When news broke last week that the majority of season seven of 24 was scrapped by FOX executives because it would be too expensive to film in Africa, 24 fans could be heard thinking: 'Why the heck is Jack Bauer going to Africa?'  There was no confirmation that the subplot would even include former CTU agent and effective bad guy killer Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), but why set 24 in Africa if you're not going to have Bauer torture some giraffes?  Sure, it might seem cruel, but you just know those giraffes would have been working for the true terrorist mastermind- a silverback gorilla.

Jokes aside, dumping an entire plot seems like a dangerous move for 24 producers at this fragile time in the show's existence.  Sure, people have questioned the wisdom of the 24 writing staff in the past (see: Kim in all of season two).  But season six was loathed by nearly everyone, critics and fans alike.  This is not the time to be making it up as you go.

However, despite the last-second switch for season seven, which will result in pushing back the start of production nearly three weeks, this may be just the opportunity the 24 crew needed.  It's time to take a step back and refocus.  What made season five so fantastic that the show finally broke through at the Emmy awards, winning Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor for Kiefer Sutherland?  And what made season six so terrible that it had "jump the shark" written all over it from start to finish?  There are three important points the 24 team must consider to return their show to its former glory.

1. Presidential Casting

The added twist of giving season seven a madam president is intriguing, but it can't end there.  The show works best when the president's plot is strong.  In season five, Gregory Itzin played the duplicitous Charles Logan so well he scored an Emmy nomination.  Compare him to last season's wretched Wayne Palmer (D.B. Woodside), a man whose ascension to the presidency seems unfathomable given what we'd seen of him in previous seasons.  A strong president with a good storyline makes for a great season, so the writers need to spend some time developing this female president, and please, cast someone impressive.  If the show can afford Helen Mirren, do it.

2. Bring Back the Fan Favorites

The news that Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays socially awkward CTU analyst Chloe O'Brian, is returning allowed fans everywhere to breathe a sigh of relief.  Much as the show may want to start fresh, you need those people who ground Jack and make him human.  Chloe's frank talk and unwavering faith in Bauer Power make her a character we can live through.  Each week I shout at the screen, "If you just listened to Jack and did exactly as he said, you wouldn't be in this mess!"  Chloe does just that.  Also worthy of returning are Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) and Karen Hayes (Jayne Atkinson), who defined themselves as the matured Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler.

Then there's one more hero, a man who could easily take the reins of Jack Bauer and steer this country into the next millennium: Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower).  You may not believe this, but other than Jack Bauer, Aaron Pierce is the only character to appear in all six seasons so far, and I'd hate for that trend to end.  Think about it, he's always there, standing tall, ready to give his life for his country.  If Jack's not available, Agent Pierce is the man I'd call to fight the terrorists.

3. Develop a Game Plan

The saddest part of the doomed African adventure was that, by all appearances, the writers had come up with some sort of involved plot.  You don't plan on flying to Africa to film a bunch of scenes on a whim.  But with that idea thrown out the window, the writers need to hustle to come up with a long-term strategy.  24 may be able to exist in short, four-episode vignettes - the opening four hours of season six were amazing.  The biggest problem is that there were no long term plans.  The president's sister Sandra (Regina King) was as superfluous a character as has ever existed on the show.  The Milo-Nadia-Doyle love triangle was neither well-acted nor purposeful.  Then there's the mother of all complaints about season six: What the f*** happened to Charles Logan after his crazy wife stabbed him?  Talk about dropping the ball, the writers left that thread hanging, and for the rest of the season, it was impossible not to notice it.  It's hard to sit through every episode sure of the fact that they're going to pull a huge twist and Logan will be alive somewhere, conspiring with terrorists.

Compare that to season five, for which producers have publicly said that President Logan's involvement was planned from the start.  That kind of long-term foresight is what the show needs.  If the writers just sat down and thought about season seven as one long adventure, and not a series of loosely connected mini-adventures, fans could get behind this series again.

The wonderful thing about 24 is that, every year, the slate is mostly wiped clean.  While there is emotional and relationship continuity, season seven will start a completely new day in Jack's life, and the show can make that day whatever they want.  President Wayne Palmer may have been a failure, but we never have to see or hear from him again.  That's the genius of 24: no matter how many times people claim it jumps the shark, it jumps back to the beginning with evry new day.


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of FOX)