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Kiefer Sutherland on what's ahead for 24, including a movie?
Kiefer Sutherland, star of Fox's 24, told reporters that the majority of next season's episodes will be completed by the time it airs. "We're starting in May this year instead of August," Sutherland said on Friday. "We will have finished, I think, 22 episodes by the time it goes to air."
Sutherland spoke about 24's new season during a press conference last week in Los Angeles while promoting his upcoming 3-D animated film Monsters vs. Aliens. He said that the show found a comfortable creative rhythm only after the production was faced with many different kinds of challenges. "I think at any given moment we need to stop and figure something out, we've afforded ourselves that time. I don't know why it took us seven years to figure that out, and a writers' strike, but we have."
In addition to discussing the immediate future of the series, Sutherland discussed the effect of the writers' strike on the show and addressed the prospect of a film version of Jack Bauer's adventures. The following is an edited version of the press conference. 24 airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
This season has been incredibly successful. How much was the production of the show affected by the writers' strike, and could that change things going forward?
Sutherland: As much as the writers' strike was a difficult time for everybody, there were some benefits for us. We had 15 months to shoot what we normally shoot in 10, and we certainly got hit for it quite hard in season six. But it's been a difficulty we've had from the very first season on. It's a three-act play for us, so each eight episodes kind of transitions us into another story, and some of those transition points have been really sticky for us. Because of the fact that we were about at episode 16 or 17, and they just shut down, they were having a hard time with that transition. They just stopped, and they took that three weeks and they figured something out, and it was very technical. It was not character-driven, it was not dialogue-driven, but it was a structural entity that led us into that last transition in the final eight episodes. We would not have had that time, and historically never had that kind of time specifically at that time of the season, which was of a huge benefit for us.
Were you concerned that the viewers would move on?
Sutherland: Well, they did. They have moved on. If you take a look, television as a medium has lost 40 percent of its viewership. I was aware of the terrible ramifications from Major League Baseball after it went on strike. National Hockey League went on strike, and it was replaced by f--king poker, and poker did better. You can't find a hockey game now, so, yeah, I was terrified. The fact that we were able to come back and managed to do the same numbers that we had been doing in previous years, you have no idea the relief.
Do you think that there will be a time when Jack Bauer will be a movie hero, or the star of an animated series?
Sutherland: I've never thought about an animated series. We thought that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to ask the writers to write, in the course of 10 months, the equivalent of 12 films, and in their off times, "By the way, if you have a great idea for a feature film that's so special, write that as well." We've kind of collectively agreed that we would entertain the idea of a film when the series was finished, and if people still wanted to see something like that. We would be really excited to do that, because the format that we would make the movie in, because we have discussed it, would be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day, so we would lose the real-time aspect, which would be a huge freedom for the writers. But it's something we would not even start to do until the series was finished.
By 13th Cylon at 8:33 AM ON 03/23/09
Kiefer,
If you do read these comments, or if someone attached to Kiefer reads these comments please pass on a message for me.
The best thing you can do at this point to help the 24 franchise continue its success is fire the writers. ALL OF THEM! This season is terrible. I mean flat out horrible. I have watched 24 from the first second, and have loved it. The last two seasons were a little stale but this season is just flat our terrible. You have fallen into a formula trap and it is killing the show.
The formula: 24 = Crisis – Must find lvl boss bad guy to end crisis – Must Torture another bad guy to get the lvl boss – someone yells at you for Torturing the guy – you confront the level boss – you kill the lvl boss, knowing full well you need him alive to prevent the next crisis– lather, rinse, repeat.
It is mind numbingly boring, repetitive, boring, repetitive, boring, repetitive and boring. I think I made my point. Please get some fresh writers with fresh ideas. Ron D. More might have a few writers who need work. Try giving them a call.
By longklaw at 10:53 AM ON 03/23/09
I'm really enjoying this season. I think they have redeemed themselves after a weak Season 6.
By Kyle Nin at 11:01 AM ON 03/23/09
Manny Coto is definitely NOT a terrible writer. 13th Cylon obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.
By Hercules40 at 11:35 AM ON 03/23/09
Indeed!
This has been THE MOST refreshing season of "24" with the most enticing conspiracy within the conspiracy yet.
By red at 12:39 PM ON 03/23/09
The whole finding a tunnel under the White House from a body of water... puhlease. I'm one to suspend disbelief. In this case, the writers are asking us to suspend disbelief and remove our brain...
By Cypher at 1:51 PM ON 03/23/09
Cylon, are you on drugs?
This season is a real thriller.
It's much more fast pace than previous ones, and the action is ever changing.
Not one bad guy, but several that you advance. This didn't happen in previous shows where there was one or two.
But this one is much more solid and much less reliant on exact timing estimates by characters.
By MetalPause at 3:09 PM ON 03/23/09
I have really enjoyed this season as well. I about threw my neck out last week when the Senator opened the door, only to be immediately blown away.
By Bruce_Wayne at 4:23 PM ON 03/23/09
So far, an enjoyable season. But I do agree that it is too repititive. What, with the mole in the FBI, the black hat villain, the superior who sacrifices himself for the greater good (George Mason???) the on-the-run Jack...its all old hat now. But it works. Great supporting cast this year...good to see Tony in the field, hot FBI agent Walker: hhhooottt!!!
By ctmm at 6:08 PM ON 03/23/09
24 is agood show Manny coto is agood wrighter and conner trinneer is in tonights
show be nice if they could bring back Starttrek :Enterprise.
By IsoTek at 2:18 AM ON 03/24/09
I don't know what Cylon has been smoking but Do NOT fire any of your writers and please keep Moore away from your writing staff. I look forward to your next season as well as a "24" Motion Picture
By &rea at 8:29 AM ON 03/25/09
Day 7 is anything but boring & repetitive! I'm an affirmed addict (and if there is a 12- or 24-step program for recovery I do NOT want to know about it!) So there might be some common elements each season but how many of US have jobs that change daily? His work is still more exciting than mine will ever be!
Crime & Investigation Network is my favorite channel (although it would be refreshing if they did something other than juggle between Days 4 and 5 constantly!) I have a 24 DVD in my laptop continually and I don't blink between 9 and 10pm Monday nights. I have friends who have never understood why I don't answer my phone when 24 is on who are finally tuning in and Day 7 is captivating these new viewers (I still find it hard to believe there are people who haven't watched this show yet!) Now they want to borrow my DVDs (fat chance, buy your own! haha) to fill in some of the blanks.
Great writing, great acting. Jack Bauer is my hero, dammit!
By shuls at 7:54 AM ON 03/26/09
Im just getting into 24 now, and enjoying it. Must admit an episode with Connor Trinneer in it has encouraged me. Still havent seen it yet. And yeh, maybe with the new Star Trek movie coming out another tv series?
By Dave at 3:01 AM ON 03/30/09
Good show, bad show, I don't give a frak (I gave up on it a couple years ago). It isn't Sci Fi and has no business on this blog.
By David at 8:15 PM ON 04/19/09
We welcome the show to NY!
We work with a lot of production companies while they shoot on site, we move and store unwanted furniture and bring them back after they are done. ( http://www.divinemoving.com )
This move is going to bring a lot of work back to New York!
Visit mobile.syfy.com/wire on your mobile device.
David:
We welcome the show to NY! We work with a lot of production companies while they shoot on site, we move and store u...More »