Welcome To Elizabeth's Place!: 24: Bringing Down the House!

Kiefer Sutherland's Return To Television Gets Cautious Praise

Kiefer Sutherland can't have felt anything but pressure as his first major TV role since 10 phenomenal years spent on '24' aired for the first time last night (26 January 2012).
Fans and critics were certainly eager to see how the Canadian actor was going to follow up what has come to be known as one of the iconic TV characters of the 21st century in secret agent Jack Bauer.
'Touch,' which sees Sutherland playing a single father of a mute son who sees things other cannot, aired last night for the first time - and the answer to whether he's managed to follow up what may be career defining role successfully?
A cautious yes, according to the critics.
Newsday was effusive in its praise, saying the program was "A bit melodramatic, a bit manipulative, Touch is still one of the best pilots of the 2011-12 season to date," and others were similar praiseworthy though understandably a little more cautious given it was the pilot episode.
"It's Mr. Sutherland's portrayal of the father--unyielding in his effort to break through to his mute child and grasp what he's trying to say with his numbers--that is the heart of this story, the power likely to sustain this promising enterprise," said the Wall Street Journal, whilst
TV Guide said "[Touch is] emotionally compelling but wildly fantastical and undeniably manipulative."Not all were enthused though, The New York Times commented "The 11-year-old boy at the center of the story has never spoken and is also the show's narrator.
It's a perfectly acceptable device, if not a particularly interesting one in this case," whilst the Los Angeles Times weren't fans at all, stating "Ironically, given a show that so clearly wants to touch its audience--from that weighty one-word title on down--we have met, apart from Martin, hardly a single character who incorporates more than the hint of an actual person.
"Contactmusic

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

24: Bringing Down the House!

In the world of “24,” CTU is the least safe place to be.

Despite being home to the indestructible Jack Bauer, it’s constantly under attack and infiltrated by moles! (Indeed, this year it doesn’t exist at all.)
Now in the seventh season, the producers have upped the ante:

In tonight’s riveting two-hour episode—the White House is under siege!
The President’s palace is invaded by General Juma’s crew and President Allison Taylor is forced to make the hardest choice of her life during a hostage crisis:

her country or her family.
Executive producer Howard Gordon says there was a lot of internal debate about how they would depict an attack on the White House credibly but thinks “we pulled it off.”
Though he does admit, “It’s more like a James Bond film than a documentary on how one would try to breach the White House.”

The action-packed event also introduces the arc for second half of the season

—and Jon Voight as the big baddie.
“24″ has a long line of vicious villains, so I asked Voight where his ranks among the lot:

“I’m the worst,” he laughs, “Jonas Hodge is a very insidious force, a real bad guy.”
Is Voight ready to take on TV’s greatest action hero, knowing Jack Bauer usually wins in the end?

“I always win too, so it comes to a very interesting conclusion!”
But there’s an even bigger showdown coming and it’s one I’ve been waiting for:

Chloe vs. Janis!
Janeane Garofalo’s frumpy FBI agent is no match for Jack’s grumpy sidekick Chloe…or is she? Gordon teases,

“They definitely go toe-to-toe.”
And you might not like the outcome for Chloe:

“She gets in big trouble–she’ll need to repair her legacy,” warns Gordon.

Mary-Lynn Rajskub was pregnant during shooting, so the storyline was worked around that, but she’ll resurface later in the season.

Because as we all know, no one is ever gone for good

(just ask Tony Almeida).
The big question on everyone’s mind:

How much time is left on that clock?

Gordon assures us Jack will be back for another inevitably bad day, as the gang is already gearing up for the eighth season.
What about all that “24” movie talk?

Gordon says a big-screen Jack is likely, but it would come down to having a great storyline:

“We may decide ultimately if there’s not a movie worth telling,

then Jack could see his last day on television.”
Relax “24” fans.

We all know Jack Bauer is unstoppable, and besides Kiefer Sutherland isn’t done thrilling us yet. Kiefer himself tells me, “The audience will probably tire of it before I do.

I’m a competitive guy and my ultimate goal is to make the perfect season.

I don’t know if we’ve done that yet…

but this season is the best we’ve done so far."
http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/24-bringing-down-the-house/