The sixth season of Fox hit “24” kicked off with big story events including the killing of the Curtis Manning character, a creative decision that risked alienating fans but was necessary to the show’s development, “24” showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon said.

“I’m always concerned,” Mr. Gordon said in an interview with TelevisionWeek Publisher Chuck Ross. “By making these big broad reaches you risk pushing people away.”

From the point of view of protagonist Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, the Manning character had to be disposed of to preserve the terrorist Assad, who Bauer is trying to coopt, Mr. Gordon said.

To learn the identity of an actor that Mr. Gordon had sought to play a character on the show, go to TVWeek.com’s Backlot Talk for a podcast of the interview and a full transcript.