24 biography final

24 (TV series)

American television series (–, )

"24tv" redirects here. For the Ukrainian TV channel, see 24 Kanal.

24 is an American actiondrama television series created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran for Fox.

The series features an ensemble cast, with Kiefer Sutherland starring as American counter-terroristfederal agentJack Bauer. Each season covers 24 consecutive hours using the actual time method of narration, which is emphasized by the demonstrate of split screens and a digital clock.

Multiple ongoing plot lines of intersecting relevance are covered, with Bauer's plot line serving as the link throughout. The show premiered on November 6, , and spanned episodes over nine seasons, with the series finale broadcast on July 14, In addition, the television film Redemption aired between seasons six and seven, on November 23, 24 is a joint production by Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television.

At the start of the series, Bauer is already a highly proficient agent with an "ends justify the means" approach. This means that he will usually threaten, disregard and stretch to anyone who refuses to cooperate with him.^[2]^[3] Throughout the series, the plot elements include both a political thriller and serial drama, with each episode normally ending on a cliffhanger.^[4] Furthermore, the action component shows Bauer using people on both sides of the law in his attempts to prevent terrorist attacks and bring down those responsible, sometimes at great personal expense.

These attacks include presidential assassination attempts, bomb detonations, bioterrorism, cyberwarfare, as well as conspiracies that involve government and corporate corruption.

24 received generally positive reviews, with the fifth season being universally praised by critics.

However, the series was criticized for perceived Islamophobia and glorification of torture. The show won numerous awards throughout its dash, including Best Drama Series at the Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

In May , it was announced that 24 would return with a episode limited series titled Live Another Day, which aired from May 5 to July 14, , bringing the episode count to ^[5]^[6] A spin-off series, Legacy, premiered on February 5, , lasting a single episode season.^[7]^[8]24 is the longest-running American espionage- or counterterrorism-themed television drama, surpassing both Mission: Impossible and the Britain's The Avengers.^[9]

Synopsis

Premise

24 is a serial drama starring Kiefer Sutherland as core character Jack Bauer, an representative initially with the Counter Terrorist Unit Los Angeles Division (CTU), whose mandate is to preserve the United States from terrorist plots.

Final With Danny Wallace, Dave McRae, Pamela Des Barres, Sandy Champion. A documentary series unlocking the hidden secrets, psychological flaws and events that finding in the tragic deaths of global icons.

The episodes seize place over the course of one hour, depicting events as they happen, in real time.^[10] However, commercial breaks are normally used to skip several minutes multiple times, which means that about 17 minutes of each hour is not shown.

To emphasize the real-world flow of events, a clock is prominently displayed on-screen at certain points during the show, and there is regular use of split screens, a technique used to depict multiple scenes occurring simultaneously.

In addition to Bauer, each episode typically follows other US government officials from CTU/FBI/CIA and the White House, as successfully as the conspirators who position the events in motion.

Because many of these conspirators commit murder for political gain, several of Bauer's contacts are killed as a consequence of government intervention. The grief that Bauer experiences from these deaths is often explored throughout the series. While Bauer does have the utmost respect for most of his colleagues, friends and family members, he always believes himself to know how to provide the best way of saving innocent lives and/or achieving his own sense of justice, often being proven right when taking action.

24 is known for employing plot twists which may arise as antagonists adapt, objectives evolve or larger-scale operations unfold. Stories also involve interpersonal relationships, delving into the private lives of the characters.

As part of a recurring theme, characters are frequently confronted with ethical dilemmas.

Final 24 traces the roots of her addiction and uses archive footage, dramatic reenactments and interviews with her closest companions – including her brother and former band mates - to piece.

Examples of this are a bombing in season 2, which can only be prevented by blowing Bauer's cover, and an ultimatum in season 3, in which a terrorist agrees not to carry out an attack if a high-ranking CTU official is killed. Also, season 4 is notable for a scene in which two men—one of whom possesses essential information—are dying in a room with only one surgeon.

Overview

Main article: List of 24 episodes

Season 1 begins at midnight on the day of the Californiapresidential primary in Los Angeles. Counter Terrorist UnitAgentJack Bauer's objective is to protect presidential candidateSenatorDavid Palmer from an assassination attempt and rescue his own family from those responsible, the Drazen syndicate, led by Serbianwar criminalVictor Drazen, and his sons, Alexis and Andre, who seek retribution for Jack and Palmer's involvement with a covert American mission in the Balkans.

A documentary series unlocking the hidden secrets, psychological flaws and events that outcome in the tragic deaths of global icons. All All. Write In. Episode guide.

Season 2, set 18 months later, begins at &#;a.m. Jack must cease a nuclear bomb from detonating in Los Angeles, then assist the now-President Palmer in proving who is responsible for the threat and avoid war between the U.S.

and three Middle Eastern countries.

Season 3, position three years later, begins at &#;p.m. Jack must infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel led by Ramon and Hector Salazar, to seize a deadly virus existence marketed underground.

President Palmer must deal with a potential scandal that could cost him his presidency.

Season 4, set 18 months later, begins at &#;a.m.

Celebrity deaths tend to sense personal to us. One morning they are there and the next day, they aren't. Many of the celebrated and much-loved personalities have succumbed to untimely deaths marred by suspicion and conspiracy. AXS is known for its eye-opening and stimulating documentaries, especially those that highlight controversial stories from the entertainment world.

Jack must save the lives of his new boss, Together States Secretary of DefenseJames Heller, who Jack now works for as a special assistant, and Heller's daughter Audrey Raines (with whom Jack is romantically involved) when they are kidnapped by terrorists.

However, Turkish terrorist mastermind Habib Marwan uses this as a disguise to launch further attacks against America, and Jack is forced to use unorthodox methods to stop him, which results in long-term consequences for both Jack and the Merged States.

Season 5, set 18 months after, begins at &#;a.m.

Jack is believed to be dead by everyone except a few of his closest friends. He is forced to resurface when some of those friends are assassinated and he is framed by terrorists with connections to the U.S. government. The acquisition of nerve gas by the terrorists poses a recent threat, and Jack discovers an insidious conspiracy while trying to stop those responsible.

Season 6, set 20 months later, begins at &#;a.m. Jack is released after being captured by Chinese official Cheng Zhi and creature detained in a Chinese prison following the events of Season 5. Terrorists led by Abu Fayed who hold a vendetta against Jack plot to place off suitcase nuclear devices in America.

Later, Jack is forced to choose between those he loves and national security when the Chinese set their sights on sensitive circuitry that could trigger a war between the U.S. and Russia.

Redemption, arrange three-and-a-half years later, begins at &#;p.m.

Jack finds himself caught up in a military coup d’état in the fictional African nation of Sangala. Militants are being provided assistance from officials within the United States, where Senator Allison Taylor is entity sworn into office as president.

Due to the –08 Writers' Strike, season seven was delayed one year.^[11] To bridge the one-and-a-half-year gap between seasons, Redemption was produced. This television movie aired on November 23,

Season 7, set 65 days after the end of Redemption, begins at &#;a.m.

CTU is disbanded, and Jack is assisted by the FBI and covert operatives when the firewall for America's federal computer infrastructure is breached by the same people responsible for a conflict in Sangala. Jack must uncover corruption within the now-President Taylor's administration, which has allowed the Sangalans to raid the White House and capture Taylor.

She is later blackmailed by Starkwood, a make-believe private military company led by its CEO, Jonas Hodges, in an attempt to release organic weapons on U.S. soil.

Season 8, set 18 months later,^[12] begins at &#;p.m. Jack is brought in by the now-reinstated CTU to uncover a Russian plot to assassinate Middle Eastern leader Omar Hassan, the President of the fictional country of the Islamic Republic of Kamistan, during peace negotiations with President Taylor at the United Nations in New York City.

Russia's contingency plan involves engineering a dirty bomb, which Islamicextremists threaten to detonate in Manhattan unless Hassan is handed over. Jack later seeks retribution for personal losses suffered, including the death of ex-FBI Special Agent Renee Walker, after former President Charles Logan convinces Taylor to cover up these crimes to guard the peace agreement.

Jack finds himself at odds with both the Russian and U.S. governments.

Live Another Day, set four years later, begins at &#;a.m. and finds a fugitive Jack in London trying to cease an assassination attempt on the now-President Heller and later a drone terrorist attack on London by terrorist Margot Al-Harazi while being hunted by but later working with the CIA.^[13] Later, Jack must prevent an vintage enemy, Cheng Zhi, and Russian diplomat Anatol Stolnavich, from sparking a war between the U.S.

and China.

Cast and characters

Production

Conception

The idea for the series first came from executive producer Joel Surnow, who initially had the idea of a TV show with 24 episodes in a season.

Each episode would be an hour lengthy, taking place over the course of a single day.^[14] He discussed the idea over the phone with producer Robert Cochran, whose initial response was "Forget it, that's the worst thought I've ever heard, it will never work and it's too hard".^[15] They met the next day at the International Dwelling of Pancakes in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, to discuss the idea of this action-espionage series that used the format of real time to create dramatic tension with a race against the clock.^[14]

The pilot for 24 was pitched to Fox who immediately bought it, saying they felt that the idea for the series was one that would "move the form of television forward".^[16] The episode had a $4 million budget with filming in March The put of CTU was initially done in a Fox Sports office, with the set reproduced once the series was picked up for the season.^[17]^[18] The series was supposed to be filmed in Toronto, but due to the variability of Canadian weather, Los Angeles was chosen as a filming location.^[19]

The pilot of the series was well received by critics, and was signed on for an initial thirteen episodes.

Production began in July , and the premiere was planned for October 30, but because of the September 11 attacks, delayed until November 6.^[20]^[21]^[22] After the first three episodes, Fox greenlit the remaining filmed 11 episodes and following Kiefer Sutherland's Golden Globe win, Fox ordered the second half of the season.^[23]

Design

Although not the first to do so, 24 embraced the concept of real second.

This idea started when producer Joel Surnow thought of the idea of doing "24 episodes in a season, with each episode lasting an hour". They decided that the idea of real time had to form the show a "race against the clock".^[15] Each episode takes place over the course of one hour, with time continuing to elapse during the commercial breaks.

The exact time is denoted by the digital clock display at the beginning and end of each segment. The protocol is that mundane events, such as travel, sometimes occur during commercial breaks and thus these events are largely unseen.^[24] The story time correlates with elapsed viewing time if episodes are broadcast with commercial breaks of set duration inserted at the points prescribed by the episode.^[15] In line with the depiction of events in authentic time, 24 does not leverage slow motion techniques.

The series also does not use flashbacks, except once during the first-season finale. Watched continuously without advertisements, each season would run approximately 17 hours.^[24] As a outcome of the timing nature of the series, a number of visual cues were projected onto the screen.

Another idea was the use of split screens, which was born out of the number of phone calls there were, and because of the element of real second, was used to trace parallel adventures of different characters, and aid in the connecting of characters.

It was used by producers to point the audience to where to pay attention, as secondary stories often accept place outside of the main plot. The idea of using boxes came later, which made shooting more flexible, as the shot could be cropped and reshaped inside the box.

It was from here that the idea of using split screens as an artistic element came into the series.^[15]

A major principle used in the series was the idea of a running clock. This initially came from Joel Surnow, who wanted the audience to always know what time it was in the show's fictional timeline.

This was done by an on-screen digital clock that appears before and after commercial breaks, and a smaller clock also appears at other points in the narrative. The time shown is the in-universe time of the story.^[15] When the running clock is shown full screen, an alternating pulsating beeping noise (like the kind seen on a moment bomb) for each second can usually be heard.

On unique occasions, a silent clock is used. This usually follows the death of a major ethics or an otherwise dramatic event.^[25]

Setting

The first six seasons of the show are mostly based in Los Angeles and nearby California locations—both real and fictional.^[18] Other locations, such as Washington, D.C., are featured in parts of the fourth, sixth, and seventh seasons.

Released in Canada inthe series chronicles the last 24 hours of the lives of famous celebrities of the belated 20th century. This article about a biographical documentary work for radio, television or the internet is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Contents move to sidebar hide.

The eighth season takes place in New York City,^[26] the TV film Redemption, filmed in South Africa, is mainly arrange in the fictional African nation of Sangala,^[27] and the ninth season Live Another Day is set in London.^[28]

The main setting of the show is the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit.

Its office consists of two main departments: Field Operations, which involves confronting and apprehending suspects, and Communications, which gathers intelligence and assists those that work in Field Operations. CTU offices are established in various cities with these units reporting to "Divisions", and Divisions reporting to the "District".

While CTU itself is a fictional agency, several entities with similar names or duties, like the National Counterterrorism Center, have emerged since the show's debut on television.^[29]

The set of CTU was initially filmed in a Fox Sports office, with the set recreated in a studio in Woodland Hills after the series was picked up.

The same set was used for the first three seasons, but production moved to an old pencil factory in Chatsworth before the start of the fourth season and the CTU set was redesigned. It was redesigned again before the begin of the eighth season. Other sets were also constructed here, such as Charles Logan's presidential retreat shown in seasons five and six, and the Colorless House bunker shown in seasons four and six.^[18]

The writers own stated that events in the 24 timeline take place in the "perpetual now," where dates are never specified by the show and concepts of the exact date and year are left vague and unconfirmed;^[30] however, in January , producer Howard Gordon confirmed that accounting for the passage of various presidential administrations, the seventh season would be set in ^[31]

Series conclusion

On March 26, , a expression was issued from Fox that explained that season eight would conclude the original series.

Kiefer Sutherland gave a statement:

This has been the role of a lifetime, and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation to everyone who made it possible. While the end of the series is bittersweet, we always wanted 24 to finish on a high note, so the verdict to make the eighth season our last was one we all agreed upon.

This feels like the culmination of all our efforts from the writers to the actors to our fantastic crew and everyone at Fox. Looking ahead to the future, Howard Gordon and I are excited about the opportunity to create the feature clip version of 24.

But when all is said and done, it is the loyal worldwide fan base that made it possible for me to own the experience of playing the role of Jack Bauer, and for that I am eternally grateful.^[32]

Executive producer and showrunner Howard Gordon was also a part of the decision.

He was quoted saying:

Kiefer and I have loved every minute of making 24, but we all believe that now is the right time to call it a day.
Final 24 - Where to Watch and Stream - TV Guide: Final 24 is a Canadian documentary series which airs on the Revelation Channel, Global Television Network, and OWN. Released in Canada in , the series chronicles the last 24 hours of the lives of famous celebrities of the late 20th century.
I echo his sentiments of gratitude toward the show's amazing resourceful team, as well as the studio and network who possess always believed in us and shown us unbelievable support.

Peter Rice, Chairman of Entertainment at Fox Networks Group said, "24 is so much more than just a TV show&#;– it has redefined the drama genre and created one of the most admired action icons in television history." Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Corporation added, "We are extremely pleased of this groundbreaking series and will be forever thankful to Kiefer, the producers, the cast and crew for everything they've put into 24 over the years.

It's truly been an amazing and unforgettable eight days.^[32]

The final episode of season 8 aired on May 24, ^[20]^[21]

Relation to other productions

Immediately prior to 24, series co-creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran executive-produced La Femme Nikita for its entire five-year run on USA Network.

Both series deal with anti-terrorist operations, and the lead characters of both series are placed in situations in which they must make a tragic selection in order to serve the greater good. There are numerous on- and off-screen creative connections between 24 and La Femme Nikita.

Several actors from La Femme Nikita have portrayed similar roles on 24, a number of story concepts from La Femme Nikita have been revisited on 24, and many of the creative personnel from La Femme Nikita worked on 24 in their same role.^[33]^[34]^[35]

Similar to the film, Air Force One, 24 featured the president's personal jumbo-jet (Air Force One).

Released in Canada inthe series chronicles the last 24 hours of the lives of famous celebrities of the late 20th century. This article about a biographical documentary work for radio, television or the internet is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Every second you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Air Force One was featured in 24 seasons 2 and 4. Air Force Two (carrying the Vice President but not the President) was featured in season 6. Several actors featured in 24, such as Xander Berkeley, Glenn Morshower, Wendy Crewson, Timothy Carhart, Jürgen Prochnow, Tom Everett and Spencer Garrett also appeared in the movie Air Force One.^[36] The 25th amendment, which deals with succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President and responding to presidential disabilities, was also a shared theme between the motion picture and the television series.

24 used the same Air Coerce One set from another television series, The West Wing.^[37]

Feature production development

A feature film adaptation of 24 was originally planned for the hiatus between the sixth and seventh seasons.

Series co-creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran were set to write the script with showrunnerHoward Gordon productive on story.^[38] Filming was going to take place in London, Prague, and Morocco.^[39] Plans for the film were later position on hold.

Kiefer Sutherland explained, "It's impossible to ask writers to work on the reveal and then come up with an amazing film we can shoot in the break between seasons."^[40]

It was later decided that the film would begin after the conclusion of the eighth and final season.

It was to be set and shot on-location in Europe. Surnow, Cochran, Gordon, and Sutherland were going to be executive producers on the film, and Billy Ray was going to write the screenplay.^[41] Shooting was planned to start in late or ahead ^[41]

In April , Sutherland said in an interview at a BAFTA event in London that the script was finished and he would be reading it upon his return to the United States.

He also said that the film will be a two-hour representation of a twenty-four-hour time frame.^[42] Sutherland described the film production as "exciting" because, "It's going to be a two-hour representation of a 24 hour day, so we were not going to be restrained by the real period aspect of the TV show."^[43]

In June , it was reported that plans were made to create a film titled Die Hard 24/7, which would assist as a crossover between 24 and the Die Hard franchise, with Sutherland to reprise his role as Jack Bauer alongside Bruce Willis' John McClane.^[44] However, these plans never came to fruition, with the studio instead opting to create the clip A Good Day to Depart Hard.^[45]

In November , executive producer Gordon revealed that a "work in progress" screenplay was creature read by Fox, but that the film did not yet have a green-light or fixed schedule.^[46] In December , Gordon revealed that Fox turned down the script by Ray, stating, "It wasn't strong enough or compelling enough".

By that day, Gordon was no longer committed with the project, but stated that director Tony Scott would pitch an idea to Sutherland,^[47] an involvement ending with Scott's death in August

Executive producer Brian Grazer tweeted in April that the film was planned for a release.^[48]^[49] At the Television Critics Association press tour, former showrunner Gordon stated that "conversations are definitely happening" about the film, and that they are just looking for the right script before moving forward.^[50] In September , Sutherland indicated the script was almost complete.^[51] After some small script alterations by screenwriter Mark Bomback, filming was announced to begin in spring , after Sutherland became available in April.^[52]

In March , 20th Century Fox stopped film before filming could begin.

Budgetary issues remained unresolved and Sutherland's narrow time frame for filming were cited as reasons for halting production.^[53] However, in July , Sutherland assured the motion picture was still in plans and that they would begin filming in summer ^[54] The clip was eventually suspended in May after the announcement that the show would return as a limited series.^[55]

Sutherland said in January that "the film is an ongoing situation."^[56] After Live Another Day received highly positive reception, a new idea for the feature film surfaced in September , spearheaded by Grazer.^[57] In January , Sutherland stated that he has "no idea if the 24 movie will ever happen, or Jack Bauer might end up finding his way into an episode one time and clarifying all of that, or ending all of that." This was in reference to concluding his character's story arc in a future iteration of the franchise.^[58]

In July , it was reported that a 24 feature film was in initial development at 20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment.^[59]

Live Another Day

Main article: Live Another Day

In May , Deadline Hollywood first reported that Fox was considering a limited-run "event series" for 24 based on a concept by Howard Gordon, after failed endeavors to produce the 24 movie film and the cancellation of Kiefer Sutherland's series Touch.^[60] The following week, Fox officially announced Live Another Day, a limited-run series of twelve episodes that would feature the come back of Jack Bauer.

Fox CEO Kevin Reilly said that the series would essentially represent the twelve "most important" hours of a typical 24 season, with jumps forward between hours as needed. As with the repose of Fox's push into event programming, the production was said to have "a big scope and top talent and foremost marketing budgets."^[61]

In June , it was announced that Jon Cassar was signed to executive make and direct multiple episodes of Live Another Day, including the first two.^[62] Executive producers and writers Robert Cochran, Manny Coto and Evan Katz were also announced to return^[63] with Sean Callery returning as the tune composer for the series.^[64]

Mary Lynn Rajskub was announced as the second official cast member in August , reprising her role as Chloe O'Brian.^[63] In October , it was confirmed that Kim Raver and William Devane would reprise their roles as Audrey Raines and James Heller, respectively.^[65] New actors joining the cast included Michael Wincott as Adrian Cross, an infamous hacker;^[66]Gbenga Akinnagbe and Giles Matthey as CIA agents Erik Ritter and Jordan Reed, respectively;^[67]Benjamin Bratt as Steve Navarro, the head of CIA operations tracking Jack Bauer in London;^[68]Yvonne Strahovski as Kate Morgan, a "brilliant but impulsive CIA field operative in London";^[69] and Stephen Fry as Alistair Davies, the British Prime Minister.^[70] In October , it was confirmed the series would be set and filmed in London, England.^[71]

Live Another Day premiered on May 5, , on Fox.^[6] The series is put four years after the events of season 8, and adheres to the original real moment concept: The main plot is set between &#;a.m.

and &#;p.m., with each episode corresponding to an hour; however, the concluding episode's final part features a hour time jump enabling the show to join up the full 24 hour period help to &#;a.m.

Legacy

Main article: Legacy

In January , another installment of the franchise was pitched by executive producers Howard Gordon, Evan Katz, Manny Coto and Brian Grazer, which would revolve around a stable of supporting characters rather than Kiefer Sutherland in the lead role.^[72] In January , Fox announced it had ordered a pilot for a spin-off series titled Legacy, which would feature a recent cast, with no returning characters except Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard).

The series retains the real-time format, but consists of 12 episodes, using a time leap to cover a single time. Stephen Hopkins, who directed the original 24 pilot and several first-season episodes, directed the Legacy pilot.^[73] Jon Cassar also returned to direct and produce 6 of the 12 episodes.^[74]Corey Hawkins and Miranda Otto play the two lead characters – Hawkins as Eric Carter, a military hero returning home and Otto as Rebecca Ingram, a former head of CTU.^[75]^[76] The pilot was officially ordered to series in April and premiered on February 5, , immediately after Super Bowl LI.^[7] In June , the series was canceled after one season.^[8]

Other spin-offs

In July , it was announced that Fox was in the prior stages of developing a prequel series that would tell the origin story about Jack Bauer in his early days.^[77] Unique creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran and executive producer Howard Gordon were set to note the script with.^[78] In August , it was announced that Fox was also developing another potential spin-off, which would be a legal thriller.^[79] In February , Fox passed on the legal thriller, but were continuing to develop the prequel.^[80] In January , Fox confirmed that they had scrapped the potential prequel series as well.^[81]

In September , Deadline Hollywood reported that Fox was in "active resourceful talks" to bring the franchise back in a new form.^[82] Kiefer Sutherland later denied in January that such conversations were taking place, although he confirmed that he had been discussing the potential for future seasons of the show with Howard Gordon, the series' showrunner, and that he supports an concept of a series focusing on an entirely new cast tasked with rescuing Jack Bauer from a Russian prison.^[83] He later went on to tell Variety in April that he is open to new seasons of the show, as he views Jack Bauer's story as "unresolved".^[84]

Other media

Main article: List of 24 media

A significant amount of additional media relating to the series has been created, including Internet-distributed spin-off series such as The Rookie and Conspiracy, as well as a video game.

Other media include action figures of some of the main characters, soundtracks from both the series and the video game, and a number of novels covering different events not covered in the series. Additionally, a number of in-universe books were created, as well as behind the scenes books containing communication on how the series was created.^[85]

Influence and reception

Reaction

Main article: Critical reaction to 24

Throughout its sprint 24 was frequently cited by critics as one of the best shows on television.^[]^[]^[] Its fifth season was its most critically acclaimed season, scoring universally positive reviews from critics,^[95] with the last three seasons each receiving generally favorable reviews.^[97]^[]^[]24 has been called groundbreaking^[] and innovative^[] with Time stating that the show took "the trend of serial story 'arcs', which began with '80s dramas like Hill Street Blues and Wiseguy and which continues on The West Wing and The Sopranos to the "next level" and another critic saying that it "feels like no TV show you've ever seen".^[] The production and quality of the series has been frequently called "filmlike"^[] and better than most films.^[] The series has been compared to old-fashioned film serials, like The Perils of Pauline.^[]

The quality of the acting was particularly noted by critics.

Robert Bianco of USA Today described Kiefer Sutherland as indispensable to the series, and that he had a "great, under-sung performance".^[]