How 24 Was Saved From Cancellation By The UK, According To Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland was a Fox TV mainstay for most of the early 2000s because of his stint as Jack Bauer on "24." Though the show enjoyed a long and celebrated run and numerous awards, it was not a guaranteed success in its early seasons. But as Sutherland recently explained, an unexpected source of support helped keep "24" aloft in the United States, and paved the way for its popular network run, as well as multiple spin-off projects (and long-gestating rumors of a feature film, which appears to be in early development), including "24: Legacy," which did not feature Sutherland's Bauer.

In an interview with The Independent, Sutherland discussed how audiences in the United Kingdom helped the series find its footing. "The series took about a year and a half to take off in the United States, while it caught fire in the UK almost immediately," Sutherland explained. "Had it not been for the UK, there might very well have not been a season two." According to Sutherland, that overseas ratings success would prove instrumental in convincing Fox to keep the show on the air in the United States.

"24" was, of course, a runaway success for both Sutherland and Fox. The actor won two of the show's 20 Emmy Awards (out of 68 nominations), as well as a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, while the series itself captured most of the major television awards, including an Emmy, Golden Globe, Satellite Award, and Writers and Producers Guild Awards, over the course of its nine seasons and 204 episodes. 

The question that bears asking is: Could "24" survive in today's TV environment, where streaming platforms require fewer episodes per season? "It's very difficult for an audience to latch onto a show that only does eight episodes, because just at the moment you're really invested, it stops," said Sutherland. "Then you gotta wait a whole year to write eight more and do it again. And in the context of [what TV used to be], that's not even a full f—–' season. '24' made 24 episodes a year, and that takes three years for a modern show to do."

Having said that, series with longer episode counts do seem to be coming back into vogue; "The Pitt," for example, runs 15 episodes per season. Sutherland opined on why more shows might take this approach: "I think people are missing the relationships they had with 'ER,' or '24,' or 'NYPD Blue.' It was something you could rely on. I shaped my Wednesday around this show, and I'm gonna have dinner at this time. It's something I look forward to." And maybe "24" fans might have more adventures with Jack Bauer to look forward to in the future.