Nearly two years ago, I watched the third series of 24 in 24 hours. I’ve not seen any since and, thanks to a colleague, find myself in possession of the series 4 box set
I don’t fancy staying up all night, so I’m aiming to watch in 17-18 hours, just over the actual length of the series – despite being in real time, they have to allow for ad breaks and recaps.
Two episodes in and there’s been a clumsy infodump; a CTU PowerPoint display full of nonsense apparently designed to impress the viewers while presumably baffling those in the meeting; the dreadful line “Looks like someone’s trying to corrupt the internet”; a first twist you could spot a mile off; and about 11 deaths, averaging 6.5 5.5 an hour.
It takes itself terribly seriously but in some ways is as much hammy hokum as Sunset Beach. Great 🙂
Update: Halfway through and the confirmed death count is around 58 (just under 5 an episode) but potentially much higher if you include character not seen on screen. Only one episode with no killings – this is not a quiet show. Several significant twists, and one big “Yay!” moment.
Update II: Finished around 2.30am last night. Worth watching with plenty of exciting bits, although, as always, some scenes stretch the suspension of disbelief and there were a few too many moments of frustration where you could see a twist coming and wished the characters would notice. There were the obligatory 24 ingredients: a token English actor; a CTU mole (rerun of Day 1); constitutional politicking (rerun of Day 2); some family plots you just didn’t care about (rerun of anything with Kim Bauer in); product placement (and I mean you, Cisco Systems); computer screens showing impressive nonsense; and characters from previous series prised into the plot.
There was one funny line in the 24 episodes and, like the series as a whole, I suspect it wasn’t supposed to be funny. There is one more “Yay!” moment before the end.
The folks at CTU are declared the best agents there are, and yet the organisation continues to display dysfunction that would put The Office to shame, and every field agent other than Jack Bauer is rubbish.
An actor turns up who’s been in The West Wing (RIP) and Lost, the other two American shows I watch. There’s a lot of crossover between The West Wing and 24 (not least Jim Robinson from Neighbours who was a Cabinet member in both), but Evan Handler is the first actor I’ve spotted in all three. (Mid-update update: Look! Jim Robinson from Neighbours is in Lost too! Hurrah!)
Favourite line: “I was inappropriately blunt, wasn’t I?”
Most similar Doctor Who story: The Mind of Evil.
Final death count: around 106 characters shown on screen, with at least several hundred others referred to.
Verdict: Good. If the first three were your sort of thing, you’ll enjoy Day 4.
I haven’t seen any 24 since that long long day either, and the box sets seem to be going quite cheaply on the ol’ internet. That should kill one day of the summer hols 🙂
By the way, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point out that 11 deaths over two hours averages 5.5 deaths per hour, not 6.5.
Oh my, how shaming. It took just two hours watching 24 for my brain to rot.
6 episodes in and the death toll has reached around 30 – 5 an episode. At this rate, it’ll be over 100 by the end of the day.
Have you reached the point where Chloe is allowed out of the CTU office? Hee-larious.
Oh yes. Without mentioning specifics, as I’m trying to keep this spoiler-free, that bit was the site of my second “Yay!” moment.
You’ve still got all of day 5 to go, which after 6 episodes I stopped watching. Then got bored and managed to finish watching the rest of the season. Day 4 was ok, but soooooooo long ago now I can’t remember most of the plot twists.
I got sidetracked with 24 when the bbc lost the screen rights (how I loved my sunday nights!). So I am well behind the times and appreciate the spoiler free reviewing.
BTW I will try and get around to adding you to my rollcall Will as I much appreciate your comments at my place…