24: Live Another Day’s President to be a returning character

Jim Heller is ALREADY the Prez… didn’t you see The Dark Knight rises?

OK so Audrey Raines is coming back and so is a returning character as president – safe to assume this will be James Heller. Brilliant creative decision as the audience loved that relationship and it’s iconic, rather than yet another love interest.

Now the only people I’m looking to be left confirmed is Aaron Pierce, Chase Edmunds and Mandy. The cast can therefore be rounded out with the best (alive) players and a story can easily be created for these characters, instead of the other way around.

Here’s an example: Jack has fleed the country and is currently in the middle-east conducting off-the-book peacekeeping missions with Chase. Suddenly an Al-Qaeda terrorist cell attacks them, and they are forced to exterminate them and notify authorities. President Heller finds out and extradites them to CTU London, which is headed by none other than Aaron Pierce.

Jack is told by Aaron that in the past four years, Allison Taylor had pardoned Chloe O’Brian before she left office. She had also selected Aaron to replace Chloe as CTU NY director, after she made public his role in exposing her daughter as a murderer, and he has since then transferred from New York to London and hired Chloe O’Brian as lead systems analyst in the process.

Meanwhile, Mandy has assumed a new identity as Claire Ryder with blonde hair and a british accent. She is revealed as the secretary of British Prime Minister Theo Stoller (who has dual German and UK citizenship). President Heller arrives in London to discuss the situation regarding Jack Bauer with Stoller. He is accompanied by his newly-appointed secretary, Audrey Raines. Audrey is introduced to Claire, who looks familiar to her. She insists they have never met before (though Audrey was involved in the operation to apprehend her at the end of Season 4). After finding out from her father that Jack has been found, she begs him to see Jack at CTU.

Jack and Audrey share an intimate, emotional reunion across the interrogation table (the tables have turned so to speak!). Jack is overcome with emotion, incredibly happy to see her and to discover that she is well again. Audrey then begins to inform Jack of recognising Claire, and shows him a picture of her. Jack immediately remembers her and in shock he says: “Oh my god, it’s the HOSTILE.”

–END OF EPISODE 1–
I came up with that premise in under half an hour, so how hard is it producers?

Me too I’ve immediately though the new prez will be Heller, he was the minister of Defense, so it’s logic. For Audrey I hope they ‘ll find an original story line: it’s impossible she forgot Jack (after all she went to China to find him)so maybe she’s amnesic or her father told her he’s dead…I trust in Howard Gordon to find an awesome thing !

“We have not abandoned you.”
‘What does that mean?’
“‘It means we’re on our own.'”

Almost seems hilarious in hindsight. I’m game if Heller is Prez though it would be cooler if Mike was. He’s just about the only guy who can be tremendously loyal (given that he’s learned from his mistakes).

I doubt it will happen but could the next President be Hal Garner from S5? Since his boss at the time (Logan) isn’t an option anymore, I could see the writers considering some of the seeds they planted that season of Garner’s power quest to usurp Logan as groundwork for a similar path of a deceitful president. With the exception of Logan and Taylor’s brief turn in S8, the writers have always had an honorable character act as the President.

Another former VP who exuded some power with some similar backstabbing was Jim Prescott from S2. Could he be a surprise return as the next President?

Ethan Kanin may be a fine prez, or Tom Lennox or Mike Novick (I love this character)..I’d be glad to see Cole or Chase (with a new hand lol)as Jack partners and of course as a villain the sexy Mandy ! but you’re right Gerry they have only 12 episodes that means less characters but they need strong ones !

Heller would make a great President because of his strong presence. While Mike Novick is one of my favorite characters, he is better suited as an advisor to the President. Jim Prescott (i.e Charles Widmore from ‘Lost) from season 2 would make a great President as well but I’m not sure if most ’24’ fans would remember his character.

As far as Ethan and Tom Lennox, I have no interest in seeing returning characters who were introduced after season 5. I think most of us would agree that the show was much better in the first 5 seasons as compared to the last 3 seasons (season 6 was simply aweful) so Mandy, Mike Novick, and Aaron Pierce are all welcomed back by me but not the season 6-8 characters.

Kevin Reilly was asked about the possibility of ’24’ returning to television on a regular basis back in May and this was his reply verbatim;

“No, but maybe…These event series are going to be stand-alone events,” Reilly said. “The idea’s also to give the audience something where they say, ‘That is an appointment show and there’s gonna be a beginning, middle and end. I don’t have to be in five years. I don’t have to follow it season-to-season.’ But some of these, and this is true of ’24’ could have franchiseability, there could be sequels.”

He also – in another interview I can’t remember where exactly – was asked specifically about further ’24’ limited series after ‘Live Another Day’ and whether they would be annual affairs, his reply was to the negative, instead stating it would be more likely that should there be more ’24’ limited series, then it would in all likelihood be both more probable and practical every “eighteen to twenty four months” at most.

So make of that what you will, but I think they would be insane to try to franchise out ’24’ without the anchor that is Jack Bauer, the audience is far too invested in that character to start getting used to a whole new one now at this late stage… Jack Bauer is ’24’ and ’24’ is the saga of Jack Bauer effectively, when Kiefer hangs up his man-bag for good, so should the ’24’ saga as a whole.

I interpret Reilly’s words as saying only that he thinks ’24’ as a future mini-series may no longer have sequential storylines that link to each other but rather isolated arcs independent and unrelated to each other.

The notion of waiting to do every 18-24 months another sequel to the upcoming 12-episode arc isn’t that logical; if the creators are thinking that way, they’re probably conceding that, given that Kiefer will be 47 by year’s end and won’t be a realistic action hero that much longer, there’s probably only another 1 to 2 more runs of episodes/arcs they can wrap around the Jack character before they either have to morph him more into an administrative/tasking role or have him act as a mentor to a younger agent in his mold – neither of which I’d be crazy about seeing.

Like Gerry said, the show is about Jack – to ignore that or try to spin the premise around a new character after so much history and acclaim with the original very rarely, if ever, works outside of the Bond franchise. Look at the dud the Bourne franchise turned out once Matt Damon left the role.

I’m not sure of the feasibility of it, relative to script, filming and such but something tells me that the series could one day become a darling of Netflix that airs all 12 shows online at once – afterall, I seem to remember stories during ’24’s run on FOX of fans already binging on the DVDs from start to finish. But, of course, it’s a moot point if Kiefer isn’t destined to carry the franchise on that much longer beyond this coming season.

Okay c’mon slow down here yes Kiefer is in his 40’s but it’s not like when a reaches 50 it’s all over. I’m not trying to offend you here I’m just saying don’t jump the gun on what Kiefer will or won’t be able to do physically in the near future…. That’s up to him 50 is not exactly incredibly old , Besides I have a feeling if this comeback for 24 does well there will most likely be new directions for new stories creating several sequels to this follow up. For a long franchise to happen outta this first run.

Every time I read or watch an interview with Kiefer regarding Jack he expresses he’s enthusiasm & his Love for the character & gratitude he has for the fans allowing him to play Jack for as long as he has. & shows interest in doing more. That hardly seems like someone who’s not willing to give him up yet eventually he will but not yet. One of the reasons Kiefer was okay with leaving 24 was because he said he always thought he would go back to the character. & it turns out after the failure of another disasters Tim Kring show touch Kiefer amazingly got that chance. When it turns out Howard Gordon missed writing for Jack. btw I du know how tim kring keeps his Job honestly he’s terrible.

Anyhow with this unexpected news on 24’s return You can bet if this first run gets the results it should a franchise is not far behind. When Kiefer & the writing staff/team get all they can outta Jack 24 will be over this is not a show where Jack is replaceable to bring in e new character. When it comes to Jack they don’t sideline reboot or go back in time they always move forward. There’s no indication from anyone involved with 24’s come back that they wanna slow down. It’s kinda hard to assume that when there’s still a good amount of energy left in 24 & in Jack.

Since there’s news that William Devane is in talks to return It’s probably him. Mike is good where he’s at being a chief of staff. I would like to see him back also. They didn’t exactly leave much room for guessing when this news pretty much narrows it down.

“Heller should have been President in Season 6” Why do u say that?

Bill Devane had already played a President (both real and fictional) in other television and film productions, so I’m wondering if the ’24’ writers didn’t go with a President Heller because of typecasting reasons… enough time has passed that having Heller be President now is just fine, but back in 2006, they may have felt differently! Or they picked Wayne Palmer because they genuinely felt that was the best direction for that season (which I respectfully disagree with), either way, Heller would have been a better fit that year, but it’s just my opinion and it’s all academic now anyway!

Oh, and I meant to write “romantic entaglements” above not “romanic”… that’ll teach me the virtues of proof-reading!

I won’t be able to find it where, but I remember writers mentioning that they specifically wanted a weak president who would give into the demands of the terrorists in S6. Wayne was never supposed to be some charismatic, strong, competent president. His purpose in that season to be weak and indecisive enough to lead the country to the brink of a doomsday situation but not to the point of being completely destroyed yet (that was for others to fix it). So, I think Wayne fit his intended purpose as a character, someone like Heller would be too hardass for what they were going for.

Well, I agree that Heller seemed to be an obvious candidate now. Unlike his daughter, I actually liked Heller, but William Devane is now 74 years old, so I am not sure I would want to see such an old president at the office. I would prefer someone machiavellian like Tom Lennox, who was IMO the only good thing in season 6.

Guys, please don’t forget: Charles Logan did NOT die. The paramedic said he was alive but probably had brain damage. I GUARANTEE he will be back in LAD. They would NEVER kill off the best villain they ever had.

That being said, BIG YES to Mandy returning and Audrey. Id love to see Tony again. Michelle will always be my favorite character. Hate she’s dead. BIG HUGE NO to Chase. Never liked him.

The BIGGEST question I want answered: In season 7, Olivia was talking to Aaron and mentioned something had happened to Martha Logan. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HER??? SECOND FAVORITE CHARACTER EVER!

PS. Heller is going to be the prez.

24 wont be air til April of next year They have begun writing for it the only thing we know is it takes place outside the U.S possibly taking place in Europe & picks up 4 years after the events of season 8. So very possibly Jack is still wanted by the U,S government & Russian Government. My guess the earliest will see trailers is in Feb. around the super bowl. They don’t start shooting until Jan. Hope that helps.

BREAKING NEWS- In 24:Live Another Day the President of the United States will James Heller portrayed by William Devane

Watch them pull a fast one on us and make Audrey Raines the President. I think James Heller is too obvious.