FOX gives series order to Kiefer Sutherland’s Touch – 13 episodes in Spring 2012

Kiefer Sutherland and David Mazouz in a Touch season 1 promotional photo
Kiefer Sutherland and David Mazouz in a Touch season 1 promotional photo

FOX has finally given the official series order to Kiefer Sutherland’s drama series Touch. Thirteen episodes will air during midseason in Spring 2012. The pilot was filmed this Summer and presumably production on the other twelve episodes will begin within the next few weeks.

Official press release from FOX below:

FOX has ordered 13 episodes of the new drama series TOUCH, created and written by Emmy-nominated Tim Kring (“Heroes”), it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. TOUCH, starring Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kiefer Sutherland, will join the schedule in the spring of 2012. The pilot was directed and executive-produced by Francis Lawrence (“Water for Elephants”), and the show comes from Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television.

TOUCH is another ambitious series from Tim Kring that is beautifully executed and has incredibly resonant themes for our times,” said Reilly. “With Kiefer back on the network as the face and force behind this creative new series, I’m confident it will resonate with viewers this spring.”

“Every once in a while, you encounter a piece of material that you just cannot say no to,” Sutherland added. “That, combined with the opportunity to work again with Peter Chernin and the Fox studio and network, makes me thrilled to be a part of this project. I also look forward to working with an extraordinary writer and producer like Tim Kring.”

TOUCH is a distinct and colorful drama in which science and spirituality intersect with the hopeful premise that we are all interconnected, tied in invisible ways to those whose lives we are destined to alter and impact.

At the center of TOUCH is MARTIN BOHM (Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). After multiple failed attempts at keeping Jake in school, Martin is visited by CLEA HOPKINS (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a social worker sent to evaluate Jake’s well-being. Everything changes when Martin discovers that Jake possesses the gift of staggering genius – the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events. Jake is indeed communicating. But it’s not with words, it’s with numbers. Martin meets ARTHUR DEWITT (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Now, it’s up to Martin to decipher the meaning and connect the numbers to the cast of characters whose lives they affect.

TOUCH is a production of Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Kring created the series and wrote the pilot. Kring, Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA), Katherine Pope (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA), Sutherland, Suzan Bymel (“The War at Home”) and Carol Barbee (“Jericho”) are executive producers. Lawrence directed the pilot.

9 Comments

Comments Closed
So here is my guess. When Kiefer made that statement on ET Canada that 24 would probably start shooting in April, he probably already knew that Touch got picked up to series. It now makes sense scheduling-wise. If they start shooting Touch right now for a say February premiere, they could probably wrap all 13 episodes by late March or early April. If they have a script ready, then Kiefer can jump right into 24.

Good call there Don, now we see the real reason for the ’24’ movie starting production in April and not the previously mooted January, this actually makes me feel a little better in regards to the movie, in that the delay to production starting had nothing to do with the script but rather the Kief’s schedule!

The downside, however, is that if ‘Touch’ is picked up for a second season, filming would probably commence in June sometime (to be ready for the new season beginning in September), which leaves precious little time for production on the ’24’ movie – just over two months – which certainly doesn’t sound like a typical production schedule for a big action movie… unless they put their collective shoulders to the grindstone and work six-day weeks for twelve or even thirteen weeks straight, which would give them between 72 and 78 days of shooting, which is actually a pretty decent and more typical schedule for a studio action picture!

Is the point we all should start to cross our fingers, touch wood, and pray to the Maker we will actually get a ’24’ movie…?

Agreed Gerry. I just have one thing to add:

Our Bauer in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your 24 hours come,
your kill be done,
on UK as it is in LA.
Give us this day our daily dread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into “Lost”,
but deliver us from Logan
Amen

What did you think?

@ Gerry

But, If Touch does well and gets a 2nd season, FOX could save it for midseason 2012 like they did for 24. If that’s the case, the shooting schedule could be postponted until August and that would give Kiefer more time to work on 24….again if there is a script and an official greenlight from FOX.

Sorry, I meant midseason 2013.

Hey @24BauerFan, that was some prayer, I think I missed that one in sunday school :-)… but don’t forget that every morning you waken up, it’s only because Jack Bauer hasn’t killed you yet…

Don dude, I think the reason ’24’ started airing in January was so the series wouldn’t be broken up over the Christmas/New Year holidays owing to it’s highly serialised format, if ‘Touch’ is picked up for a second season, it’s much more likely to start in the fall schedule, meaning filming would start in July at latest, giving the ’24’ movie a maximum of thirteen weeks at best to get it in the can, which could be just enough time (by the skin of their teeth) to get it shot, although if Tony Scott directs the movie, he isn’t exactly a director who’s known for quick production turnovers, but all things considered, I’m still cautiously optimistic about the movie, I hope I’m not proved wrong…

@24BauerFan That’s the best prayer I’ve ever heard. KUDOS!

i sure do miss 24 alot sice they took it off regular channels in cleveland ohio what a bummer i hope they resingh it ,, missing jack in 24……… but i am tuned in to touch hope they dont take it off regular channels”

@24BauerFan, that’s a new prayer, hope i learn it fast! We really miss jack!