24 is one of those rare network shows that feels more like a movie. The way its shot and the way it is written are all very cinematic. While some of the plot twists verge on the ridiculous (like the fact that no one can set up a decent perimeter when they have their prime suspect surrounded), more times than not the risks the show takes pay off. Plus, I think the real-time format of the show creates an automatic sense of tension and urgency that enhances the show. Keifer Sutherland is excellent as the flawed but honorable Jack Bauer. And while I love to mock some of his lines (like his request to always "Send that to my screen"), when the sh!t is going down on the show, he is always believable and you find yourself rooting for him.

I can’t tell you how many pre-TiVo nights I rushed home to the television for the next episode of 24. I can’t tell you how heart broken I was that Tony Almeda was kicked off. And I can’t tell you how elated I was that Jack had to call in the only man he could trust, and Tony again joined the line up. 24 revolutionized the after work action/drama genre for me. Dealing with contemporary issues, real and more or less plausible terrorist threats, and a real-time hourly format, 24 redefined my expectations for all shows going forward. I lament the fact that so many of the great characters have used 24 as a springboard for their careers in movies, commercials, and other TV shows, but take great solace in the fact that they seem grounded enough to agree for return guest star appearances. I hope that as the next season begins filming, they take a page out of this season’s playbook and bring back such memorable characters as Chase, a zombie version of President Palmer’s estranged and dead wife, and even such memorable cameos as the late Dr. Ferragamo, who’s death we never really saw realized on the screen. Outrageous plot lines and unbelievably snappy retorts under the most extreme duress aside, Jack Bower, Tony Almeda, and the whole crew never fail to please.

One of the most innovative, thrilling and acclaimed drama series on television, 24, created by Joel Surnow (“La Femme Nikita,” “Miami Vice”) and Robert Cochran (“La Femme Nikita,” “The Commish”), will retain its unique format in the fifth season. Each episode will cover one hour of real time, and the season’s entire story will take place in one day. Once again, viewers will be able to follow several key characters through a day that none of them will ever forget. In season four of 24, Jack Bauer(Kiefer Sutherland) returned to CTU when his new boss, Secretary of Defense James Heller (William Devane), was kidnapped in connection with a terrorist-coordinated train crash. Although Agent Bauer helped prevent an attempt to melt down the nation’s nuclear power plants, he could not stop terrorists from successfully shooting down Air Force One and attempting to assassinate the president. After this event, the most devastating and momentous in the show’s four thrilling seasons, CTU operatives were faced with shielding the nation from a nuclear terrorism threat that could kill millions of people and change the world forever.