24: Season 4 - SPOILERS

[Moonraker]

Well, some bits of info are coming out about the new season, so here's a place drop it until January when we all give our weekly commentaries of the new episodes

Dennis Haysbert has said that he will not be returning for Season 4 as a regular. He has joined the cast of Empire, a new mini-series on ABC. Here's a link to the story.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=5255

[Vonner]

That's not totally shocking, and not totally disappointing either. The Palmer line has run it's course. It'll be nice to get some fresh storylines going next year.

[Moonraker]

I agree that Palmer as President had a dull storyline most of the time. Atleast he will appear from time to time, perhaps in more action packed situations.

[Reaver]

I wouldn't mind it if they got rid of almost 99% of the cast and brought everything back to basics. Meaning, I think it'd be a good idea if the show got rid of all the fluff and had a season just about Jack and his mission. You know, perhaps deep undercover, far from home, totally on his own. No President he has to ask permission from, no homebase to give him support. Just him, his wits, and his gun. No soap opera horeshit like we had with Chase's baby, no ten different storylines all competting for screen time. All Jack, all the time. Nothing but tension, action, and drama. Nothing but Jack and his mission.

[limacharliewhiskey]

Didn't get this news from a reliable source, but in the alt.tv.24 newsgroup, there was an article saying Elisha Cuthbert won't be back as a regular for Season 4. The writers had been planning to bring her back as a recurring character, but she now wants to concentrate on her blossoming film career, based on the success of the Girl Next Door. She has a starring role in the upcoming remake of the House of Wax. She might not even be back as a recurring character, depending on what her film schedule is like.

[Vonner]

Elisha Cuthbert speaks over at Dark Horizon's:

Originally Posted by Dark Horizon's

So her character may be stuck with some of the weaker subplots on TV right now (albeit squeezed into one of the small screen's best), but actress Elisha Cuthbert herself on the other hand is going from strength to strength with movies out, more in the works and a solid reputation already building. Today she took some brief time out from shooting "House of Wax" to explain what is happening in regards to her fate next year in "24".

First up she confirmed the reports that Kiefer Sutherland will be the only regular character next year are true, with her part reduced to 'recurring' status - "I'm coming back as also recurring. I think the only regular on the show for the fourth season will be Kiefer. They haven't given me any episodes so far, I have the choice to either do the ones that they write me in or not, depending upon my schedule".

She also revealed that "I think they have a really great idea coming up for the fourth year, sadly I probably won't be as involved as much as I have been in the past three years, but it has been a great run for me and I'm content with that because I think they have some different plans . I hear they're bringing on some really great actors also, so while you're losing a couple of your regulars - you'll get be getting some pretty great new ones".

[Monrozombi]

hopefully this year will be about Jack bringing Chapelle and Mason back to life

I'd hate to see everyone go, but it could be refreshing, I mean how many seasons can you do about 24 hours in the life of Jack Bauer, hopefully something ground breaking and initvative like the first season. And lets also hope the first half of season 4 isn't a crapfest like the first half of S3 was

[Mike386]

I'm pretty happy about this news. I've been hoping for a massive re-boot, and maybe we'll kind of get one. One thing I'd like to see would be for the show to switch locales to one of the other CTU offices. I'd love to see a season with an all-new cast set in DC, which could really raise the political-stakes component.

One thing they really need to do is totally drop any of the soap-opera stuff; the writers cannot do it well at all, and it always feels way too shoe-horned in there. I'd love to see at least one season go by where there isn't an incredibly ludicrous rolling-of-the-eyeballs plot development. We had Terri's amnesia in season 1, Kim in season 2, and the baby in season 3--and they were all stupid and unncessary. Tension can be continued and/or raised without whacky personal crisis that contribute nothing. Anybody notice how much better season 2 played on DVD when you were able to fast-forward through every Kim scene not involving Jack Bauer?

So my hopes for season 4--more political intrigue and self-serving backstabbing (maybe some on-the-rise-politico serving on the congressional intelligence committe who hates Homeland Security and is trying to dismantle CTU through personal attacks towards the director of CTU and attempts to expose Bauer's less than politically correct and judicial way of handling threats to the country, in exchange for political favors and contributions from lobbyists), a whole heaping hell of lots of crazy 'n' violent Jack, and no ripped-from-a-soap-opera storylines. Maybe the producers can work out some kind of deal and start adapting Vince Flynn's novels into a 24 format.

[SharpShooter5]

yeah, i also say, just give us a "Jack on a mission" type of a story line

Don't have anyone be kidnapped, don't bring up any releationship problems, and no babies, cougers or amnesia

[Moonraker]

More news about next years cast from Coming Soon

Highlights:
Keeler is President
Jack not at CTU

Full Story

You'll be seeing lots of new faces on 24 next season, and a familiar face from 24 on CSI.

Reiko Aylesworth, who played Michelle on 24 for the past two seasons, is set to join the original CSI, as a lab-based detective, says Variety. Aylesworth's casting is unrelated to George Eads and Jorja Fox being let go from the show.

As for 24, virtually none of the cast, save Kiefer Sutherland, will return as regulars for season four, which is set to begin airing on Fox in January. That means Dennis Haysbert's David Palmer character will no longer be president of the United States. Instead, when the action resumes, Sen. John Keeler -- last seen trying to blackmail Palmer -- will be the new president.

Geoff Pierson, who played Keeler in multiple episodes last season, will reprise his role for season four. It'll be a recurring part, however. The trade also revealed that Sutherland's Jack Bauer will no longer work for CTU.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=5611

[panhead4life]

should be interesting, can't wait for S4, wondering what they're gonna do

[Mike386]

Interesting Moonraker; thanks. I always figured the chance for Reiko's return was slim considering Tony's predicament, which is bad because she was really the only strong, recurring female role. Interesting that Jack is no longer with CTU. Department of Defense or Homeland Security, maybe? I'm still hopeful they'll change the location to DC, and I'm glad Palmer is no longer President--will they still find a lame soap opera way to shoehorn him into the developments? Nitpicks aside, I am looking forward to Season 4, with the hope that they can pull off the whole season with the success they maneuvered out of the last half of year 3. I've read somewhere that the co-creator would like to focus more on the legal aspects of a terror investigation, which could provide some compelling moments.

[Brikar99]

Thank god. Part of what killed Season 3 was it's attachment to characters who'd long since outstayed their welcome.

[Nexus 6]

It's good that they're trying to freshen it up a bit, even though I'll miss some of the characters. I agree that Palmer's S3 storylines pushed it at times, but I really did like the character, so I'll miss him. I'll really miss Tony, though, as he was my favorite character. Despite all this, though, I am looking forward to S4. We'll see what happens, I guess.

[Brikar99]

I really liked Palmer and Tony, too - but I just don't want to see them stretch it any further by having to engineer storylines at any cost for them so they can be shoehorned into the cast.

[Moonraker]

More Casting:

Actress Kim Raver, late of NBC's Third Watch, is being added to 24 as Jack Bauer's latest love interest, the network confirmed Friday. Also joining the cast in a recurring role is Shohreh Aghdashloo, who received an Oscar nomination for her role in 2003's The House of Sand of Fog.

Now comes the restocking. Raver, who played Kimberly Zambrano for five years on NBC's Third Watch, will be a series regular, playing Audrey Raines, an aide to the new secretary of defense. Also on board is Nestor Serrano (The Day After Tomorrow), who'll appear as a Middle Eastern businessman, Aghdashloo, who'll play his wife, and Louis Lombardi (aka FBI (news - web sites) Agent Skip Lipari on The Sopranos) as a new member of CTU. The latter three will all be recurring characters

Full Story:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...en_tv_eo/14669

[Vonner]

More Casting News from ComingSoon.net:

Aisha Tyler in 24

On 24, Tyler will play a data analyst who shakes things up at the Counter Terrorism Unit. She will debut in the third [episode] of [the] series and will appear in three episodes of [the] show with an option for three more.

[Monterey Jack]

Aisha Tyler...

24 continues to have the hottest women on TV!

[Reaver]

Not only is she smoking hot, but she's also hysterical. Fantastic combination.

[Moonraker]

The preview for the next season of 24 that is premiering on the DVD of Season 3 will not just be random clips. The crew shot a "half-episode" that intros all the new characters and bridges the gap between season 3 and 4.

---Source: VB Magazine

[Vonner]

Ooooh...that is cool. Assuming that it is a seperate "half episode" and not just the first half of the first episode.

[Vonner]

More confirmation on what Moonraker posted earlier about the Season 4 preview on the Season 3 DVD set.

From TVShowsOnDVD.com:

Fox has set the bar a notch higher for DVD versions of TV series by producing what amounts to about half of an extra episode of 24 exclusively for the seven-disc collection of Season 3.

The 10-minutes of new footage on the Dec. 7 release will serve as a teaser for the delayed debut of the new season of 24 on Jan. 3.

Material offers the first introductions of the many new cast members and their characters...The scenes were all scripted and produced by the 24 creative team during production of the new season.

While the scenes do not play in a fluid storyline, they serve as a bridge to the events that took place from the end of last season and the beginning of the next.

They will not be shown on TV or anywhere else, according to Fox.


Sound cool to me, but I don't understand the "half an extra episode" part. If it's only ten minutes that seems more like a quarter episode. Each show is about 45 minutes.

[Moonraker]

24 is starting a week early on January 3rd with a two hour premiere '7am to 9am'. It will air at 8pm.

[tazer floyd]

Where'd you read this? I read earlier on AICN (yeah, I know they suck) that it'll premiere on Sunday, Jan 9th, with the first 2 hours, and then the 3rd hour will be on it's normal night & time Monday the 10th.

Either way, I can't wait for the new season to start.

[Moonraker]

I didnt post the link because I am told there are spoilers in the article so read at your own risk.

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|90786|1|,00.html

[Vonner]

Guess who will be backfor season 4, at least for a show or two...

Spoiler (Highlight or Triple Click to Read):

Chloe, and Tony. Chloe more than Tony. At least that's what I have gathered from looking at the list of guest stars on imdb.com

[TalkingHead]

Man I'm getting so revved up for this season. Aisha Tyler....yikes! Although Elisha Cuthbert will be missed. Ever since that photo shoot in Maxim with the white tank top and bubble gum....oh boy.

I agree with the consensus that there is way too much random stuff. Elisha's entire situation in Season 2 was a ridiculous diversion. All the Chloe stuff in Season 3 etc. But I for one really liked the stuff with the President. It conveyed that the missions being worked on reached a level of seriousness so as to involve the highest level of Government. I think David Palmer was a good character. How will he be phased out?

[Vonner]

More casting news...

Originally Posted by The Futon Critic

24 (FOX) - Angela Goethals ("The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.") has signed on for a recurring role on the series' fourth season, which premieres Sunday, January 9. She'll play the troubled daughter of new CTU director Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson).

Angela Goethals

[Vonner]

Season 4 preview trailer...

{returning character spoiler}

Spoiler (Highlight or Triple Click to Read):

there are Chloe sightings!!!

http://homepage.mac.com/csdesigns/24/S4trailer.html