''Insubordination in CTU:''' Characters at CTU frequently go against their superiors' orders. Jack Bauer is, by far, the most guilty of this action; he has broken CTU protocol at least once in all six seasons, and often manages to convince other agents to help him or cover for him (usually [[Chloe O'Brian]], [[Tony Almeida]] or [[Michelle Dessler]]). Occasionally he resorts to assaulting his superior (Almeida or [[George Mason (24 character)|George Mason]]). Supporting characters have also been known to go behind their superiors' backs, but generally when they feel the current director of CTU is incompetent or inefficient. Almost inevitably, these characters are granted [[amnesty]] for their actions, which are proved to have been towards the greater good; the sole exception has been Tony Almeida, who was imprisoned after Season 3 for succumbing to villain [[Minor characters in 24#Season Three 2|Stephen Saunders']] blackmail.
* '''Frequent change in command:''' So far on the series, there have been six on-screen Presidents. Only three of those six were actually elected into office, and only one served for a full term. One President resigned, one ex-President was assassinated, another was incapacitated by a bomb, another was arrested, and another was seriously injured when Air Force One was shot down. Also, there have been twelve directors of CTU, many of whom have also either resigned or been killed.
* '''CTU directors:''' in general, the current head of CTU LA (be it Jack, Tony, George Mason, [[Bill Buchanan]], [[Michelle Dessler]] or some other) is depicted by the writers of the show as being willing to compromise protocol for the sake of progress. Frequently, Division sends over a new, [[by the book|by-the-book]] director to (in the words of Alberta Green) "slow things way down" and reassert control over the maverick department; and, in doing so, oppress or reduce the efficiency of CTU LA employees attempting to perform their jobs under deadline. About half these directors have eventually evolved from agents of bureaucracy to allies and partners-in-crime, facilitating CTU's work even at the expense of protocol; almost inevitably, these "reformed" directors ([[Ryan Chappelle]], [[Lynn McGill]]) sacrifice their lives in a heroic fashion, with only Buchanan having yet survived the process. Just as inevitably, they are eventually replaced by yet another bureaucrat.
* '''Threatening family members to force compliance:''' Villains in the series frequently kidnap and threaten to kill close family members of the main characters in order to force them to work against CTU or the government (usually covertly). In addition, Jack has threatened to (or advised others to) execute in exchange for crucial information regarding an imminent [[terrorist attack]].
* '''Revealing information in exchange for immunity:''' Many terrorists/villains with major knowledge that CTU desires will often require they be acquitted of past crimes. These characters include [[Nina Myers]], [[Mandy (24 character)|Mandy]], Jacob Rossler, [[Collette Stenger]], [[Christopher Henderson]], [[Dina Araz]], and [[Dmitri Gredenko]].
* '''Torture: ''' Jack and others employ the use of torture or threats of torture in nearly every situation in order to extract information. In most cases, the torture is justified as serving the greater good, although there is sometimes a conflict of interest in which torture is also motivated by revenge. CTU has also used '''hyoscine-pentothal''', a fictional pain-inducing drug, in interrogation sessions where quick results are needed.<ref>{{cite episode|title = 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | series = 24 | serieslink = 24 (TV series) | season = 6 | number = 127 }}</ref>. This has been used on both agents and antagonists. Its effects are completely unlike the effects of real [[hyoscine]] and [[pentothal]]. The show has been criticized by human rights groups for its over-use of torture scenes<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6510593.stm BBC NEWS Magazine The clock's ticking on torture]</ref> <ref>[http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/5511,opinion,torture-works-on-24-but-not-for-real Torture works on 24, but not for real Opinion The First Post]</ref>; in response the show's writers have said that they will try to include fewer torture scenes in future episodes{{Fact|date=June 2008}}.
* '''Retribution: ''' While antagonists in ''24'' usually are dealt with a sense of justice, some are intentionally killed by Jack after he deems that their usefulness and danger are over: [[Victor Drazen]] (shot repeatedly after he falls into the water), [[Nina Myers]] (shot while injured in CTU detention), [[Minor characters in 24#Season Five 2|Conrad Haas]] (executed by Jack after an incapacitated Haas confessed to shooting David Palmer) and [[Minor characters in 24#Season Five 2|Christopher Henderson]] (shot while unarmed atop a submarine). Similarly in Season 3, the wife of a victim of terrorism activity kills Stephen Saunders while both are in CTU.
* '''Jack's absence from CTU:''' The only time Jack is a CTU agent between seasons is before Day 1 and in between Days 2 and 3. Prior to every other season, Jack is always somewhere else where his skills are not being practised. Before Day 2, Jack was retired/inactive from CTU for a year and a half after the death of his wife, Teri. 15 months before Day 4, Jack began working for the Secretary of Defense, James Heller, after he was fired from CTU by Erin Driscoll because of his heroin addiction. Before Day 5, Jack had faked his death and was working at an oil refinery. Before Day 6, Jack was in a Chinese prison for 20 months.
==Cast==
{{seealso|List of 24 characters|List of 24 cast members|Minor CTU agents in 24|Minor characters in 24}}
===Main cast===
[[Image:24season7cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Season 7 cast]]
''24'' is known for making major changes to its main cast every season — the sole exception being [[Kiefer Sutherland]], who is the only main cast member to star in all six seasons to date. [[Glenn Morshower]], who plays [[Aaron Pierce]], is the only actor besides Sutherland to appear in all six seasons. Due to the unpredictable nature of each season's storyline, main cast members are added and dropped frequently. In a few cases, guest stars have been upgraded to main cast members during the course of a season. Main cast members who return from prior seasons — whether they return for one episode or the better part of a season — are often given a "Special Guest Star" billing, although this is also used for other cast members who are well-known film actors, like [[Richard Burgi]], [[Dennis Hopper]], [[Powers Boothe]], [[Sean Astin]], and [[James Cromwell]].
Because of the intense nature of the series, the number of onscreen deaths is high compared to other television dramas. Of the 28 characters who have comprised the main cast over the past six seasons, nine are deceased. This number is considerably higher when guest characters — whether they be government agents or terrorists — are also included.{{Fact|date=January 2008}}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable"
! Actor || Character || Episode Count || class="unsortable"|Main Cast Seasons || class="unsortable"|Recurring Cast Seasons
|-
|[[Kiefer Sutherland]] || [[Jack Bauer]] || 144|| [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]], [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]], [[24 (season 7)|7]]* || NA
|-
|[[Leslie Hope]] || [[Teri Bauer]] || 24 || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || NA (deceased)
|-
|[[Sarah Clarke]] || [[Nina Myers]] || 36 || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Elisha Cuthbert]] || [[Kim Bauer]] || 72 || [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]]
|-
|[[Dennis Haysbert]] || [[David Palmer (24 character)|David Palmer]] || 80 || [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Sarah Wynter]] || [[Kate Warner]] || 25 || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]]
|-
|[[Xander Berkeley]] || [[George Mason (24 character)|George Mason]] || 27 || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Penny Johnson Jerald]] || [[Sherry Palmer]] || 45 || [[24 (season 2)|2]] ||[[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 3)|3]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Carlos Bernard]] || [[Tony Almeida]] || 95 || [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]], [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 7)|7]]*|| [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 4)|4]]
|-
|[[Reiko Aylesworth]] || [[Michelle Dessler]] || 62 || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]] (deceased)
|-
|[[James Badge Dale]] || [[Chase Edmunds]] || 24 || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || NA
|-
|[[Kim Raver]] || [[Audrey Raines]] || 52 || [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]]
|-
|[[Alberta Watson]] || [[Erin Driscoll]] || 12 || [[24 (season 4)|4]] || NA
|-
|[[William Devane]] || [[James Heller]] || 20 || [[24 (season 4)|4]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]]
|-
|[[Lana Parrilla]]** || [[Sarah Gavin]] || 12 || [[24 (season 4)|4]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]]**
|-
|[[Roger Cross]]** || [[Curtis Manning]] || 43 || [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]]**, [[24 (season 6)|6]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Mary Lynn Rajskub]] || [[Chloe O'Brian]] || 88 || [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]], [[24 (season 7)|7]]*|| [[24 (season 3)|3]], [[24 (season 4)|4]]
|-
|[[James Morrison (actor)|James Morrison]]|| [[Bill Buchanan]] || 54 || [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]], [[24 (season 7)|7]]*|| [[24 (season 4)|4]]
|-
|[[Gregory Itzin]] || [[Charles Logan (24 character)|Charles Logan]] || 36 || [[24 (season 5)|5]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 6)|6]]
|-
|[[Louis Lombardi]] || [[Edgar Stiles]] || 37 || [[24 (season 5)|5]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Jean Smart]] || [[Martha Logan]] || 24 || [[24 (season 5)|5]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]]
|-
|[[D.B. Woodside]] || [[Wayne Palmer]] || 48 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]], [[24 (season 5)|5]]
|-
|[[Peter MacNicol]] || [[Tom Lennox]] || 24 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || NA
|-
|[[Jayne Atkinson]] || [[Karen Hayes]] || 30 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]]
|-
|[[Eric Balfour]] || [[Milo Pressman]] || 28 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] (deceased)
|-
|[[Carlo Rota]] || [[Morris O'Brian]] || 26 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 7)|7]]
|-
|[[Marisol Nichols]] || [[Nadia Yassir]] || 24 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || NA
|-
|[[Regina King]] || [[Sandra Palmer (24 character)|Sandra Palmer]] || 9 || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || NA
|-
|[[Bob Gunton]] || [[Ethan Kanin]] || 3 || [[24 (season 7)|7*]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]]
|-
|[[Colm Feore]] || [[Henry Taylor (24 character)|Henry Taylor]] || NA ||[[24 (season 7)|7*]] || NA
|-
|[[Annie Wersching]] || [[Renee Walker]] || NA || [[24 (season 7)|7*]] || NA
|-
|[[Jeffrey Nordling]] || [[Larry Moss]] || NA || [[24 (season 7)|7*]] || NA
|-
|[[Janeane Garofalo]] || [[Janis Gold]] || NA || [[24 (season 7)|7*]] || NA
|-
|[[Rhys Coiro]] || [[Sean Hillinger]] || NA || [[24 (season 7)|7*]] || NA
|-
|[[Cherry Jones]] || [[Allison Taylor (24 character)|Allison Taylor]] || NA || [[24 (season 7)|7*]] || NA
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> = Attached to star/in production.<br />
<nowiki>**</nowiki> = Was moved from guest star to main cast member midseason.
===Notable guest stars===
''24'' features a large number of guest characters in every season. Below are some of the guest stars who have made appearances during the first six seasons.
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable"
! Actor || Character || class="unsortable"|Seasons || Episode Count
|-
|[[Jude Ciccolella]] || [[Mike Novick]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]] || 58
|-
|[[Glenn Morshower]] || [[Aaron Pierce]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]], [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]], [[24 (season 7)|7]]* || 39
|-
|[[Paul Schulze]] || [[Ryan Chappelle]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]], [[24 (season 2)|2]], [[24 (season 3)|3]] || 24 (deceased)
|-
|[[Zachary Quinto]] || [[Adam Kaufman]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || 23
|-
|[[Geoff Pierson]] || [[John Keeler]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]], [[24 (season 4)|4]] || 19
|-
|[[Daniel Bess]] || [[Rick Allen (24 character)|Rick Allen]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || 18
|-
|[[Sean Astin]] || [[Lynn McGill]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]] || 10 (deceased)
|-
|[[Michelle Forbes]] || [[Lynne Kresge]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || 18
|-
|[[Arnold Vosloo]] || [[Habib Marwan]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]] || 17 (deceased)
|-
|[[Adoni Maropis]] || [[Abu Fayed]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 15 (deceased)
|-
|[[Dennis Hopper]] || [[Victor Drazen]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || 4 (deceased)
|-
|[[Željko Ivanek]] || [[Andre Drazen]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || 14 (deceased)
|-
|[[Misha Collins]] || [[Alexis Drazen]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || 7 (deceased)
|-
|[[Laura Harris]] || [[Marie Warner]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || 14
|-
|[[Joaquim de Almeida]] || [[Ramon Salazar]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || 12 (deceased)
|-
|[[Jesse Borrego]] || [[Gael Ortega]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || 14 (deceased)
|-
|[[Powers Boothe]] || [[Noah Daniels]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 14
|-
|[[Vicellous Shannon]] || [[Keith Palmer]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]],[[24 (season 2)|2]] || 13
|-
|[[Tzi Ma]] || [[Cheng Zhi]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 12
|-
|[[Michael Massee]] || [[Ira Gaines]] || [[24 (season 1)|1]] || 12 (deceased)
|-
|[[Ricky Schroder]] || [[Mike Doyle]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 12
|-
|[[Rena Sofer]] || [[Marilyn Bauer]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 12
|-
|[[Jonathan Ahdout]] || [[Behrooz Araz]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]] || 12
|-
|[[Shohreh Aghdashloo]] || [[Dina Araz]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]] || 12 (deceased)
|-
|[[Nick Jameson]] || [[Yuri Suvarov]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]], [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 12
|-
|[[John Allen Nelson]] || [[Walt Cummings]] || [[24 (season 4)|4]], [[24 (season 5)|5]] || 12 (deceased)
|-
|[[John Terry (actor)|John Terry]] || [[Bob Warner]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || 12
|-
|[[Julian Sands]] || [[Vladimir Bierko]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]] || 11 (deceased)
|-
|[[Peter Weller]] || [[Christopher Henderson]] || [[24 (season 5)|5]] || 11 (deceased)
|-
|[[Vanessa Ferlito]] || [[Claudia Hernandez]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || 11 (deceased)
|-
|[[Kari Matchett]] || [[Lisa Miller]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 10
|-
|[[Lourdes Benedicto]] || [[Carrie Turner]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || 10
|-
|[[Evan Ellingson]] || [[Josh Bauer]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 10
|-
|[[James Cromwell]] || [[Philip Bauer]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 10 (deceased)
|-
|[[John Noble]] || [[Anatoly Markov]] || [[24 (season 6)|6]] || 2 (deceased)
|-
|[[Paul Blackthorne]] || [[Stephen Saunders]] || [[24 (season 3)|3]] || 10 (deceased)
|-
|[[Sara Gilbert]] || [[Paula Schaeffer]] || [[24 (season 2)|2]] || 5 (deceased)
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> = Attached to star/in production.
===Cameo appearances===
* [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[John McCain]], [[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Arizona|Ariz.]], makes a [[cameo appearance]] in the "1:00 - 2:00 PM" episode of Season 5. He has a non-speaking role as an unidentified bureaucrat who delivers a file folder to [[Audrey Raines]] ([[Kim Raver]]), and can be seen in the "split screen" for about six seconds beginning at [http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/02/09/24-cameo-by-senator-mccain/ 1:32:22].
* [[NASCAR]] driver [[Carl Edwards]] made a cameo appearance with a small speaking part in the "10:00 - 11:00 PM" episode of Season 5, which was broadcast on [[April 3]], [[2006]].<ref>{{Fact|date=January 2008}} [http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/motorsports/13814236.htm ''San Jose Mercury News'']</ref>
* ''[[The Office (UK TV series)|The Office]]'' co-writer and director [[Stephen Merchant]] makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the first episode of the sixth season, which takes place between "06:00 - 07:00 AM" originally broadcast on [[January 14]], [[2007]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6169776.stm "Extras star lands ''24'' cameo role"], BBC (Nov. 21, 2006).</ref>
* [[Nancy Cartwright (actress)|Nancy Cartwright]], best known for providing the voice of [[Bart Simpson]] on the animated television show ''[[The Simpsons]],'' makes an appearance in the "4:00 - 5:00 PM" episode of Season 6 as [[Morris O'Brian]]'s former [[Alcoholics Anonymous|AA]] Sponsor.
* Radio talk show host [[Laura Ingraham]] has an unspoken appearance in the "5:00 - 6:00 AM" episode of Season 6.
==Plot synopsis==
===Season 1===
{{main|24 (season 1)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try expand the following overview of Season 1 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 1)]]. -->
Season 1 begins and ends at 12:00 AM, and occurs on the day of the California presidential primary. Jack Bauer must protect Senator David Palmer from an assassination plot, and rescue his family from those responsible for the plot, who seek retribution for Jack's and David Palmer's involvement with a covert U.S. mission in the Balkans.
===Season 2===
{{main|24 (season 2)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try expand the following overview of Season 2 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 2)]]. -->
Set 18 months after season 1, season 2 begins and ends at 8:00 AM. Jack must stop a nuclear bomb from detonating in Los Angeles, then assist President David Palmer in proving who is responsible for the threat.
===Season 3===
{{main|24 (season 3)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try expand the following overview of Season 3 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 3)]]. -->
Set 3 years after season 2, season 3 begins and ends at 1:00 PM. While struggling with a heroin addiction, Jack must re-infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel in order to acquire a deadly virus being marketed underground. Jack must then stop the mastermind behind the virus from releasing it.
===Season 4===
{{main|24 (season 4)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try expand the following overview of Season 4 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 4)]]. -->
Set 18 months after season 3, season 4 begins and ends at 7:00 AM. Jack must save the lives of Secretary Heller (his new boss) and his daughter Audrey Raines (with whom Jack is romantically involved) when they are kidnapped by terrorists. The same terrorists then launch further attacks against America, and Jack is forced to use unorthodox methods to stop them, methods which will have long-term consequences for both Jack and the U.S.
===Season 5===
{{main|24 (season 5)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try to expand the following overview of Season 5 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 5)]]. -->
Set 18 months after season 4, season 5 begins and ends at 7:00 AM. Jack is believed to be dead by everyone except a few of his closest friends. Terrorists with connections to the U.S. government attempt to steal nerve gas in order to protect U.S. oil interests in Asia, and Jack must resurface to stop them as well as dismantle the government conspiracy.
===Season 6===
{{main|24 (season 6)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try to expand the following overview of Season 6 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 6)]]. -->
Set 20 months after season 5, season 6 begins and ends at 6:00 AM. Jack is released after being retained in a Chinese prison for twenty months. Terrorists plot to set off [[suitcase bomb|suitcase nuclear devices]] in the United States and Jack must stop them; later, Jack has to prevent sensitive circuitry from falling into the hands of the Chinese to prevent war between the U.S. and Russia.
===Season 7===
{{main|24 (season 7)}}<!-- NOTE: **Please** do not try to expand the following overview of Season 7 to greater than one (at most two) paragraphs; please add information not /critical/ to the overall season plot, and individual episode information, to the page [[24 (season 7)]]. -->
Season 7 will begin and end at 7:00 a.m. and will begin airing in the United States in January 2009, having been delayed by the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike|writers' strike]].<ref name=showshurryupandwait /> The producers of the show have announced that there will be a 2-hour season 7 prequel, ''[[24: Exile]]'', bridging seasons 6 and 7, to air on November 23, 2008.<ref name="prequel">{{cite web|url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/24-Returns-Fall/800035012 | title=24 Makes Up for Lost Time This Fall | author=Matt Webb Mitovich | work=Today's News:Our Take | publisher=[[TV Guide]] | date=2008-02-06 | accessdate=2008-02-06}}</ref> The initial [[Back-story|back story]] will feature Jack Bauer on trial for his actions in the pursuit of justice. Meanwhile, a major national security incident occurs when the firewall responsible for protecting America's government computer infrastructure is breached. It will also feature the show's first female president, Allison Taylor, played by [[Cherry Jones]], and ex-main character [[Tony Almeida]] will be returning to the show despite his apparent death in season 5. This will be the first season to see Jack not working with CTU because it was disbanded by the U.S. government at some point after the events of Season 6.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cuzoogle.com/2007/09/20/24-resets-the-clock-for-season-seven/|date=2007-09-20|title="24" resets the clock for season 7|accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref>
==Feature film==
A [[feature film]] adaptation of ''24'' was originally planned to be shot during the hiatus between the sixth and seventh seasons. Series creators [[Joel Surnow]] and [[Robert Cochran]] were planned to write the script with showrunner [[Howard Gordon]] working on story.<ref name="24movieannounced">{{cite web| author=Josef Adalian|publisher=Variety|date=2006-06-07|accessdate=2008-07-03|title=Fox counting down to '24' pic|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117944863.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 }}</ref> Filming was to take place in [[London]], [[Prague]], and [[Morocco]].<ref name="24movielocations">{{cite web| author=Garth Franklin|publisher=Dark Horizons|date=2006-05-05|accessdate=2008-07-03|title=Sutherland Talks "24" Movie Filming|url=http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060505r.php }}</ref> [[Jon Cassar]] revealed in an interview "I think the idea is to do an hour of it that sets it up where you can go around the world and set up a story in normal film time, and probably the last hour will be in real time – something like that."<ref name="24moviecassar">{{cite web| author=Anthony C. Ferrante|publisher=iFMagazine.com|date=2007-02-19|accessdate=2008-07-03|title=Exclusive Profile: 24 Director Jon Cassar Takes a Time-Out to Discuss Season Six and the 24 Movie|url=http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=1926 }}</ref>
Plans for the movie were later put on hold with Kiefer Sutherland saying "It's impossible to ask writers to work on the show and then come up with an amazing film we can shoot in the break between series."<ref name="24moviedelayedindef">{{cite web| author=Ben Rawson-Jones|publisher=Digital Spy|date=2007-04-01|accessdate=2008-07-03|title=Report: '24' movie delayed indefinitely|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a44685/report-24-movie-delayed-indefinitely.html }}</ref>
==Broadcasting information==
===U.S. television ratings===
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''24'' on FOX.
''Note: Each USA network television season starts in mid-September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of [[Nielsen Ratings|May sweeps]]. However'' 24 ''begins its season in January and runs new episodes non-stop until May, a trend which began after many fans grew unhappy with constant pre-emptions.'' 24 ''airs during February and May sweeps.''
{| class="wikitable"
|-bgcolor="#f7f7f7"
|-
! Season
! Timeslot
! Premiere
! Finale
! Rank
! Viewers (m)
|-
| '''[[24 (season 1)|1]]'''
| Tuesdays 9/8c
| [[November 6]], 2001
| [[May 21]], 2002
| '''#76'''
| 8.60<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2002/10/29/Arts/24.Makes.Its.Triumphant.Return.On.Fox-1413405.shtml?norewrite200609030222&sourcedomain=www.michigandaily.com|source=Michigan Daily|date=[[October 29]], [[2002]]|title=Michigan Daily: '24' makes its triumphant return on FOX}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[24 (season 2)|2]]'''
| Tuesdays 9/8c
| [[October 29]], 2002
| [[May 20]], 2003
| '''#36'''
| 11.73<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quotenmeter.de/index.php?newsid=9938|date=2003-06-01|title=US-Jahrescharts 2002/2003|accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[24 (season 3)|3]]'''
| Tuesdays 9/8c
| [[October 28]], 2003
| [[May 25]], 2004
| '''#42'''
| 10.30<ref name="bg">{{cite news|url=http://my.brandeis.edu/news/item?news_item_id=103458&show_release_date=1|source=Boston Globe|date=[[January 16]], [[2005]]|title=Boston Globe: TV producers have to be agile to deal with ratings, say experts}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[24 (season 4)|4^]]'''
| Mondays 9/8c
| [[January 9]], 2005
| [[May 23]], 2005
| '''#29'''
| 11.90<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/onlyonaol/report/0,17129,1143221_3%7C%7C565864_0_,00.html|source=Entertainment Weekly|date=[[January 9]], [[2006]]|title=Entertainment Weekly on AOL: The Worst Day Ever}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[24 (season 5)|5^]]'''
| Mondays 9/8c
| [[January 15]], 2006
| [[May 22]], 2006
| '''#24'''
| 13.78<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061108234407/http://abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archivedate=2006-11-08|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070310210300/http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archivedate=2007-03-10|title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2005 – 06 television season}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[24 (season 6)|6^]]'''
| Mondays 9/8c
| [[January 14]], 2007
| [[May 21]], 2007
| '''#27'''
| 14.10<ref name="HRwrap2006-07">{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/television/features/e3ifbfdd1bcb53266ad8d9a71cad261604f|source=Hollywood Reporter|date=[[May 25]], [[2007]]|title=Hollywood Reporter: 2006-07 primetime wrap}}</ref>{{Dead link|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/television/features/e3ifbfdd1bcb53266ad8d9a71cad261604f|date=April 2008|date=May 2008}}
|-
| '''[[24 (season 7)|7^]]
| Mondays 9/8c
| January 2009
| May 2009
| N/A
| N/A
|-
|}
^ = ''Indicates a "non-stop" season, in which the season did not start at the beginning of the television season in September, but rather in January (the start of mid-season) to air new episodes every week until its season finale in May.''
Viewership increased midway through its second season when the mega-hit ''[[American Idol]]'' became the lead-in to ''24'' starting in February 2003. For its fourth season, FOX gave the show a vote of confidence by moving ''24'' out of the post-''American Idol'' time slot (to make room for the eventual hit drama, ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'') and placed it on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. Eastern (8:00 p.m. Central) while it aired the show in consecutive weeks, [[Midseason replacement|beginning in mid-January]] of 2005. The consecutive-week schedule was also implemented for 2006, beginning in mid-January 2006.
In comparison to its 2005 season, ''24'' in 2006 was up 16% in overall viewers and 14% in viewers of the advertiser-friendly 18 –49 age demographic.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|date=[[May 26]], [[2006]]|title=Hollywood Reporter: 2005-06 primetime wrap}}</ref> Thus, the series has so far reached its ratings peak in 2006.
The sixth season's two-night, four-hour premiere gained its largest audience ever, scoring an average 15.7 million viewers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tv.com/24/show/3866/story/8132.html?tag=story_list;title;6|title=Ratings: Jack Bauer vs. Globes|last=Mahan|first=Colin|date=[[2007-01-16]]|publisher=TV.com}}</ref> At one stage, ratings peaked at 16.3 million viewers. The first 4 episodes of season 6 gained an average of 33 million viewers.
Viewership has increased steadily for ''24'', except for a slight fall in the third season. FOX was able to continue gaining audience share in 2005 and 2006 with non-stop seasons and the number of viewers was up over 60% in season 5 vs season 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061108234407/http://abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archivedate=2006-11-08|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070310210300/http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archivedate=2007-03-10|title=Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2005-06 television season}}</ref>
===International broadcasters===
''24'' is widely broadcast in other parts of the world, including Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. Its viewership in the UK, however, decreased when the BBC lost the rights to satellite channels Sky One and FX after the second season.
==Critical reaction==
{{main|Critical reaction to 24 (TV series)}}
Because of the "real-time" storytelling approach to ''24'', and the series' willingness to directly address the threat of terrorism, the implementation of torture as a way to acquire information and the use and misuse of government authority, the series has generated a sizeable critical reaction, both positive and negative. The series and the main character Jack have been accused of promoting the use of excessive violence and torture in the minds of the voting public, in part to support the policies of the current federal government.<ref>{{cite web | author = Ray McGovern | work = CIA | date= [[2007-12-12]]| title = Are Americans Really Better Than That | url = http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/12/5794/ }}</ref>
The series has won numerous [[Emmy Award]]s for its technical and artistic achievements, but at the same time has been criticized by a number of prominent individuals and organizations who have objected to how the series has handled story and character elements.
In 2008, according to [[Empire Magazine]], ''24'' was ranked as the sixth greatest television show of all-time, trailing only behind [[The Simpsons]], [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy The Vampire Slayer]], [[The Sopranos]], [[The West Wing (TV series)|The West Wing]], and [[Lost (TV series)|Lost]], respectively.<ref> {{cite web|date=[[2008-30-04]] title=The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|url= http://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/default.asp?tv=6}}</ref>
==DVD releases==
The release of ''24'' on DVD has had a significant impact on the success of the television series. In an interview with [[IGN]] in 2002, Sutherland revealed, "[''24'''s] success in England was phenomenal. It was the biggest show the BBC has ever had. It was the number one DVD there, knocking off ''[[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|Lord of the Rings]]'', which is unheard of for a television show DVD to actually knock-out every feature DVD available. And that's because they showed it without commercials."<ref>{{cite web | author =Steve Head | title = A Conversation with Kiefer Sutherland| work =
IGN |date= [[2002-10-28]]| url = http://tv.ign.com/articles/375/375598p1.html| accessdate = 2008-07-04}}</ref> The U.S. sales of the Season 1 DVDs increased the audience size of Season 2 by 25%.<ref>{{cite web | author =David Lambert | title = 24's TV-on-DVD success leads to new DVD concepts| work = TVShowsOnDVD |date= [[2003-10-22]]| url = http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=764| accessdate = 2006-08-27}}</ref>
At CES 2007, Fox Home Entertainment announced the complete first season of ''24'' would be released on the [[Blu-ray disc]] format in early 2007<ref>IGN staff, [http://dvd.ign.com/articles/753/753701p1.html "CES 2007: 24, Prison Break Hit Blu-ray"], Jan. 8, 2007.</ref> although this has not yet come to fruition and no date for the Blu-Ray release has been confirmed.
The Region 1 DVD releases of ''24'' strictly emphasize actor Kiefer Sutherland on the cover art for all six seasons to date, while the Region 2 & 4 DVDs instead echo the series' split-screen format by featuring the major players in each respective season. This presented audiences who had not seen the TV broadcast (since the series moved to premium channel Sky One) in the UK with a large spoiler on the front cover of season four — which featured 'surprise' special guest star Tony Almeida.
A "limited special edition" of Day Six is also available in the United States. In addition to the DVDs, the box includes a booklet with an episode guide, each major character's job description and biographical information, and script excerpts. A limited edition of Day Six was also released in the [[United Kingdom]], available from [[HMV]] stores.
In mid-2007, the first four seasons were re-issued, featuring slim-packaging in line with the season 5 release, and improved video quality, especially in the first season, which was initially rushed to DVD. The metallic "24" logo has also been dropped in favor of the [[seven segment display]] logo.
Fox announced a special edition re-release of season 1, which was released on [[May 20]] 2008. The new set includes a 7th disc packed with bonus features, while disks 1-6 contain all 24 episodes with deleted scenes, audio commentary, and 5 extended episodes. The set is released in a steel box.<ref name="24se">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/24-Season-1-Special-Edition/7493 |title=24 - Season 1 - Special Edition DVD Information |accessdate=2008-03-08 |format=HTML |work=TVShowsonDVD.com}}</ref>
Seasons 1-6 are also available for purchase on Itunes
{| class="toc" summary="Contents"
!
|nowrap="1"|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"|DVD Release !! rowspan="2"|Episodes !! rowspan="2"|Originally aired !! colspan="3" width="400px"|Release date
|-
! Region 1 !! Region 2 !! Region 4
|-
|bgcolor="#E34234" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> One
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2001 –2002
|align="center"| [[September 17]], [[2002]]
|align="center"| [[October 14]], [[2002]]
|align="center"| December 2002
|-
|bgcolor="#E34234" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> One: Special Edition
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2001 –2002
|align="center"| [[May 20]], [[2008]]
|align="center"| TBD
|align="center"| TBD
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|bgcolor="#73C2FB" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> Two
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2002 –2003
|align="center"| [[September 9]], [[2003]]
|align="center"| [[August 11]], [[2003]]
|align="center"| September 2003
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|bgcolor="#00A86B" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> Three
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2003 –2004
|align="center"| [[December 7]], [[2004]]
|align="center"| [[August 9]], [[2004]]
|align="center"| September 2004
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|bgcolor="#082567" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> Four
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2005
|align="center"| [[December 6]], [[2005]]
|align="center"| [[August 8]], [[2005]]
|align="center"| November 2005
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|bgcolor="#f28500" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> Five
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2006
|align="center"| [[December 5]], [[2006]]
|align="center"| [[November 6]], [[2006]]
|align="center"| [[December 6]], [[2006]]
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|bgcolor="#E34234" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> Six
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2007
|align="center"| [[December 4]], [[2007]]
|align="center"| [[October 1]], [[2007]]
|align="center"| [[September 19]], [[2007]]
|-
|colspan="6"|
|-
|bgcolor="#000000" height="10px"|
|align="center"| Season <br /> Seven
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 2009
|align="center"| Possibly December 2009
|align="center"| TBA
|align="center"| TBA
|}
|}
==Other media==
{{main|List of 24 (TV series) media}}
The success of ''24'' has led to the series being extended into other arenas, including media specifically created for mobile devices and the internet. In addition, the series has spawned video and board games, toys, soundtracks from both the series and the video game, and a number of original novels inspired by the series, as well as a number of "behind-the-scenes" books. A feature film based upon the series has been written but the project has been put on hold to focus on Seasons 7 and 8.
==References==
{{Portal|24}}
{{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last= Hart Weed|first= Jennifer|coauthors= Richard Davis, Ronald Weed |title= 24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack|origyear= 2007|origmonth= November|url= http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=9781405171045|accessdate= 2008-02-07|edition= 1|series= The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series||publisher= [[Blackwell Publishing]]|isbn= 1405171049}}
==External links==
{{Wiki24|24}}
* [http://www.fox.com/24/ Official 24 FOX website]
* [http://24.wikia.com/ Wiki 24 encyclopedia]
* [http://24forum.net/ 24 Forum]
* {{tv.com show|3866|24}}
* [http://news.tvonmedia.com/tvom_news_by_show/24.shtml ''24'' DVD News] at ''[[TVOnMedia.com]]''
{{EmmyAward DramaSeries 2001-2025}}
{{24}}
{{24 Villains}}
{{24 Government}}
[[Category:Fox network shows]]
[[Category:2001 television series debuts]]
[[Category:2000s American television series]]
[[Category:24 (TV series)|24]]
[[Category:Sky One programmes]]
[[Category:Espionage television series]]
[[Category:American drama television series]]
[[Category:Serial drama television series]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles, California]]
[[Category:Terrorism in fiction]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
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