24 - Super Man Is Jack Bauer

No show has captivated audience quite like the drama and action show 24. The show stars Kiefer Sutherland, as Jack Bauer. Each season showcases 24 hours in the exciting world of a Counter Terrorist Unit in which the hero does some amazing things to fight evil. The show started in 2001 and utilized a very specific 1 hour per episode time line grid, that was unlike anything ever seen before. The show ran eight seasons, had several made of television specials, and some even are buzzing about a new movie that will be presented as a sequel to the series and its finale.

The first thing to remember about this show is the way it played out. The show had a variety of different people in roles that helped Jack Bauer, but they were showcased in a very tight way. Each episode was only 1 of 24 hours, giving the title more meaning than the average show title. The presentation would require many people to really pay attention, and in some cases, record or wait for the season box set to watch all the episodes in a row. Without paying close attention, some aspects from hour to hour throughout the day could be lost. In order to combat this, Fox would eventually throw huge viewing parties for people that were willing to sit through 24 hours of the show at a movie theater with distinct giveaways, cast meetings, signings, and so much more. People that attended the shows were treated to full seasons back to back for 24 hours with little breaks to stretch, use the restroom, and have meals. Local radio promotions would also give tickets and give prizes to those that could endure all 24 hours in a row.

Box sets of the show were released to coincide with the new seasons, and many fans would make the DVDs a hot ticket item, many of which sold out within hours. People would then go and watch the entire season, 24 hours straight in order to gear up for the new season, and this would continue for nearly 11 years before the finale saw Bauer in new light.

The show went through a variety of casting changes, and villains were always treated with some sense of realism. It's interesting how many different media outlets utilized the show as a way to motivate political movements, with many elections utilizing the show's focus on torture and many other interrogation techniques as a true to life scenario, rather than flash fiction. While the creators of the show would speak frankly about how the scenes, while based on true accounts, were merely fictionalizations of what may have been going on in the real world at the time. The war on terrorism really was seen as a juxtaposition through out the shows many seasons.

Fox even took fire at times by critics that suggested the show was far too graphic and harsh for the standard viewer. Even though the show grimaced in terms of gore, violence, and many other things, it still managed to walk the line close enough to get into hot water from time to time. Even though the negative reviews seemed to mire the integrity of the show in the media, millions of people still got behind it, and would continually support Jack Bauer, even if he was a made up character. The role would make the star, Kiefer Sutherland a household name, with millions of people recognized him as the character instead of the actor.

In the recent years that the show ended, Fox has been a subject of many rumor mills. Many different fan forums, fiction sites, and many other insiders have continually said that there is a movie planned. A full 24 movie would not follow the format of just an hour in the life, and would seemingly be different than the show, which has many fans in an uproar. There have been confirmations that say the movie is in the works, meanwhile others have thwarted the notion and have completely dismissed the movie idea as nothing more than clever rumors. Whether or not we will see Jack Bauer on the silver screen, is yet to happen. Many people are banking on it, and while some people say that the show is too much of a comic book style Superman clone, others find that the show is a classic example of good versus evil, with a modern twist that can be relatable for anyone that is following modern life in general.