24 - tv movie not an extra helping any more?

[Captaindemotion]

http://news.premiere.com/blog/2008/06/robert-carlyle.html

Those of us who have been frustrated by the delay in the 7th season of 24 have been looking forward to the promised 2 hour telemovie, to air in the US in November and to lead into the next season. A little extra helping to make up for the lack of a new season in 2008.

Well, judging from the above story at premiere magazine, the so-called telemovie may in fact simply be the first two hours of the season proper, to be followed by 22 hours of action, rather than, well, 24. At least, according to actor Robert Carlyle.

I'm hopeless with the spoiler/ code function (in my defence my laptop seems to have problems with it), so I've copied the interview below. There are only very mild spoilers, but those of a spoiler sensitive nature may not want to go any further.

when I spoke to Carlyle, he was fresh off a plane from South Africa where he's spent the last four weeks shooting his role in 24: The Movie, in which he plays an old friend from Jack Bauer's past who reputedly becomes his nemesis. Not that Carlyle was about to admit to it - here's what he had to say, before threatening that he'd have to break my fingers if pushed to reveal any more. I believed him...
Where were you shooting in South Africa?
We were in the Stellenbosch region, the wine country. It was doubling for jungle in the fictional country of Sangala.
Who's your character in 24?
My character's called Carl Benton who is Jack Bauer's best buddy and he hasn't seen him for 10 years or something. Jack's on his travels and he comes to see Carl and hang out with him and potentially change his life. Maybe...
Is the movie sticking to the TV show's real-time format?
It is. This two hours is two hours in real time and there'll then be 22 episodes. I don't know how they connect it to the first of those 22 episodes but it's literally the third hour...
So it will lead straight into the new series?
Yeah.
Will you be in the series as well?
We don't know. I can't tell you anymore or Jack Bauer'll come and kill me. And you.

Looks like they're back to the original idea for this season, i.e. to start off in Africa, have Jack meet an old buddy, get caught up in a coup, then have a gap in the real time to allow Jack to get back the US. But please, God, don't let them do the 'figure from Jack's past is the bad guy' storyline again! Stephen Saunders, Christopher Henderson, Philip and Gray Bauer, Tony Almeida, now Carlyle?!

 

[TheInsideMan]

^^^ Not true:

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/24-Season-7/800042204

 

[Temis the Vorta]

So, two hours in South Africa, 21 hours on the flight from South Africa to DC (connecting thru Frankfurt and O'Hare*) and one more hour in DC! This will be the best season ever.

*If you fly United, that is. I'll see if I can get Jack better connections via American.

 

[Brikar99]

^^^ Not true:

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/24-Season-7/800042204

the prequel itself picks up four years after the events of Day 6 — effectively planting Jack Bauer in the year 2017, if you have been keeping tabs

So Jack Bauer is not only invincible, he's also outright immortal... -cue 80s-tacular Queen music-

 

[Rowan Sjet]

^ No, he's just well preseved for his age. I suspect they put him into cryogenic suspension between seasons.

 

[doubleohfive]

You know, at some point, you just gotta stop taking this so seriously.

I'm intrigued by the South Africa storyline, and I like Robert Carlyle. It'll also be nice to finally see DC on 24 too. (well, assuming there's more than just crap at the White House like last year).

So yeah, keeping an open mind till I see it.

 

[RobertScorpio]

24 jumped the shark when his dad, and brother, were shown to be pulling the strings in that last season..that last season of 24 was terrible. Hope it isn't the Manny Coto curse. Nothing against the guy, but gee.

Rob
Scorpio

 

[mr.peany]

2017? Is the considered Sci-Fi now?

 

[RobertScorpio]

2017? Is the considered Sci-Fi now?

Yeah..what year is it on that show now??? 2017? Where did you get that?

Rob

 

[Jack Bauer]

If you assume the first season took place in the year 2000 since there was a presidential election coming that year and then you add in all the years that passed in between seasons then you get the year 2017. It's totally unofficial and will never appear or be mentioned on screen. The producers say that the series takes place in a perpetual near future and that Jack Bauer is always as old as Kiefer Sutherland is. It doesn't make much sense if you factor in how old is daughter is. Going by the perpetual near future and the age thing it would mean Jack was a father when he was like 15.

 

[Captaindemotion]

If you assume the first season took place in the year 2000 since there was a presidential election coming that year and then you add in all the years that passed in between seasons then you get the year 2017. It's totally unofficial and will never appear or be mentioned on screen. The producers say that the series takes place in a perpetual near future and that Jack Bauer is always as old as Kiefer Sutherland is. It doesn't make much sense if you factor in how old is daughter is. Going by the perpetual near future and the age thing it would mean Jack was a father when he was like 15.

Funny enough Keifer himself became a father very young. But I do agree that the jumping in time between series is a bit ridiculous. As I've said before, when you include the unseen President in season 1 and the new one in season 7, the 24 universe will have had a total of 7 US presidents (without counting either Prescott or Daniels), while the real world has had one. In the real world, that would take us back through Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford and Nixon.

Though the one thing about the jlong umps in time between seasons is that it would allow them to fill the gaps between series, a la BSG's Razor or the Babylon 5 telemovies should they ever wish to do prequels.

 

[Harvey]

Season one-2000 (May)
Season two--2001 (November)
Season three--2004 (November)
Season four--2006 (May)
Season five--2007 (November)
Season six--2010 (January)
Season seven--2014(prequel in January, series regular sometime later).

The 2017 number comes from season three graphics which placed that season in 2006. Since they were barely visible, I'd prefer to stick to having season one in 2000, and sticking to the real life election calendar (and keep 24 as far from the far-future as possible).

All that aside, none of that eliminates the age issue with the character. Bauer had to be at least 35 at the time of season one. He's pushing 50 now.

 

[Brikar99]

You know, at some point, you just gotta stop taking this so seriously.

I don't take it seriously at all. I think it's hilarious.

24 jumped the shark when his dad, and brother, were shown to be pulling the strings in that last season..that last season of 24 was terrible. Hope it isn't the Manny Coto curse. Nothing against the guy, but gee.

Rob
Scorpio

It jumped the shark far, far earlier than that.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The question I'm thinking of now is:

In season 7, how will the show raid the RoboCop cast THIS time?

 

[Brikar99]

The question I'm thinking of now is:

In season 7, how will the show raid the RoboCop cast THIS time?

Jack Bauer will buy something for a dollar.

 

[Aragorn]

The question I'm thinking of now is:

In season 7, how will the show raid the RoboCop cast THIS time?

Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer and Nancy Allen?

Actually, Kurtwood Smith (Clarence Boddicker) has a small part at the beginning of season 7.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I am definitely looking forward to the new season and the movie. People say it has jumped the shark but I've always loved 24. I've missed it this past year.