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Fox’s New ’24’ Reboot: How to Squeeze 24 Hours Into a 12-Hour Series

Jan 13, 2014  •  Post A Comment

Many of the stars and producers of Fox’s acclaimed drama series "24" are back for the reboot, "Live Another Day," and they broke their silence today at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, unveiling plans for the updated "24," The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports.

The reboot, which has yet to start shooting, has a May 5 premiere date and will play out in 12 one-hour episodes, the report notes.

Said Kiefer Sutherland, who stars as Jack Bauer: "If this ends up rebooting the show or causing a film to be made, so be it, but we’re very happy about these 12 episodes right now."

Sutherland also noted that the TV project is separate from a long-talked-about possible feature film. "The script for the film is very different," he said. "It’s an ongoing situation, and there’s always an opportunity to do it."

As for squeezing 24 hours of real-time action into half the airtime of the original series, executive producer Howard Gordon said that the schedule this time around has actually been more forgiving.

"Doing good stuff, stuff that you are proud of, takes time and effort. … The more time you have, the better you can craft each episode," he said. "We have every hope that we are going to maintain the quality we had, but it was a marathon. It was punishing. There’s a horizon with this. With ’24,’ you could never see the other side of the stories."

Exec producer Manny Coto talked about how the new show will handle the issue of time, saying the approach will be similar to the real-time approach taken by the original, but with certain hours of the day omitted. "The show still does take place over a 24-hour day even though it is 12 episodes," Coto said. "The show will be progressing in the same way it always did, and it will add up to 24."

THR adds: "Story-wise, the group did reveal several details about where the new run finds Sutherland’s Jack Bauer. ‘If you remember at the end of season eight, Jack was basically left a fugitive,’ said Coto. ‘When we pick up four years later, he is still a fugitive. He’s hunted.’"

Among those hunting him will be a CIA agent played by Yvonne Strahovski, a casting move announced today.

Said Coto: "The show will open with that dynamic. A CIA agent hunting Jack. He’s not exactly Osama bin Laden, but he’s a fugitive of high order."

yvonne strahovski.jpgYvonne Strahovski

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