Kiefer Sutherland’s radical idea for 24 was to keep its real-time, 24-hour crisis format but let a different desperate person lead the story. In 2023, he offered a fireman as one example. He also floated a separate possibility: a new cast trying to get Jack Bauer out of Russian custody. Neither suggestion has been confirmed as the premise of the later revival project.
What was Sutherland’s idea?
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, reported by TVLine on March 20, 2023, Sutherland said he and 24 executive producer Howard Gordon had often discussed bringing the series back. His comments described two different routes, not one settled pitch.
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24: Season 7 [Blu-ray] | $13.24 | Buy on Amazon |
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24: Season 8 - The Complete Final Season [Blu-ray] | $15.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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24 - Season 8 [Blu-ray] [2014] | $30.20 | Buy on Amazon |
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24: Live Another Day (24 (Seasons)) | $44.70 | Buy on Amazon |
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A different person facing a 24-hour crisis
Sutherland argued that the real-time format could tell a story about someone other than Jack Bauer: a person caught in a desperate day, with a fireman as one possible example. He said, “It’s such a great idea to take a 24-hour moment in somebody’s life that is desperate — and that could be a fireman; that could be so many different circumstances.”
He also praised the format itself: “To do something in real time is so clever — difficult, but clever — that I find it kind of shocking that it hasn’t manifested itself into something else and/or bigger.” The implication is that the reusable premise could be the ticking-clock structure, not necessarily one specific hero. Sutherland did not say a fireman-led series was in development or formally pitch an anthology.
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A new cast trying to rescue Jack
Sutherland separately imagined continuing Jack’s story by introducing a new cast working to get him out of Russia. He called the thought “just spitballing,” adding: “The idea of [Jack] being brought back — I’m just spitballing — I think that’s an interesting idea. You introduce a new cast of people in their effort to get him out [of Russia], and it lives on from that point. There’s a lot of ways to go about it.”
That route would keep Jack at the center and build on the unresolved ending of 24: Live Another Day. The format-first idea, by contrast, could tell a separate crisis story without making Jack’s fate its starting point. TVLine’s 2016 coverage quoted Sutherland saying, “I have said from the beginning that the real star of 24 is the idea, and I mean that wholeheartedly.”
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How the two ideas differ
| Possible direction | Lead and continuity | What the comments establish |
|---|---|---|
| Another person’s crisis | A different lead; it need not continue Jack’s story. | Sutherland named a fireman as an example of a desperate protagonist in a real-time 24-hour story. He did not confirm a fireman character or a rotating-cast format. |
| Jack rescue | Jack remains central, with a new cast involved in trying to free him from Russia. | Sutherland described this as an idea he was “just spitballing,” not a confirmed plot. |
These are distinct possibilities: one emphasizes the format’s flexibility, while the other continues the existing story. Sutherland’s remarks do not identify which, if either, became the basis of the later outline.
What is known about a revival now?
Radio Times reported on December 8, 2025, that Sutherland said Gordon had completed an outline and called it an “exciting step forward.” The same report quoted Gordon saying they had struggled to find a direction for a long time, that the current idea “could” work, and that it was not formal or done. It also reported that Disney had not committed to the project.
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In the latest located report, dated October 1, 2026, Sutherland said there was a “really good idea” and that he would like to return. That report explicitly said the revival did not have a confirmed green light. The available reporting therefore establishes development interest, not a production order, confirmed cast, release date or disclosed plot.
The reports do not say whether Gordon’s outline uses the 2023 idea of a different person’s crisis, the Jack-rescue concept or another direction. Its contents remain undisclosed.
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Why the real-time format matters
24 is structured around a day unfolding in real time. Disney+’s UK catalog describes 24 episodes per season, with each episode covering one hour, and lists the series as running from 2001 to 2014 across nine seasons. Its description centers Jack Bauer, played by Sutherland, and counter-terrorism plots.
That structure explains the appeal of a story beyond Jack: a different lead could face a high-pressure crisis over 24 hours while retaining the show’s defining clock. It is an interpretation of Sutherland’s comments, not confirmation that the revival will use a new protagonist.
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Where to watch or revisit the series
Disney+’s UK catalog lists 24; availability varies by territory, so check the catalog for your region. A retailer’s listing for 24: The Complete Collection describes a DVD set released October 6, 2014, containing all nine seasons and Redemption. That listing is not confirmation of current stock in any particular marketplace.
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