In 2001, television audiences were introduced to Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in the espionage drama 24. Presented in “real-time,” each season of the show followed one day, with each episode showcasing an hour. This action drama featured a Counterterrorism Unit, known as CTU, headed by Jack Bauer. Their mission was to prevent terror attacks from taking place in the United States. This had never been done before, and the show’s creativity led to universal acclaim. The show won several awards during its run, including a Golden Globe in 2004 for Best Drama Series.
Not every season of the series was popular, however, with some later seasons receiving criticism for the portrayal of villains or reusing plots. The show was criticized for being too violent and glorifying torture, but nevertheless, it rose from disapproval and went on to win a multitude of awards. From the first season to the spin-off, 24: Legacy, here is a ranking of the best and worst days in the series’ history.
24
- Release Date
- November 6, 2001
- Creator(s)
- Robert Cochran , Joel Surnow
- Seasons
- 8
10 ’24: Legacy’
Premiered on February 5, 2017
After returning to U.S. soil, Eric Carter (Corey Hawkins) finds out that he and his military squad mates are the targets of assassins following the death of their leader. With nowhere else to turn, Carter requests the help of CTU to help him stop what could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks in America.
A continuation of the original series, 24: Legacy, had a 12-episode run that attempted to introduce new characters to the world created in the original 24 series. The shortened season still utilized the “real-time” presentation, but the finale featured a 12-hour time jump due to the shorter length.
9 Day 6
Premiered on January 14, 2007
Set 20 months after Day 5, Jack Bauer is released after being illegally held by Chinese government agents. He works with CTU to take down terrorists who are threatening the United States with nuclear weapons. Over the course of the day, Bauer discovers that members of his own family may be involved.
The sixth season of 24 received mixed reviews upon release, with critics and audiences criticizing many aspects of the plot, especially the storyline that involved Bauer’s family members — the season brought back several of the series’ past cast members, including D.B. Woodside as Wayne Palmer, the newest President of the United States and brother to former President, David Palmer.
8 Day 8
Premiered on January 17, 2010
Returning to CTU to help stop a terrorist plot to end peace talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Kamistan, Jack Bauer goes undercover alongside Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) to stop the Russian terrorists. Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), the disgraced former President, returns to help aide President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) and try to regain some of his lost political power.
Season eight of 24 received mixed reviews from audiences and critics, who applauded several of the new characters as well as the returning ones but cited reused plots as a negative. Originally planned as the series’ final season, Day 8 wrapped up several longstanding plot lines from previous seasons.
7 Day 3
Premiered on October 28, 2003
Jack Bauer and President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) work together to try and stop the release of a deadly virus by Stephen Saunders (Paul Blackthorne). At the same time, President Palmer must focus on running for reelection while dealing with political pressures from his ex-wife, Sherry (Penny Johnson).
The third season of 24 started slow but quickly ramped up to provide the exciting action that audiences had grown accustomed to. The season also introduced Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brian, who went on to become one of the series’ biggest regulars.
6 24: Live Another Day
Premiered on May 5, 2014
As the United States and the United Kingdom meet to negotiate a treaty in London, ex-CTU agent Jack Bauer emerges from exile to help stop a plot that will weaken all the world’s major governments. After saving President Heller’s (William Devane) life, Jack Bauer finds that a former enemy is still alive and has an even more dangerous plan in motion.
Presented as a continuation to the series, this miniseries received acclaim from critics for being a better conclusion than its predecessor. As a miniseries, 24: Live Another Day featured 12 episodes presented in “real-time,” with a 12-hour time jump occurring in the series finale. While praised by critics, the series had a tough time getting off the ground, and ultimately could not get away from the flaws of the original series.
5 Day 7
Premiered on January 11, 2009
On trial for his alleged crimes, while working for CTU, Jack Bauer escapes custody. He goes undercover alongside his former allies, Bill Buchanan (James Morrison), Chloe O’Brian, and Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), to stop a warlord and save President Taylor.
Following the controversial sixth season, critics found season seven to be a return to form for the aging series. With a plot involving long-time character Tony Almeida as an antagonist, Day 7 explored new dilemmas while reusing some plot devices. The show was impacted by the Writer’s strike in 2007, ultimately delaying the premiere. Executives at Fox wanted the season to air uninterrupted, which benefited the show in that they were able to map out the entire season beforehand and allow for a better perspective on the production value. Season 7 sits at a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
4 Day 2
Premiered on October 29, 2002
After retiring from CTU, former agent Jack Bauer is brought back into the fold by President David Palmer, who informs Jack of an impending nuclear attack in Los Angeles. The season sees Jack go undercover to find the bomb: also, his boss, George Mason (Xander Berkeley), becomes exposed to high levels of radiation.
The second season of 24 continued to provide the thrills and action of the first season while introducing new characters and dangers over the 24-episode run. Co-creator, Joel Surnow said that he originally wanted to change the formatting in season 2, so each episode spanned 24 hours instead of one hour of real-time, but the idea was shot down. The season was applauded by critics and was nominated for major Emmy Awards, including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Actor to Kiefer Sutherland.
3 Day 4
Premiered on January 9, 2005
After being fired by CTU, Jack Bauer must work alongside his former agency to stop a terrorist named Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo), who has several plans to harm America and its citizens. After his new boss, Secretary of Defense James Heller is kidnapped by terrorists, Bauer must race against the clock to save him.
The fourth season premiered in 2005 and was released to universal acclaim. The season introduced new characters and wrapped up storylines that had begun in seasons prior. This season also differed from previous years, featuring a more contained story with one central antagonist.
2 Day 1
Premiered on November 6, 2001
After receiving information that there will be an assassination attempt on U.S. Senator David Palmer, Jack Bauer and CTU attempted to save the senator’s life. Alongside Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke) and Tony Almeida, Jack uncovers that there is a mole in his agency who poses a threat to his wife, Teri (Leslie Hope), and daughter, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert).
Released in 2001, the first season of 24 was a massive hit due to its unique presentation and captivating story. Critics praised the season for its high concept and the performances from the cast, most notably Kiefer Sutherland. Season 1 is the only season of the original series that did not feature a President of the United States or a White House Chief of Staff. The season featured many twists and turns and kept audiences on the edge of their seat.
1 Day 5
Premiered on January 15, 2006
On the day when President Charles Logan and Russian President Yuri Suvarov (Nick Jameson) are set to sign an anti-terrorism treaty, Russian separatists execute a plan to stop the historic day. After being framed for assassinating several former friends, Jack Bauer emerges to help stop the terrorist threat.
Critics praised the fifth season, and it’s the only season to have a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The season also saw a long-time minor character, Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower), receive an expanded role as he allied with Jack Bauer to take down President Logan. The season finale was the only one in the series to feature no deaths across the 10 days.
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