I'm going dark now...

British TV is entering that phase where it sheds off old shows and wraps itself up in an extra thick layer TV Duvet heaven. Big Brother ends, Top Gear starts. Channel 4 pulls out a sure winner in the shape of Skins, and the BBC ploughs on with Casualty and the like.

As I have said before here, apart from a slight tear shed at Dirk ‘Starbuck’ Benedict missing out on his rightful second coming in the hearts of the UK public, British TV is offering nothing as sexy and as bloody brilliant as the US is.

Once again it’s down to 24 – the show that continues to rewrite rule books – to show us how exciting and thrilling a simple 45 minutes can be.


Season six of 24 kicked off in the States a few weeks ago, followed with impressive speed by Sky One here in the UK. I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t already watched it… OK, then, I will.

Jack’s been in a Chinese prison for almost two years. In laymen’s terms that's from the moment he finished Season five to the very start of Season six. The man hasn’t had a good night’s kip a decent bonk or cup of tea in all that time. From the outset it’s obvious it can go one of two ways. Either Jack’s fine and the show throws away things like ‘realism’, ‘understanding’ and any thread of believability it still has. Or, he’s not fine and he’s a mess.

I'm pleased to say, it’s the latter. I love him. Really.

More than that, though, I love good TV. And 24 has been good from the outset. It’s good - no, it’s excellent - because it continues to push its boundaries. Where as most TV shows strive to keep a status quo, a constant with characters and relationships to maintain a familiarity with the audience so they always come back, 24 sacrifices all of that for roller-coaster drama. You just don’t know who’s going to die next, or, more crucially, how. 24 is only four episodes in and season six has done just that.

24 rewards viewers who stay the course and, as far as I'm concerned, it’s not a chore. I'm rewarded with heart-pounding tension, psychological intrigue, moments that force me to lift my jaw off the floor, question how true to life it might be and how the hell these actors do their jobs with such conviction, most of all Kiefer Sutherland.

Sutherland’s performance in season six of 24 has so far been exemplary. It has to be as it's his Jack that drives the show every year. Behind him, the rest of the cast get on with the inter-personal relationships, back stabbing, cock ups and the doughy-eyed gawping. A welcome addition this year is Alexander Siddig who plays the leader of an Islamic Arab terrorist cell apparently now dedicated to peace, the presence of whom has already caused our Jack to break down and cry, though we won’t tell you why exactly.

The first four episodes of season six were broadcast in one fell swoop in the States, (though were more staggered here in Britain) for explosive effect. Now we, along with the billion other 24 fans, wait with baited breath to see how this latest series of TV’s most honed show continues. Now join us. Go on.

What do you mean you don’t watch 24? Get over it. Steal a box set, any of the five that are already out, and bloody well join in.

Labels: Big Brother

posted by Freddy @ Wednesday, January 31, 2007 Comments: 0