Posted in: BC Network, Fox, Recent Updates, Trailer, TV | Tagged: 24, 24: legacy, 24: Live Another Day, bleeding cool, Bob Cochran, cable, CTU, fox, howard gordon, Jack Bauer, Joel Surnow, kiefer sutherland, prequel, streaming, television, terrorism, tv
Fox Interested in '24' Prequel Series with Young Jack Bauer
So would that make it Pre-24? 2B4? Young Bauer? If this one doesn't work, would they try a sequel series set in the future called 24 – but with Donald Sutherland as Jack Bauer?
Presumably believing that the number of their attempts to restart the franchise should equal the title of said franchise, Fox is moving forward on a new incarnation of the Kiefer Sutherland-starring real-time action thriller. Deadline Hollywood is reporting that former 24 executive showrunner Howard Gordon and co-creators Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran have written a prequel to the original 2001 series. Now in active development at 20th TV and Imagine TV, the series would tell the backstory of Sutherland's CTU agent Jack Bauer, who was the lead character over the course of eight seasons of 24 and on follow-up limited series 24: Live Another Day.
Bringing back 24 in some capacity has been in play for some time; with Fox, 20th Century Fox, Imagine TV's Brian Grazer, and Gordon discussing new ideas since 24: Legacy in 2017. The idea of a prequel was one of two 24 reboot ideas that were being developed; with the other being a legal thriller written by Gordon and Jeremy Doner. Fox is banking on Gordon, Surnow and Cochran's familiarity with Jack Bauer to attract both new viewers and those familiar with character. The series would earn an Emmy award for "Outstanding Drama Series" in 2006; the same year Sutherland would earn an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
When asked about potential storyline themes for a new 24 back in March 2018, Fox Chairman Gary Newman shared his thoughts on what he believes would work best: "I think terrorism is uniquely suited for 24 because the timeliness and urgency is built in. You could be in the medical field or the legal field where a clock is ticking and something has to happen. But I wouldn't bet against terrorism (as a theme)."