Last week it was rumoured then semi confirmed that the hit TV show 24 will return for a one off run of episodes in the near future. For many people this is simply a bit of telly box news that they instantly discarded but for me it was like heaven on a sky box. There had been plans for a movie version of the programme but I'll happily take a dozen hours of the show over a 2 hour film.
For those that don't know, 24 is a big part of my life and whether you love it or hate it, I will try to give you an insight into my Jack Bauer obsessed life.
1. I first saw the trailer for the show on BBC 2 and to be honest I had no particular love for Kiefer Sutherland who was to the star. However the concept of the show (events in real time) captured my attention and I watched the first episode that Sunday back in 2001.
2. The ending of that episode was controversial as it featured a terrorist plane crash weeks after it happened for real on September 11.
3. My friend Dave, who also watched the show in its entirety and shared my obsession wasn't blown away by it at first. That came in the next episode, but I liked to remind him over the years that I saw its potential 40 mins earlier however juvenile that is.
4. It's worth knowing that this was before the Sky + generation and I have watched every episode (bar one when I went on holiday) live on TV and not recorded. These days I watch everything recorded even if its only an hour after.
5. When the first series ended, I was a fan for life! I bought the DVD boxset and rewatched it before the second series began. The second, again began on BBC 2, which would be the last season it aired on live free to air TV before moving to SKY.
6. By now I had started a trend I still maintain to this day. I had begun to show the series to anyone that would relent. First I hooked my parents, then my grandad and then my sister. Then people at work and finally my girlfriend. When we broke up, I shown it to my new girlfriend, then again, and then finally to my present one (although she'd prefer to be called my wife). It seemed for a while that once I had shown them 24, I broke up just so I could experience it again with a new lady. However that proved to be false but I hope they got something out of it.
7. After season three I had bought 3 boxsets. The first season that I then sold to get the 1/2 collection and then sold again to get the 1/2/3 collection. Some of these unwanted boxsets still sit in my dads house. The thing about the 1-3 boxset was that they were limited edition and numbered. I worked at Virgin Megastore at the time so I had the task of sifting through 100 boxsets looking for the lowest numbered collection. I finally succeeded with one that had 000025 which pleased me no end but I still wish it was one lower for obvious reasons.
8. The show had already took over my life. You could still email me at jackbaueruk2005@yahoo.co.uk if you wish but I probably deleted it. For years that was the email i have on my CV. No wonder I didn't get that Mi5 job.
9. Back in 2004 me and my fellow fan Dave, decided to watch 1-2 seasons of 24 in 48 hours. It was an epic weekend of poker, food, minimal sleep and Jack Bauer action. We always said we'd do it again one day but we never did and if we tried I don't think our wives and children would understand.
10. As the seasons rolled on it was easier to pick and choose your favourite ones. It was similar to the Star Trek system where the even numbered movies were considered the better attempts but in our case it was the odd numbered seasons (especially 1/3/5) that were the stand outs.
11. One of the great things about the show being on SKY were the billboards they made and I always loved seeing one for the first time. There was once one with Jack blindfolded and it looked so awesome I wanted to ask the billboard people if they would give it to me.
12. When I shown my wife the entire run, she was unimpressed at first but then grew to love it as well. Her favourite character (aka hot one) was Tony Almeida. (Spoilers ahead until no 13) In the gigantic season 5, Tony was unceremoniously killed and Sarah looked at me and with a serious tone she said "I'm not watching anymore". It took a couple of days to convince her to watch as I already knew he would be back in season 7 but the damage had been done and she distrusted the show ever since.
13. As far as I can remember I have only seen 2 seasons with my wife live. That meant some concessions on her part. I ALWAYS had to have the lights off whilst watching it for the first time and back in the day, delivery or oven pizza was mostly on the menu (delivery especially if it was a finale episode). Also silence was part of the menu apart from gasps of glee.
14. Despite our love of the show, me and Dave only saw a few episodes live in the same room. Sometimes I would finish work and go to his to play (lose) Fifa or win the odd match up on the sublime Fight Night. The odd episode we did watch were fun as the smallest details that Jack Bauer performed resulted in screams of coolness. I remember at the end of the fifth season (I think), Jack simply reloaded a gun a certain way and we rewound the SKY + five times to see it again.
15. When the show ended, a hole was there to be plugged. The only show that has come close with similar twists and shocks is Dexter and I urge anyone to give it a go. Other notable mentions are The Shield and Jericho.
16. Most people know that I have a tattoo dedicated to 24. Roman numerals in case I have to reinterpret my story for work or religious reasons (it's how much I love god! You never know when a tattoo might get you out of trouble).
17. For all the love I have for this show, at the present time I have NO DVDs of this left. I sold them all to make way for the last collection (currently £49) but with the new season I may as well wait and do it all again.
18. Various other bits I have of the show... A couple of unopened Jack figurines (one busting down a door), some fake CTU badges, some episode guides, a bag that i convinced myself was something Jack would have wore.
19. Like many people back in the day, I had the ringtone on my phone. Not the theme to the show but how the phones in CTU sounded. Only fans will get what I mean but I promise you that you have heard it many a time.
20. I make an effort not to read any spoilers for the show and I have never done so. I also make a note to 'watch dumb' in that I watch the show not trying to guess the killer, mole or ending so that I am always pleasantly surprised.
21. One thing people hate about 24 is the adverts. That's why so many people watch it on DVD. But I say two things, one is that the best thing is seeing something great happen and waiting a whole week to see what happens next. And two as its in real time, whilst the adverts come on, jack is still there but he's simply having a piss or a bite to eat. So don't rush him by fast forwarding, give him a chance to rest!
22. 24 was one of the first shows that started the trend of casting movie stars in a television programme. Nowadays it's seen as the better medium in some respects and everyone does it but it all stated with Kiefer. Examples - Kevin Bacon (The Following), Glenn Close (Damages).
23. This reason can be given to the best twist in the shows history and it happened on the 23rd episode of season one. Those who watch should already know what I mean but when that happened I shouted at the TV in my room and it was all over the papers the next day. I waited seven days to see the final episode, it felt like seventy.
24. Ahhhh...the end. But there's gonna be more. Sooooo happy.
Adam Yates
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