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Re: Fox Cancels 24
Official: '24' ends on Fox
Tick, tick, tick '¦ and done.
After eight seasons, Fox'™s '24' is coming to an end.
The groundbreaking action drama will air its final real-time episode in May, the victim of a confluence of circumstances: a swelling budget, declining ratings and creative fatigue.
Yet for fans of Jack Bauer, there remains hope. Studio 20th TV is developing a theatrical film that takes Bauer to Europe, and showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon says other possibilities are being explored as well.
'There are other possible iterations of Jack Bauer and his world,' Gordon said (full Q&A with Gordon about series ending here).
The writing has been on the wall for the show all season, which Gordon said felt like 'senior year of high school' to star Kiefer Sutherland.
Because of the constant upward spiral of cast and creative team salaries, any drama begins to carry serious financial weight after its fifth year. Fox paid a hefty $5 million per episode license fee to 20th TV.
Meanwhile, the show'™s ratings dropped 16% this season to a 3.8 adults 18-49 rating including DVR '” still healthy numbers for a scripted drama, yet not enough to overcome the program'™s increasing cost, a budget that was set to climb once again since contracts for Sutherland, Gordon and other key players expire this season.
Then there'™s the show'™s creative struggle. How many times have '24' characters declared that a looming crisis will be addressed 'within the hour,' or has Bauer struggled to gain the respect of the latest CTU chief? Gordon says the show'™s writers felt they had exhausted the real-time possibilities for Bauer and never came up with a truly compelling idea for Day 9.
'If one of the writers came up with a good idea, I'™d happily pitch it to Kiefer and then happily pitch to a network, whether Fox or someone else,' Gordon said. 'We just don'™t have that idea, and that'™s where everything has to start.'
Producers did sniff around at other networks, namely NBC, with 20th TV offering to lower its license fee to $3.5 million to keep the show going. NBC ran the numbers and passed.
As the weeks tick down to the show'™s final hour, Gordon promises a strong finish coupled with the current New York-based storyline taking a dark and creatively risky turn for the final episodes.
For fans, the ending of '24,' along with ABC'™s 'Lost,' represents the departure of one of the few successful serialized action-driven shows on broadcast, leaving a suitcase-nuke-sized gap in the creative landscape. In addition to its unique real-time storytelling model, the drama pioneered the modern-day TV cliffhanger.
Even its scheduling was an innovation '” a returning hit that airs in midseason without repeats.
'I'™d like it to be remembered as a revolutionary concept,' Gordon said. 'I hope the second thing is that we loved this show so much and never did anything less than our best and I hope we delivered to our fans like we feel we did to ourselves.'
http://www.thrfeed.com/2010/03/fox-cancels-24.html
'24' showrunner talks series finale, future plans
Howard Gordon, '24' executive producer and showrunner talks about the the decision to cancel the series and what'™s next for Jack Bauer.
THR: What's next for "24"?
Gordon: There are other possible iterations of Jack Bauer and his world -- whether a movie or some other sort of scenario. We're developing the movie, Billy Ray (' State of Play,' 'Shattered Glass' ) is writing it. It depends on how well it comes out and Fox's appetite. Most importantly it's about ending the show right and doing it with the same level of intensity and commitment that we started with.
THR: When's the soonest that fans could realistically expect a feature film?
Gordon: Obviously the script's still being written. It could be as early as next year depending on how things come together.
THR: Since the setting shifts to Europe for the movie, will CTU still play a role?
Gordon: Yes and no. Jack is really the center of it, catching up with him emotionally and locationally where he is. The opportunity is not to use the real-time aspect and also to do it on a scale the TV show never allowed.
THR: Is there anything TV-related that you're looking to do in the future with the '24' brand?
Gordon: There are conversations about that. If one of the writers came up with a good idea, I'd happily pitch to Kiefer and happily pitch the show to the network -- whether Fox or someone else. We just don't have that idea and that's where everything has to start.
THR: You never pitched an idea for next season?
Gordon: We couldn't come up with something that really satisfied us. We've done everything we feel we can do with that character in this format.
THR: How ending the show come about?
Gordon: It helped that this was the end of a lot of peoples' contracts. There was a deal finiteness in place. Also, every year is a high-wire act. We all look at each other and ask, 'Can we really do this again?' and it's not with complete conviction that we say, 'Yes.' As an act of faith and effort, we get through it. This year Kiefer said it felt like the senior year of high school.
THR: How do you want '24' the series to be remembered?
Gordon: I'd like it to be remembered as a revolutionary concept. The second thing is that we loved this show so much and never did anything less than our best. I hope we delivered to our fans like we feel we did to ourselves. We loved this show from the very first hour to the last hour, so I hope people think of it being consistently at that quality and that it never dipped too terribly -- except for season six.
THR: Can you tease to the rest of the season?
Gordon: We've taken a risk in the last eight episodes. It was challenging to the writers to the actors. We're taking a risk, the show has to do that. Without spoiling what's to come, it's pretty dark and complex and a place that was uncomfortable for us to write and for some of the actors to act. We really swung for the fences. Because the show is as old as it is, this season hasn't really been given its due. But our audience is hanging in there with us and I think it's been a very successful season.
THR: How has this decision creatively impacted the ending?
Gordon: There have been a couple other season-enders that would have been spectacular series enders. Season four, season five and last year. I was more aware this time of ending something that really felt surprising, but not cheap; emotionally consistent. Some will throw their shoes at the screen, inevitably some will be angry, some will say they hated it the last three years. You can't please everybody you can only do the best you can do. I'm hoping people lean forward. I'm hoping the first feeling people have is, "Damn I miss it, I want more."
http://www.thrfeed.com/2010/03/24-finale-.html
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I'm actually kinda upset about this. I remember watching the first episode with my mom before she died.
Just like CD, this feels like another chapter of my life coming to a close.
Re: Fox Cancels 24
THANK GOD
Has anybody been watching it lately? I have... it's HORRIBLE. I mean really really bad. This season was a HUGE drop off, very fast.
Season 5 was the last 'great' season, and probably their best ever. Critics thought so too, because they won a bunch of Emmy's that season, including Best Drama, Sutherland won Best Actor in a Drama, and one of their director's won Best Director in a drama, I believe.
Season 6 was a drop off, but it was still a very good show. Became a bit redundant at this point. It was starting to rip itself off from previous seasons.
Season 7 was a reinvention season, and although not as good as years past, it regained it's originality a little bit, and seemed to be formula-wise the biggest departure in the series.
Season 8 (current and final) has been abysmal. Some of the worst TV i've ever watched. I would go into details, but it'd be a waste of time. Nothing has worked this season. Jack seems non-existant, good characters like Renee have been benched for episodes in favor of ALOT of really dull stuff, Mykelti Williamson a good actor seems to only be around to yell at Chloe, Cole & Dana are two of the worst characters ever in a TV show, CTU has been attacked (didn't they do this like 15 times?)...
Used to love this show, but thank god they are putting it out of it's misery. It's become rubbish.
I've gotten to the point that I look forward more to episodes of Human Target than 24.
Now in 24's heyday... it was one of the best action shows to ever grace TV screens.
Season 1 was flat out brilliance. Something on that scale had never really been done before, and you were absolutely glued to the TV screen. You seemed emotionally invested in every character, and these were the days before Jack really took off. In alot of ways it was more an ensemble in Season 1. The dual-starring role thing that balanced between Kiefer Sutherland (CTU) and Dennis Haysbert (political) was done amazingly well. The stuff with the Palmer family was just as riveting as with the Bauer's. And the ending was indeed a true shocker.
Season 2 seemed to have that sophomore slump in ways, but overall was very very satisfying. The season seemed to go too fast and too quickly. Only a few episodes in, a big moment happens that leaves the show kind of finding it's feet after it. Jack seemed to go hardcore the whole season, while Kim, his daughter, seemed to have nothing to do other than idiotic and uninteresting things after the events of Season 1. A change was on the horizon.
Season 3 was a book end to the early part of the series. Although at the time the season was deemed the least of the first three, in hind sight it was a fantastic season, firmly better in Season 2 in my eyes. Although Jack went from going after terrorists to drug runners in Mexico, the series still stayed very strong, and alot of people meet their end in this season, not to give anything else away for those who haven't watched it. A great vintage 24 season.
Season 4 was their first attempt at reinvention. Like I said about Season 3, at the time it was felt that Season 3 wrote the show into a corner a bit. Season 4 attempted to rectify that with a virtually entirely new cast surrounding Jack. However after only a few episodes in the show seemed to just not be picking up steam, and basically the entire core cast of Seasons 1-3 was brought back to join back up with Jack, and from that point the season really picks up and becomes very strong very fast. The season ends on one of it's strongest notes ever, and in alot of ways, the end of this season could've been a series finale in itself.
Season 5 is by far the best season of the show. Wall-to-wall action, shocks, and everything in-between. Riveting TV. The strongest supporting cast ever on the show also helped this season, including Jean Smart, Peter Weller, Gregory Itzin, Geraint Wyn Davies... to name a few, in addition to some of the already regular supporting cast, helped drive the entire ship to become the greatest season. The storyline was also a nail-biter that never stopped you from guessing, and wanting to know what happened next.
Season 6 suffered a bit from the quality of Season 5. In alot of ways Season 6 is a very strong season of the show, but unfortunately following Season 5 was a tough act to follow. The show never seems to regain it's quality from this point. The terrorist stuff becomes cliche at this point, the "shocking" deaths are not quite so shocking and become predictable, and the entire Bauer family which we've never heard of is a bit of a stretch. The show also starts to rip itself off from previous seasons more and more. The season ends strong but this era of the show is also "done".
Season 7 was another attempt at reinvention. The return of Carlos Bernard was a joy to many early-24 fans, and although his return gave the show a vintage feel at times, it was obvious this wasn't the 24 of previous seasons. The show was slowed down a bit. Storylines were fleshed out more, and as a drama it was alot more enjoyable on that dramatic element, but as an action show was somewhat boring at times, leaving an uneven feeling. Some scenes were slowed down too much, leaving you bored in places. Other dramatic elements at the White House, were the strong points of the entire season. New president Cherry Jones steals the show, and the Jack/Tony stuff seems on the sidelines. A good season, but barely.
Season 8 has been a complete waste of time and money. New characters again, CTU is back, and couldn't be more boring. The show's originality is non-existant. It's as if they lift their own previous storylines, retool them, spin-shine it, and resell it to the audience. It doesn't work, the new characters literally want to make you scratch your eyes out, Sutherland gives 100%, but the dynamic to Jack has turned robotic. Chloe gets maybe 2-3 lines an episode. The new middle eastern political family, which is a main plot point, are boring and unlikeable. As is the new CTU staff. The White House stuff is non-existant, and the show has seemingly just thrown it's hands up in their air, and given up. I hope the season finishes strong, because they know it's over now, but in hind sight, this season should've never existed.
Re: Fox Cancels 24
The series is now over and the mainstream is through with it?
I guess that means I can finally start watching it.
I got a ton of movies backlogged to watch, but after that I'll download the first season of this.
Season 1 is FABULOUS James. A must see.
I had heard this rumor a few weeks back and was hoping it wasn't true. I'm still a huge fan. Pretty much everyone I talk to complains about the show. But I still love it. Sure it's getting old and it's the same thing over and over, but what show isn't? And I think this season has really picked up with the last 2 episodes. I thought they were vintage 24!
It will be sad next year with no 24. I'll have to scout out some new shows. I've tried getting into that "Flash Forward", but I just don't know about that one. "House" isn't as good as it used to be. Good thing I love sports and lame reality shows!
Re: Fox Cancels 24
Why continue a show, which sucks?
I don't get that logic.
Why continue a show, when it's become stale and repetitive? Is there any artistic integrity, at all?
The last 2 episodes of 24, I was literally losing concentration. I can't even tell you what happened the week before. And the whole thing with Dana killing the probation officer, and she's in league with the terrorists, is just Nina - redone over again. That's not vintage, that's poor repetitive writing.
I'm just one of those viewers, that like when a show tells a story, and knows when it's time to leave. 24 has lasted one season too long imo. The Sopranos aired one, maybe two seasons too long.
The Shield is a great example of a show that left "just right". Right when the show was coming full circle. Perfect timing.
The Simpsons should've ended 10 years ago. They're downright horrible at this point. And I hear that same argument, "it's not as good as it used to be, but what is"... why not END IT, and put something else on, to entertain the audience with new stories, and new adventures with a new series.
Yet Sarah Connor Chronicles gets canceled just as it was finding itself.
I guess in 24's case, the positive side, is at least it didn't go on for multiple years, long after it's exit was overdue.
Re: Fox Cancels 24
You continue a show because I still like it, and many others do too. Why should Axl Rose continue on with GNR when many people think he's washed up and nothing without Slash? Because I still love the band and what they offer. It's all about pleasing ME!
Of course the last 2 episodes have been done before. I hear that complaint all the time. Honestly, what more could they do? It still shocked the hell out of me, so that's all that matters. In "Lost" they've been LOST since the beginning, but I don't hear people complaining about that. All shows are the same from season to season if you ask me. And yes, many (most) get worse as the years go by. I like a show with longevity though. It takes a lot of time to invest yourself into a show that's on for 8 years, and then when it's gone there's a void to be filled. That's why I don't want to see the show go. Because it's still better than most other shows on TV, IMO.
I do realize it's time though and I'll just have to accept that.
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