Fox’s 24 Still Going Strong
By Krystal Clark
Last night was a complete success for the Fox network despite the Golden Globe Awards that were airing on NBC. Sunday marked the premiere of season 8 of “24” as well as a preview of the upcoming action drama, “Human Target.“ After plenty of heavy promotion last week, the Kiefer Sutherland led show returned with solid numbers considering its competition. How does “24″ stay so strong?
Sunday was filled with obstacles that would have easily taken out any other TV show, but not Jack Bauer and his “24″ crew. The premiere brought in an estimated 11.5 million viewers despite the Golden Globes, and NFL Football playing earlier in the day, as well as new episodes of “Cold Case” and “60 Minutes.” Overall, Fox came in third with viewers after CBS and NBC.
Usually when a show passes their fourth or fifth season their ratings start to show a decline, but “24″ has a very strong fan base. These numbers might undoubtedly change in the coming weeks when the football season wraps and its back to your regularly scheduled programming.
How does Jack Bauer do it? How does he stay fresh and relevant in a society where TV superheroes don’t really exist? He’s one of the few characters that echo old school vigilantes, who play by their own rules to seek out justice. The show’s executive producer Brad Turner recently gave his take on why he thinks “24″ and Jack Bauer have stayed successful for so long.
“He’s not Spider-Man. Spider-Man can really do anything. But he’s kind of Spider-Man the bus driver, but he never puts his suit on. He’s so accessible and I think it’s why people really relate to his character. And he is great because I’ve seen him protect that character like I’ve never seen an actor protect a character.
If we aren’t doing the right thing for (Jack), he will correct us and that’s a great thing. He’s now a person that you can actually believe that exists and live down the street from you. I think the first episode of (season eight) really exemplifies that more than anything because he’s just a grandpa. He’s not a superhero, he’s just a grandpa.”
I agree 100 percent with this notion. Sutherland loves this character and puts Jack’s needs before his own. Some actors might do things for the best interest of themselves but he wants what’s best for Jack.
Why do you think “24″ has remained so successful? Why do you still watch the show?
Source: MSNBC
Monday, January 18, 2010 9:01PM
Jack does the right thing which makes him different from other heroes; he will sacrifice himself if needed; and he recognizes that others think what he does is often wrong.
24 writing includes lots of surprises when my son and I go "Yeah!" and shout out our approval; like when Tony showed up to save Jack and the woman he rescued; or when Chloe shoots the bad guy outside the house. It's not easy to guess what will happen which is mostly good for the viewer who appreciates intelligent writing, but can also make the viewer want to go back and see what actions led up to the surprise action.
I have loved 24 from the beginning. I work for CPS and I needed a show that was bigger than the stuff I see every day. It's the only TV show I watch regularly, and sometimes, at all.
Monday, January 18, 2010 9:36PM
Actually Sunday night Football is over and was not on during that timeslot. NFL football was during the day on Sunday, because its playoff time.
Monday, January 18, 2010 9:58PM
might be an east coast/ west coast thing, just like the golden globes aired on the west coast at 5 but at 8 for the east coast. There was a repeat of 24 that aired against the Jets game, then 60 mins, then cold case.