Late last week it was announced that the production of
24's seventh season has been delayed yet again, and is now scheduled to get started on September 10, according to a variety of sources. This may seem like bad news, an indication of a TV show in shambles, but I would advise that we all keep an open mind here. The first production delay occurred when FOX vetoed a proposed storyline that necessitated much of the season being shot in Africa. Since that was nixed, the writers and producers went back to the drawing board. This latest delay comes only because the production team isn't completely ready and prepared for the season. This has been labeled as more bad news. But, think about it, why would we want one of our favorite shows rushed into filming before everyone's completely ready?
We wouldn't, yet this announcement has received predictable admonishment from fans and critics alike. It's like when politicians are accused of “flip-flopping” or taking too long to make a decision: what's wrong with taking the time to be sure of something so important, in this case the issue being, “How can we re-invent a beloved TV franchise, greatly improve upon the universally reviled previous season, and yet still keep all the elements that made
24 a show millions love?” Not something to be taken lightly.
I'm happy everyone over at
24 is taking the time to do things right, and that FOX isn't letting them rush into a season under-prepared. When I attended the
24 panel at San Diego Comic-Con less than a month ago I took away a couple of important observations: 1) The powers-that-be at FOX and
24 realized that season 6 was a big misstep, and they needed to switch things up and knock it out of the park for season 7, and 2) they had very little idea on how they were going to do it.
Which is fine. Solutions don't come overnight. The main ideas for season 7 (woman president, takes place in DC, no CTU, Jack Bauer and Chloe only two main returning characters) are all solid. Every
24 fan I've talked with has been for these proposed changes, if only because it will make Day 7 vastly different from the first six seasons. Hopefully, this latest (and hopefully final) delay will give the
24 production team enough time to flesh out every last detail as they head into shooting this hugely important seventh season.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)