'24' - Season 7 on FOX HD - Page 2

According to a TV Guide interview with co-executive producer Manny Coto, "In a sense, it's a reboot in location and personnel. We're going to be introducing a new stable of characters, along with a couple of old ones. Jack starts next season in a very different place than any season so far. [He's] not living under an alias. He's found a place he thinks he belongs and a job he enjoys doing that doesn't involve the government... We're hewing much closer to real life: tighter, more personal, more difficult for Jack. There will not be a ticking clock on a nuclear device [and] the villain is not a terrorist [but] someone with a supremely dark past who's done something horrific and whose ambition is to regain his stature in the world. There may even be a plot thread that doesn't take place on U.S. soil."

Writer and Executive Producer Michael Loceff has confirmed, "what we are going for, is really taking this to the personal level," unlike this season six's focus on nuclear threats, the President getting hurt and possible war. Loceff says "you just can't go much bigger than that, unless you put a spacesuit on Jack Bauer and shoot him into orbit. Which you know, we may get there, but we're not going to be there yet." Next season expect smaller story lines for the characters, including Jack. Loceff adds, "and how he tries to resolve a particularly thorny conflict in the final episode." Loceff tells us Season 7 will focus on smaller and more intense story lines. But the specifics are still a mystery even for Loceff and the writers.

Carlos Bernard will return as Tony Almeida in the premiere of season 7 as one of the main antagonists. Show-runner Howard Gordon explained that Tony's "uncertain fate" left the door open for his return and cited the lack of a "silent clock" as a deliberate move to keep his death ambiguous. "We didn't give him the silent clock because we always wanted to keep alive the possibility for some kind of (admittedly) miraculous resurrection... which we will explain," and followed up with "He's definitely NOT the Almeida we once knew."

Prequel

FOX will air a two-hour "prequel" TV movie on November 23, 2008 that bridges the gap between seasons.

The storyline of the prequel takes place during Inauguration Day for the next U.S. President, Allison Taylor, and is shot partially in South Africa. "[Jack] is a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace," says co-executive producer, Manny Coto. "But he winds up in Africa in the middle of a military coup." Meanwhile, Bauer is subpoenaed to appear before the Senate hearing while in Africa, but doesn't want to go. Howard Gordon revealed the prequel takes place approximately a year after day six.

On April 30, producers began scouting locations in Africa in order to film the prequel in the following weeks. Robert Carlyle was cast as Carl Benton, Jack's mentor in Africa. Gil Bellows plays a State Department officer ordered to serve Bauer with a subpoena. Eric Lively plays Roger, the President's son, and Tony Todd will portray African dictator General Benjamin Juma. On June 13 it was announced that Jon Voight had been cast as a villain, and would be appearing in the prequel and the second half of the regular season.

Jack Bauer saves the children. Groan.

Can someone remind me how Tony died? The last I remember about him is him walking away after helping Jack and his wife was confirmed dead.