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Today marks 25 years since Fox launched the action thriller series based on the bold premise that each season unfolds over the course of one day. That show was “24,” starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, a federal counterterrorism agent tasked with stopping a dangerous threat. The series provided plenty of exciting drama and action sequences to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, but what made ’24’ truly special was its format. The show’s first eight seasons each had 24 episodes unfolding in real time, making it nearly impossible to skip an episode.
According to “24” writer and producer Michael Loceff, the idea for the show’s format came from co-creator Joel Surnow. “He came up with the idea of a show that would take place in 24-hour-long live episodes over the course of a day,” Loceff told Slate in 2006. “He called his producing partner, Bob Cochran, and pitched it to him. And Bob said, ‘That’s a great idea. It’ll never work. Don’t call me again.’” Of course Surnow called back, and the idea clearly worked.
24 was a huge success
The franchise, which consists of eight original seasons, the TV movie “24: Redemption,” the 12-episode ninth season “24: Live Another Day” and the spinoff “24: Legacy,” has certainly garnered an audience. Lifespan was not the only measure of success. Although later seasons received less enthusiastic reviews, season 5 earned a perfect 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the show’s highest-rated season on the site. “24” also racked up shelves full of shiny awards, winning 20 Emmys out of 68 nominations.
According to Kiefer Sutherland, something is happening in the “24” universe, even though the revival has yet to receive official approval. At a September 2026 “Young Guns” panel, Sutherland praised the idea of a potential return involving executive producer Howard Gordon and series co-creator Joel Surnow, while acknowledging that it would require approval from the franchise’s current rights holders. “I think there’s a really good idea, hopefully — I miss the character,” he said, via Collider. “I miss the show. I miss making people so happy. So I just hope it happens really quickly because no one wants to see Jack Bauer old and limping.”