“24 is just around the corner.” Finally, I can say that with conviction.

It's been two years since we've last seen Jack Bauer.  Then again, there was 24: Redemption, which gave us a much-needed shot in the arm, but it still isn't a complete day, but rather, the set-up to Day 7, which premiered with two back-to-back episodes this Sunday.  Those who bought the Redemption DVD, however, already had a sneak peek at the first 17 minutes of the day: Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) is summoned to a Senate investigation into his conduct, only to be pulled out of the hearings to deal with something far more pressing.

Now, one could say that the Senate scene, as pictured up there, could have been shot in some studio in Los Angeles.  Sure, they've shot in the Californian city for the past six years, but the show's producers figured they needed a change of atmosphere.  So, when they decided that the latest season will be set in the nation's capital, they actually went there—Washington D.C.
 
The move was a welcome change to the folks at 24.  “It was kind of like going on a field trip,” said Carlos Bernard, otherwise known as suddenly-alive agent Tony Almeida.

The idea for the move is to provide a sense of realism to the show.  So, unlike other shows that are actually shot in Hollywood, but are edited to look like it was set somewhere else—CSI, for example, edits in footage taken in Las Vegas with the actual scenes from Los Angeles—this season of 24 actually went through many efforts just to give that reality that editing can't just give.

“It was a matter of finding moments to get scenes on the street, and do it naturally so that it's seamless,” Brad Turner, the show's director, said.

“If you can take advantage of getting iconic places like the Capitol or the Lincoln Memorial in a shot, you try and do that,” added Kiefer Sutherland.  “It's like a postcard for us.”

But shooting in the nation's capital isn't as easy as it seems.  There are as many as 17 jurisdictions in the district, which means a permit to film on one area may not be valid when they shoot in an area that's literally yards away.  “Washington, D.C. is the most difficult city in the United States to film in,” said location manager John Latenser.

However, all the hassle is worth it. “You're constantly aware you're in a capital city,” Sutherland said.  “You can feel the power of it, the sense of responsibility that's in the air all the time.  Somehow it felt like more was at stake.”

And it was a good feeling for the crew to know that some people in Washington are actually fans of the show.  For instance, Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, visited the set and was enthralled to see the cast for himself.  The cast also got to visit the offices of the National Counterterrorism Center, the real-life equivalent of 24's Counter Terrorist Unit.  Talk about realism.

24 kicks off its four-hour season premiere this Sunday, with two episodes back-to-back from 8pm on Fox.  Again, it is just around the corner.  That feels good, doesn't it?


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Canadian Press
(Image courtesy of Fox)