24 boss teases potential revival following Kiefer Sutherland's reveal that a return is in development
"It’s absolutely in process."
Howard Gordon, the showrunner behind Fox’s hit real-time thriller 24, has confirmed that a potential revival is actively in development.
Speaking to Deadline in an interview promoting his upcoming Netflix series The Beast, Gordon addressed former 24 star Kiefer Sutherland’s recent comments about a new script that could bring back Jack Bauer and revive the franchise.
"It’s absolutely in process, there’s something we are developing," he said, but went on to note that Disney, which now owns the rights to 24 following its acquisition of 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television), has not yet committed to the revival.
He continued: "I have such a nostalgia for that show, and I think Kiefer does too. One thing we couldn't figure out for a long time was a direction that ever held water, that sustained itself. This feels like it could be, but it’s not formal, it’s not done."
Speaking of his reservations about a return to the franchise, he added: "What I really don't want to happen is that it's not good because I don't think that's fair to the show. It's not fair to the fans, not fair to, frankly, to myself.
"So it has to be something that you connect to, or at least you tell yourself you're connected to. It may not turn out very well, but you have to at least believe that it's something."
Gordon also noted HBO Max’s The Pitt as an example of a show that's made good use of a real-time format, although in a different genre.
24 premiered in 2001 and ran for nine seasons plus a two-hour movie, following counter-terrorist federal agent Jack Bauer and other characters as they attempted to protect the United States from terrorist attacks.
24 is available to stream on Disney+. You can sign up to Disney+ for £4.99 a month or £89.90 a year now.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
