Potes'n'Roll

The innovative, addictive, Emmy Award-winning television series 24 resets the clock for Season Seven with a special two-night premiere event Sunday, Jan. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Monday, Jan. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

In keeping with FOX’s commitment to airing original programming year-round, the intense season will unfold in 24’s regular 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT time period beginning Monday, Jan. 14, and will continue to air all originals all season into June.



“Day 7” of 24 will continue the show’s unique and trend-setting format with compelling new elements. With CTU dismantled, the show’s setting moves to Washington, DC, where JACK BAUER (Kiefer Sutherland) faces trial for his actions in the pursuit of justice. Bauer’s day gets off to a shocking start when former colleague TONY ALMEIDA (Carlos Bernard), last seen in “Day 5,” returns after being left for dead by a terrorist conspirator in CTU’s infirmary.

“Tony’s uncertain fate near the end of ‘Day 5’ left the door open for his return,” said executive producer/show-runner Howard Gordon. “And since there was no silent clock at the conclusion of his last appearance – the 24 tribute to a major character’s demise – we always kept this as a possibility.”

Bernard’s return highlights a list of notable cast members clocking in for Season Seven, including the previously announced Cherry Jones (“The Heiress”) as President ALLISON TAYLOR and Janeane Garofalo (“The Larry Sanders Show”) as FBI Agent JANIS GOLD. Colm Feore (“Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”) will play First Gentleman HENRY TAYLOR and Bob Gunton (“Desperate Housewives”) is White House Chief of Staff ETHAN KANIN.

FBI Agents assigned to the team investigating the crisis befalling Bauer include Garofalo’s Agent Gold in addition to Annie Wersching (“General Hospital”) as Agent RENEE WALKER, Jeffrey Nordling (“Dirt”) as Agent LARRY MOSS and Rhys Coiro (“Entourage”) as Agent SEAN HILLINGER. John Billingsley (PRISON BREAK) portrays security specialist MICHAEL LATHAM. Although CTU is no longer, CHLOE O’BRIAN (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and BILL BUCHANAN (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day of shocking events.

Question: I read the letter last week from the person who had a problem with the 24 writers bringing Tony back from the dead, so to speak. I myself never thought Tony was dead, despite the silent clock, which, even if you think it's foolish, has been used for every "death" thus far. Just because the guy stabbed Tony with the needle and we saw Jack holding him and calling his name doesn't mean he's dead. There was a lot of talk about whether or not Tony was really dead, so I guess people were 50/50 on this. Anyway, you have to take 24 for what it is and enjoy the twists and turns just like with any drama. Surely Grey's Anatomy is mostly fiction. I just don't see that kind of BS going on in my hospital, but who wants to nitpick when you're enjoying the escapism.— Debbie

Matt Roush: I agree with the last point for sure, and it helps to apply the "it's only TV" rule to a show like 24 from time to time. When it's on its game, 24 is unquestionably a more serious show than the fizzy romantic melodrama of Grey's Anatomy, but we do ourselves a disservice by taking almost any TV show too seriously. My problem with the Tony twist is that going to this extreme puts the show in Melrose Place territory (bringing Kimberly back from the dead, for instance), which is the land of the absurd, a difficult place to come back from. More importantly, I feel like it cheapens the emotional response I had to all of the loss I felt over the deaths in that best-ever season of 24. Whether he was dead and revived or was playing dead or whatever, it's a cheap stunt, but I figure I can get past it if the rest of the show holds up.

Here's more on the subject, courtesy of Jason from the U.K.: "I'm rewatching 24 Season 5. There is a plausible way Tony could be brought back (if he did indeed die). First, we know later in the season the president is the bad guy. He was told prior to the episode that Henderson (Peter Weller) was sent to CTU for interrogation for leads on the whole conspiracy (giving the president time to make sure Henderson wasn't going to leak anything). Second, we know the meds didn't work on Henderson; he didn't say a thing and was supposed to be comatose from the drugs. Tony uses the same medical kit to administer an overdose to kill Henderson, but he awakes miraculously, overpowers him and injects him with that needle. It's safe to assume those meds were replaced with something harmless as per the president's instructions. Tony's stabbed through the heart with the needle, likely to pass out, even die. But his system isn't actually full of any kind of poisons or toxins, so he can be resuscitated. Jack's only human. But hey, Spock's half Vulcan and he thought he'd killed Captain Kirk in 'Amok Time' when McCoy fiddled with the meds!"

Huh? This is the plausible explanation?

Si tout ceci est véridique, les scénaristes m'auront cloué. Moi qui pensait que n'importe quelle explication pour donner une excuse au retour de Tony allait tourner au ridicule, celle-ci me semble presque pas tirer par les cheveux