FOX bosses Gary Newman and Dana Walden revealed at the 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour they’re in the very early planning stages for another installment of 24.
“We would love nothing more than to do another 24. That’s a constant focus for us,” Newman said. The network has “heard a great pitch” from producers Howard Gordon, Evan Katz and Manny Coto. “We’re thinking 2016,” Dana Walden revealed when asked about a possible return date for the show.
There’s a big catch, however. After the panel ended, Walden told a group of reporters that the series might continue without star Kiefer Sutherland.
“We have discussed it with [Kiefer]. Potentially, he won’t be in this installment, we’re not sure yet. We’re not that far along, but I know he supports us doing more 24. We are not talking about continuing the show without him; we’re talking about whether there’s one installment that he’s not in.”
“I think great characters with that creative team… I look at everyone that surrounded Kiefer in that last installment — I think it could work. [The pitch] was in the very origin stages and it could have gone either way,” said Walden. “There was a point at which Jack Bauer could come in and fit very organically into their story or they were prepared to do something that would be the one installment without him.”
What do you think about another season of 24 without Kiefer? The two most obvious candidates to take over are Yvonne Strahovski’s Kate Morgan or Carlos Bernard’s fan-favorite Tony Almeida character (who has resurfaced in the 24: Solitary special feature). Would you give it a shot without Kiefer?