# 24 (2001)

> Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer races against the clock over a single day, battling threats to the nation one hour at a time.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1865

## Facts

- Seasons: 9
- Episodes: 204
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, drama, thriller
- Created by: Robert Cochran, Joel Surnow
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver, Dennis Haysbert, Yvonne Strahovski, Sarah Clarke, Tate Donovan, William Devane
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285331/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: breakneck
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: tense, propulsive, relentless, paranoid, intense

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim 24 for its relentless real-time tension and Kiefer Sutherland's commanding performance as Jack Bauer, though its later seasons are seen as less consistent than the early run.

## Synopsis

24 (2001-2014) is an American action thriller series created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow for FOX. Kiefer Sutherland plays counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer, a relentless operative who fights threats to the nation while his family life falls apart around him. Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), a sharp analyst working inside the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles, supports him from the command center, while Dennis Haysbert plays David Palmer, a principled president-level figure caught in the crossfire. Each season is a nine-season run that covers a single day, with every episode unfolding in real time and a fresh plot about bioweapons, assassinations, and hidden traitors. The engine is a race against the clock: Bauer must uncover a conspiracy before it detonates, often bending procedure and taking brutal measures to do so. The tone is tense, propulsive, and relentless, built around ticking countdowns and split-second decisions. Its scope is a serialized national security saga with political intrigue set in present-day Los Angeles and Washington. Fans of Homeland, Alias and The Blacklist will find resonance in its blend of espionage, paranoia and high-stakes action.

## Shows like 24

- [Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/63857)
- [Quantico (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55815)
- [Day Break (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/4396)
- [Bodyguard (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/68902)
- [The Night Agent (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/107194)
- [Hostages (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/49380)
- [The West Wing (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/651)
- [Lost (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/4385)
- [The Endgame (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/110937)
- [24: Legacy (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/58823)

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