"24"
Series Premiere October 30th, 2001 on the Fox Network
By Corey LaBranche

Kiefer Sutherland leads the cast as Jack Bauer, head of an L.A.-based anti-terrorist agency. When an assassination threat is directed against the first black presidential candidate, Senator David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), the agency is activated. Bauer must also flush out a mole from among his operatives who may be involved in the conspiracy.

The gimmick, and main selling point of 24 is the unique "real time" perspective. From the moment of discovery, the assassination attempt will occur within 24 hours. Each episode unfolds in real time, and the 24-hour period will play out over the 24-episode season. The pilot takes place in the period from midnight to 1:00 am.

With a premise like this, I expected the pilot to contain a slam-bam, in-your-face action-suspense thriller. To discover that an assassination will transpire within the next day suggests a sense of urgency. The plot should motivate the field agents to do something - anything! But the action desperately needs a jump-start. The most action Jack experiences is when he detains a superior by questionable means while he gathers blackmail information against him.

The first rule of fictional entertainment: Reach out and grab the audience's attention immediately or they'll lose interest and move on to something else. In the real world, an investigation doesn't move at a speed-of-light pace; but with the short attention span of today's public, the pace of fictional entertainment needs to move quickly, especially during the launch of a new show. Rather than entralling me, the snail-like pacing left me wondering when the episode would be over. (Fortunately a real-time clock is shown before and after each commercial break, allowing the viewer to know when the end is near.) As the assassination approaches during later episodes, I'm sure that the pacing will quicken as the group attempts to save the senator's life, but the pilot just didn't hook me.

The show does have its good points, though. The stylish camera work, sets, and lighting provide attractive eye candy, and occasional split-screen shots allow us to view multiple scenes simultaneously. Sutherland's fantastic screen presence steals the show from the rest of the cast. Also, a potentially appealing subplot involving Bauer's teenage daughter Kim occurs parallel to the investigation. Kim sneaks out of the house to meet a friend and two boys for an evening of fun and frolic, and Bauer's wife rides off into the night to find her. By the end of the hour, a sinister twist left me more interested in Kim's fate than in the assassination plot.

Although the program ends with a bang and a promise of more action in later episodes, the pilot didn't leave me breathlessly waiting for more. The network is promoting the show as a thriller, so I believe many viewers may walk away unsatisfied. Too much drama, too few thrills.

On a side note, TV Guide picked 24 as its 'Best New Show' of the fall season. Some adjectives used to describe it: "densely plotted"; "the pace is relentless"; "tense, twist-filled adventure"; "you'll be checking your watch in amazement that the hour is already over." TV Guide apparently previewed an alternate pilot from the one I watched because none of these phrases describe the version I viewed. I have an inkling that in a few months, TV Guide will choose the show for its occasional "Best Show You’re Not Watching" accolade. Not that 24 is an unwatchable show; it has great potential, but it simply did not live up to my expectations. The only thing 'relentless' about it is the hype.