24

24 is an American action drama television series created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran for Fox. The series features an ensemble cast, with Kiefer Sutherland starring as American counter-terrorist federal agent Jack Bauer. Each season covers 24 consecutive hours using the real time method of narration, which is emphasized by the display of split screens and a digital clock. Multiple ongoing plot lines of intersecting relevance are covered, with Bauer's plot line serving as the link throughout. The show premiered on November 6, 2001, and spanned 204 episodes over nine seasons, with the series finale broadcast on July 14, 2014. In addition, the television film 24: Redemption aired between seasons six and seven, on November 23, 2008. 24 is a joint production by Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television.

Bauer is portrayed as a highly proficient agent with an "ends justify the means" approach, willing to lie, threaten, or even harm anyone who refuses to cooperate with him. Throughout the series, the plot elements contain both a political thriller and serial drama, with each episode typically ending on a cliffhanger. Bauer uses people on both sides of the law in his attempts to prevent terrorist attacks and bring down those responsible, sometimes at great personal expense. These attacks include presidential assassination attempts, bomb detonations, bioterrorism and cyberwarfare, as well as conspiracies that involve government and corporate corruption.