'24: Live Another Day': What To Expect From The Return of Jack Bauer

Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer will Live Another Day on the small screen. Though the original 24 series ended in May 2010 after eight seasons, a reprise has been in the works for some time now. But it wasn’t until a Television Critics Association press event with Sutherland and the show’s executive producers on Monday that new details emerged. A sequel season of the show — called 24: Live Another Day — is slated to premiere on Fox with a two-hour episode on May 5, followed by 11 more one-hour episodes.

The new season hasn’t begun filming yet — the scripts haven’t been finished — but thanks to the candor of Sutherland and the clearly excited producers at the TCA event, new details have emerged. In addition to the usual heart-racing tension and grand-scale explosions, here’s what we can expect from the new season:

1. There will be new faces — and new enemies

The new season will usher in fresh characters. Actress Yvonne Strahovski, of Chuck and Dexter fame, will play Kate Morgan, a CIA field operative searching for Bauer. Also joining the cast will be Giles Matthey (True Blood), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire), Michael Wincott (Hitchcock) and Judy Davis (Who Dares Wins).

There will also be familiar favorites: Mary Lynn Rajskub is back as Chloe O’Brian, Kim Raver returns as Audrey Raines and William Devane will reprise James Heller. Yet the familiar faces might not be so familiar anymore. Showrunner Howard Gordon said that as the season kicks off, Chloe and Jack will not be working together, but against one another.

2. There will be a new setting

The new season, which picks up four years after the series final of 24, will be filmed and set in London. “It will be cool to see the Tower of London in the background,” Sutherland said of the change of scenery. He also admitted he was worried about the upcoming shoot, saying, “traffic there is very difficult. We plan to be shooting outside. I’m sure we’ll be hated by a large portion of London for snarling up their traffic, and for that I apologise in advance.”

3. There will be a new(ish) format

Like the original series, the season will adhere to a real-time format and span 24 hours in the life of Bauer. Yet unlike the original series, there will only be 12 episodes to cover that time in. Producer Manny Coto said that new season would see the occasional fast-forwarding of a few hours between episodes.

And one thing not to expect from the sequel…

It doesn’t necessarily preclude the long-hoped for movie. When asked at the event if a 24 feature film was off the table, Sutherland offered hope. “The script for the film was very, very different,” he said. “There’s always an opportunity to do that. But Howard came up with a 12-episode run of this and this opportunity presented to us first. It’s a fantastic idea. If this ends up causing a film to be made, so be it.”

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