24 Addict

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-05-15T07:29:00.002-06:00

In the next couple of days I'm going to switch 24addict.com to Wordpress instead of blogger. This may cause some sections to go missing or appear wonky for a while. Thanks for your patience.

It's nothing Blogger did. Blogger is a fine blogging system that I've been with for years and will continue to use for other projects. But I'm finding I'm limited on stuff I want to do. Development on the tool is very slow. I love and appreciate Blogger and I hope we can still be friends :)

But anyway, the layout and stuff is going to be different here. Just a heads up. I've also got some posts about the special edition Season One DVDs coming out soon I'll be making, so please keep checking back!

Kiefer Sutherland busted. And it's kind of hawt.

2008-05-12T16:53:00.002-06:00

The site JustJared posted a few piccies of Kiefer filming some scenes for "24" which I suppose could be considered spoilery, but at this point I'm so desperate for anything Bauer-related, I'll break my No Spoilers rule :)

Here's a teaser pic, but to be a good blogger, I'll send traffic their way to see the rest of them.

[Clicky for the other pix]

Now, someone wish me a happy birthday. It's been a crappy one so far.

Mr. Bauer goes to Africa

2008-05-02T10:56:00.002-06:00

The upcoming "bridge" movie for "24" will feature Jack in Africa. Coooool. Here's some more info:

For the upcoming 24 movie, Jack finds himself in the motherland, looking for peace among lions, elephants and giraffes. He should know better. Instead of getting some much-needed R&R, our favorite CTU super agent lands smack dab in the middle of a military coup.

The events in Africa lead up to season seven in which Jack is subpoenaed and must high-tail-it back to Washington to answer questions from a bunch of ungrateful politicians who seem to always forget how many times Jack has saved this country's hide.

The movie was designed as a bridge between the end of season six and the start of season seven. The two-hour film, scheduled to air in the fall, is also a way for Fox to remind viewers that Jack Bauer still exists.

Check out President Logan

2008-04-23T17:08:00.004-06:00

Wil Wheaton just posted this very funny video on his blog that stars a buddy of his as well as Gregory Itzin, AKA President WussyMan. (I say that with love and affection for the Gregory. Great actor. So great he made me HATE Logan.)

Watch the vid. Payoff at the end is hilarious for 24 addicts :)

24 Season 7 Cast Picture

2008-04-22T10:52:00.002-06:00

Shiny! A new promo pic for next season which, I suppose could be considered spoilery but hell, even *I* know Tony's coming back.

There is apparently a higher-res version of it according to Fark, but I can't get the damn thing to load up. If you can, sweet! if not, there's this version at least thanks to a commenter there. Enjoy!

Liveblogging test

2008-03-27T13:49:00.001-06:00

24addict on NPR, Redux

2008-03-17T06:32:00.003-06:00

Hey there NPR listeners :) Welcome to the site and thanks for checking it out. For you noobs, we've got forums, fanfiction, some transcripts, and show recaps, as well as that pic there of Jack Bauer AKA Kiefer Sutherland with the steely look in his eye :)

For anyone else who's been by before, the Jack Bauer NPR story is available by clicking here. Pam put together a pretty sweet package where she talks to Bob Cochran, one of the show's creators, and Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, a TV/Culture professor at Syracuse Uni, and um, me.

It was a lot of fun, and thank you Pam for letting me babble :)

Oh and one last thing - they've put up a blog about it as well an you can comment on how freaky it is that DHS honcho Michael Chertoff is a fan of the show :) Or maybe it's just me that thinks that's freaky. I had no idea. Seriously.

And no laughing at my pic. I have no idea wtf I'm doing in it. Looks like my keyboard just shocked me or something.

24addict on NPR

2008-03-10T11:27:00.003-06:00

I haven't mentioned this yet (here, anyway :) ) but next Monday, I'm going to be part of an NPR feature piece on Jack Bauer. It's part of their "In Character" series in which "Indelible American characters are explored in-depth."

I was interviewed by the lovely Pam Fessler who is in Washington, D.C. so we did it by phone. But it was pretty cool how it was done. She had a local NPR stringer named Brett Erickson (who is also a professor at a local college here) come down to my paper. He recorded my end of the convo on his spiffy audio gizmo while I talked to Pam on the phone. Anyway, the mechanics of how interviews are done was fascinating.

She had me go through this site a little and talk about how 24addict.com came to be, and why I love the show so much. We talked about the character of Jack and why he appeals to me and why I think he appeals to the fans in general. I hope I don't sound too much like a tool or wacky fangirl in this thing :) If I do, forgive me, I was nervous.

Anyway, I've been told the show will most likely air on March 17th nationally, so if you want to check it out, please do. Pam talked to folks who work on the show as well so it should be a wonderful piece :) If you miss it on the air, it will also be available on the NPR website.

UPDATE: Got another email from Pam on the times it will air:
"The Bauer In Character piece is scheduled to air Monday morning at 6:50, 8:50 and 10:50 Eastern time. That should probably be at 5:50, 7:50 and 9:50 CST (other time zones, you're on your own. I don't do math on Fridays.) If for some reason you miss it, it can be found on our website a few hours later at www.npr.org. Just click on Programs at the top and go to Morning Edition."

She says I'm in a little bit at the end and that it's a six minute piece.

Great news! 24 "Prequel" planned for Fall

2008-03-06T06:38:00.003-06:00

Oh I could hug my Google alerts. The media is picking up a story that the producers of the show are planning a two-hour prequel for Season 7 that will bridge the gap between seasons 6 and 7. Kiefer Sutherland will be back as Jack sooner than we thought. Woot!!!!

Here's the link to the story.

"According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox wants to air a two-hour prequel movie to bridge the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons.

Season six of 24 was originally broadcast in the US at the beginning of 2007, but the TV movie is also intended to outline what has changed at CTU HQ during the two-year hiatus."

Huzzah!

New clarity on old fave

2008-02-26T09:41:00.003-06:00

So I've just finished watching the third season of the show. I decided a while back to kill time until next year *sniffle* by rewatching it all from the beginning, thereby reigniting my love for the show. And maybe for Kiefer Sutherland as well :)

It worked, of course. God this show is awesome. If you don't watch it for a while you forget how awesomely awesome it truly is. And, I'm noticing that as I watch it again, knowing what I know about the outcomes and all that, it's almost a totally different experience. I pay more attention to the split screens and notice way more detail than I did before.

For instance, in season 2 at then end, Palmer is reinstated as President and lets everyone who voted against him stay in their Cabinet positions. He then turns to Novick and fires him. I never noticed in that scene that Mike Novick is crying. Finding that out made me less disgusted with the fact that he returns as an advisor to a different president later in the series. I could finally see that he was truly regretful of his decision to betray Palmer.

Of course, this new clarity may also be because I'm watching the DVDs on my laptop with headphones on and the screen about a foot and a half away from my face as opposed to on my crappy 19" telly halfway across the room.

Like I said, I just finished up the third season last night. I'd forgotten the poignant scene at the end of Jack sitting in his SUV, finally letting go of all the pain he held onto over the last 24 hours - overcoming withdrawals, watching an innocent guard die in a game of Russian Roulette in the middle of a prison riot, breaking out Salazar, hearing Chase be tortured, figuring out how to save Cloudy-ah, running into Nina, having to work with her - kiss her *shudder* even, killing her when she was about to kill Kim, executing Chappelle, chopping off Chase's hand... Guh. And yet after his cry, he dutifully gets back to work.

I'm moving on to season 4 soon. I highly recommend rewatching from the beginning yourselves in the time we have to wait until next year. It's worth it, it's interesting watching it all back to back and if you're like me and coming back to it after quite a little hiatus, you'll notice more. You'll recognize more actors from others shows you've watched in the interim (For me it was, "Hey he was in Buffy! She was on Angel! Hey she played the psycho slayer!") You'll find you remember your favourite lines. You'll still cheer when Jack uses his Thighs of Doom to kill a baddie. You'll still want to give Jack a hug when it's all over and you might dislike Novick a little less ;)

No 24 until 2009 - and Surnow is leaving

2008-02-14T16:09:00.002-06:00

It's official. "24" will not return to the tube until next year:

NEW YORK — Fans of the Fox drama "24" will have to wait until next January to see Jack Bauer again, this television season's most prominent casualty of the Hollywood writers strike. The network has committed to air a full season on consecutive weeks, and had been planning to start last month.

But if it had started airing new episodes soon, the season finale would not have taken place until the summer, when TV networks rarely show their high-profile programs.

Even though eight episodes for this season had already been filmed before the beginning of the writers strike, producers would have had to ramp up production soon to complete the season.

A January 2009 start seemed the best way to comply with viewers' wishes that a season's episodes run without interruption to conclusion, Fox said on Thursday.

[LINK]

And tacked onto the end of that story is the news that series creator Joel Surnow is leaving the show as one of the Exec producers. Hmmm... Didn't see that one coming. Wonder if he'll stay attached to it in some way though...

I'm not fussed about the longer delay until Jack is back. I would rather watch the show in its entirety - and concurrently - rather than watch a bit here and a bit there. It sucks, but hey, maybe this will give Kiefer Sutherland a bit of a break and he can get re-energized about playing Jack. I was just thinking the other day that playing that role has to take a toll (rhyme unintentional), especially after playing it for so long with very little downtime between seasons. Might also give the writers (bless their little old hearts for staying strong throughout the strike) time to make season 7 the best one yet :)

When will season 7 start?

2008-01-23T13:40:00.000-06:00

I'm noticing in my stats that this query is quite popular. Obviously, 24 fans are missing their show that they've had to wait 8 months to see, and with the writer's strike, they have to wait even longer.

Season 7 has been delayed "indefinitely." The showrunners want to ensure that the show can run in its entirety as it was meant to be seen. Understandable. But with no end to the strike in sight, it's possible we won't be seeing Jack Bauer back on our screens for some time. :(

*sniffle*

24addict interviews Tara Dilullo Bennett, Author

2008-01-08T13:49:00.000-06:00

Whahey check it, my first ever real and proper interview :) Seriously, I've never done one of these before and it probably shows but hey! I'm just this chick, ya know? It's pretty damn cool if you ask me.

Speaking of pretty damn cool, Tara Dilullo Bennett is also in my Damn Cool Club. Not only is she the author of the Official Companion books for each season of '24,' she's also a huge Buffy fan. I know, that has nothing to do with this site and it should be all 24 all the time around here but there is just something nifty about running into other Buffy fans on the intertubes. And hey, Buffy is the reason she's writing these fantastic 24 Companion books:

"Yes, I am a HUGE Buffy fan too. She actually started my writing career as I got my first print feature in the Buffy Mag a few years ago! It was with Camden Toy who was one of the Gentlemen and the Ubervamp. My office has the musical poster and two Angel puppets surrounding me so it's ALWAYS nice to connect with a Buffy fan :)"

Now I don't feel so silly for having the vampire Angel puppet myself. :)

Ok enough yapping from me. On with the interview. Enjoy!

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24addict: Were you a fan of 24 before you began writing these books?

Tara: Yes, I was a fan from the first season, but I wasn't religious about watching every season after, missing a few episodes here and there. So going back to watch every season from start to finish has just deepened my appreciation and love of the show.

24addict: How did you become involved in writing the Companion books for 24?

Tara: I've written for Titan Publishing, who create the licensed magazines for many shows, like Buffy/Angel, Charmed, Lost, Smallville, etc.., for the past few years. One of my editors let me know that he would be launching the '24 Magazine' and he brought me on-board to write for him. Through that connection, I heard the book division was also going to launch '24 Companion Guides' so I pitched them on having me write the series. Luckily, they took me up on the proposal and now two years and four books later...the rest is history.

24addict: I see on Amazon that the 6th Companion book will be out soon. Now that you've done several of these, does it become easier to put them together?

Tara: Actually, the Season Six Companion Guide was by far, the hardest book to put together for a lot of reasons. I turned in the Season Five Companion in early June and immediately had to get to work on the next book for Season Six so that was a bit exhausting. On the '24' side, we all know that they had a tough year with Season Six critically and creatively. So for the first time, I knew I would have to really ask some tough questions and dredge up some difficult topics with the writers and producers, which is exciting and fascinating but also very challenging. Last but not least, the creative team had a terrible time re-booting Season Seven which meant they delayed the start of production three times during the summer of 2007. My book for Season Six was due at the end of August 2007, but the crisis and delays with the seventh season meant I had to scramble to get my follow-up interviews.

The entire '24' team was so wonderful and made time for me when they weren't crunched but it was really tough wrangling all the writers when they weren't working on the new season, finding the cast while they were still on holiday and then coordinating all the materials and photographs from all the various crew that contributed. Usually, I would just make set visits so everything I need is under one roof, but that wasn't the case. Plus, my publisher really wanted to get the Season Six book out for the debut of Season Seven in January 2008, so it was an exhausting race to the finish. All in all, I didn't get the book turned in until October, but we still made our publishing deadline! The unfortunate addendum to the story is that the writers strike has indefinitely delayed the start of Season Seven anyway so....c'est la vie!

24addict: How did you decide on the format for the book? Specifically, each hour's breakdown is great - how did you decide what to include for each recap?

Tara: We talked about the format from the beginning, with the '24 Companion Guide: Season 1 & 2.' We knew we needed an episode run down, but we knew it had to be a lighter version as a literal minute-by-minute guide, with all the story details could literally BE the entire book. We decided a brisk overview would give the reader a nice refresher of the episode and what happened in that hour. The Behind the Scenes section is the place we really felt the books would shine. For every episode, someone from '24' talks about a key element piece of the creative puzzle. From writers to cast to crew, all aspects of the production are covered in the words of the people that make the show and gives real insight into the challenges of that particular hour. Otherwise, the Research Intel is a spin-off from the Fox website, with all new material researched by me. Lastly, the Additional Intel is all trivia from the '24' team that provides some fun details about the show.

For the Season Five and Six Companion Guides, we broke format because each book only covers one season unlike the first two installments. I had a lot of input on the extended sections. With all of the incredible access I've been given to the show, I had hours and hours of interview material that I knew would be able to give fans an even more exhaustive look at the series. We were able to add feature interviews with key actors, like Greg Itzin and Jean Smart. All of the Emmy winners got a chance to shine in their own words and we honored the fallen in the Memoriam section.

24addict: Do you watch the show when it airs and take notes or do you get any of your material ahead of time?

Tara: I watch the show when it airs to see the final cut. Because the production crew is anywhere from five months to six weeks ahead of what we see on TV (depending on the time of year), I travel to LA several times a season to do set visits for interviews for both the books and the magazine. When I am there I always get spoiled! I know far in advance of the public what is coming, seeing the filming and reading the shooting scripts while I am there. On the positive, it helps me ask questions that I know the audience will want answered but it does take away some of my fun watching. On the other hand, I do really enjoy seeing what shots they ultimately selected and how it all turns out though!

24addict: Who's been the most fun to interview? Do you have any stories to tell about the interviews you've gotten to do?

Tara: Honestly, I have had a lot of fun talking to everyone. No jerks in the bunch, which is rare. I think Carlo Rota is the most fun and silly with his answers, as he rolled me around the CTU set on a gaffer cart - lol. But I love chatting hardcore with Howard Gordon about writing and crafting the show. I also love chatting with the crew, who welcome me with big hugs and always have great stories. I am really blessed to have had the opportunity to talk film with James Cromwell and listen to Greg Itzin explain his craft. Xander Berkeley and his wife Sarah Clarke were awesome. There are so many and I am glad to have spoken to them all!

24addict: Do you have a favourite character?

Tara: I love Jack, of course. He's such a tragic character and it's the small moments with him that really break my heart, like when he cradles the lifeless Teri or reacts to shooting Curtis. But I also love the side characters like The Logans and Agent Pierce.

--Editor's note - WOOHOO another Aaron fan :)

24addict: What about a favourite storyline from any season?

Tara: As far as Jack, I really loved the first year and how it all led to such a tragic ending. It was pure Greek tragedy and it was amazing. As for other characters, I think The Logan domestic storyline in season five was amazing. The way Greg and Jean just tore up the screen as this embittered and disappointed couple was breathtaking to watch.

24addict: What do you think of the various controversies the show stirs up (ie. all the torture, or the Muslims = Terrorists thing)

Tara: I think it's interesting how the media likes to latch into the show and make controversy. First and foremost, it's a TV thriller made to entertain. But its subject-matter is deadly serious so the blurring of the lines is quite fascinating at times. I love the way the writers take stereotypes, like Muslim extremism, and then show it in a different light like with the Araz family or the exploration of Assad in season six.

They often turn expectations on their head, which makes people think and talk about how it applies to real life and that's when entertainment is elevated. Is the show perfect? No. Sometimes they intend to go deeper but the nature of the show precludes them from really doing service to a controversial storyline, but that's the nature of the beast and I think as a fan of '24' you have to know that going into it.
-------

That's all the questions I had for the lovely Tara Dilullo Bennett. I'd like to thank her and Titan Books for their time and for letting me do this. It was fun!

24: The Official Companion - Season 5

2008-01-06T17:10:00.000-06:00

Aaaand this is my next review. I really savoured this book. Almost like I wanted to draw it out so I could have my 24 fix while I wait out the strike and the delay of the Season 7 premiere.

So I'd like to thank the publishers of both the CTU Op Manual and the Official Companion for letting me get my mitts on these books. They're both really delightful.

The official companion for each season of 24 is put out by Titan Books and each one was written by Tara DiLullo. Now, the one I have, which is for the 5th season, is the first one of these I've ever had the pleasure to read. I'm a bad fan. I didn't even know these were out there. I do now though and I have to say they're renewing my love for the show.

Admittedly - especially during the downtime - I get distracted by other things like, you know, Life and stuff and I don't live and breathe 24 like I used to when I first saw it. But reading the Official Companion, which includes detailed interviews with the cast and creators (Oh yes, a loverly long interview with Kiefer Sutherland himself was the highlight of the book for me), helped bring back the magic of the show that made me love it. And IMO, season 5 has been the best season so far so having the Companion for it just rocks.

So what makes it so cool? Well it's a fanfic writer's dream for one thing. Each hour in this day is broken down with a timeframe, the key events in that hour, a mini-recap - even some trivia. It also provides info on who guest-starred, who wrote and who directed that episode. I find that very handy.

There's also a beautiful 'In Memoriam' section with tributes to fallen characters. A lot of key folks bought it in the fifth season - President Palmer, Michelle Dessler, Tony (yeah yeah I know, but the book came out before THAT particular spoiler came to light) Almeida, and the fabulous Edgar Stiles. I almost got sniffly reading this section.

Tara DiLullo also goes on to talk about the Emmys the show won for this season and highlights each of them. It was awesome to read more about Sean Callery and the brilliant music he creates for 24 - and might I add, he's quite a hottie ;) How do I know this? Because the book is filled with TONS of drool-worthy pictures. Posed shots of the actors as well as stills from the show.

So there you have it. Do I think it's worth owning this book? Oh yes. Any fan of 24 would be happy to have these companions to enhance their enjoyment of the show. It did for me. So if you're interested in checking it out, you can click the piccie above and it will take you to Titan Book's site.

I'm also working up a few questions for the author since they said I could do that and I'll post those sometime soon :) Enjoy!

So you want be a CTU agent

2007-12-23T12:07:00.001-06:00

Well have I got the book for you :) It's chock full of Kiefer Sutherland, AKA Jack Bauer goodness, and will tell you everything you wanted to know about being a CTU agent.

(This is my first book review so be gentle with me. I mentioned a while back that a couple of publishing houses asked me if I'd like to review their "24" books they had coming out. Well I said, "Would I!")

This review is for Quirk Book's, "The Official CTU Operations Manual"and it's just that - an actual op manual full of background info for incoming agents and How-to's like covert surveillance, how to "go dark" and even how to fake your death :)

This book is Awesome with a capital "A." It's packaged beautifully inside a protective box and is full of beautiful graphics and shots from the show. It includes several glossaries and they even have a section describing field agent hand signals which I've always wondered about when Jack's directing the red shirts- errr I mean other agents when they're being all covert-like in the field.

It reads like a proper manual. It starts out with a general background of the agency, including case studies of the 6 most important days in CTU history and moves on to the type of gear a field agent requires. From there, you'll learn combat techniques (how to treat a severed limb, surviving an explosion), interrogation techniques - including how to withstand interrogation yourself should you be captured.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and reliving totally awesome moments from the show, and I think this book is essential for all budding CTU agents :) I know I'm a little late getting the knowledge out there for this book as a Christmas gift, but I'd still say that if You've got "24" fans in your house, you should get them this book. I love it!

UPDATE: So, I got a cute little video camera for xmas, so here's me being twerpy and shooting a bit of vid of this book :) No laughing at my supreme dorkiness.

A little help from my friends

2007-11-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

I'm going to be doing an email interview (my first!) with Tara DiLullo Bennett, the author of '24: The Official Companion – Season 5.' She's also the author of the first 4 editions. Here's the bio her publisher gave me:

Tara Dilullo Bennett's Bio:
The most cunning terrorists in the world haven't been able to get the best of Jack Bauer …but Tara DiLullo Bennett has. As the author of the recently released '24 – The Official Companion Guide: Season 5' as well as the Season 1 & 2 and Season 3 & 4 editions, Tara has interviewed (or interrogated) virtually every major '24' cast and crew member.

Tara’s other writing credits run the gamut of today's popular culture including books such as '300 - The Art of the Movie' and 'The Making of the Fantastic Four', as well as countless articles for Titan Publishing's line of officially licensed magazines for programs like '24', 'Lost', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (YAY BUFFY!), 'Star Trek', and 'Grey’s Anatomy'.

So, I have some questions I want to ask, but I thought I'd see if you guys have anything you'd like to ask yourselves. If you do, post them in my comments or email me.

Thanks!

(And btw, the news looks good on the strike front - writers and the AMPTP have agreed to go back to the table for talks after Thanksgiving! Yay! But you can still help spread the word or participate in the many fan campaigns going on at fans4writers.com. Go join there forums because I gotta say, the 24 fans are getting trounced by the mass of Battlestar Galactica fans over there :) This is the 24 thread there - it's very lonely so join up and join me over there would ya?)

Fans4Writers.com

2007-11-14T14:25:00.000-06:00

So you might have noticed the big white banner at the top of the page there. I encourage all 24 fans who pop by here to give it a click and check it out. It's not an ad, I promise. It's a website put together by fans to support the WGA strike. A lot of the organizers are the same fans who put together that pizza delivery for the writers in the first days of the strike. These fans are amazing and the job they're doing getting our voice heard is nothing short of fabulous.

Here's a little of what Joss Whedon had to say about the fan's support in his latest blog post today:

The point of the meeting was that the WGA is aware of - and a little blown away by – the passion, tenacity, and organizational savvy of the online community. The "Jericho" nuts are the stuff of legend. Whedonesque and the creation of Fans4Writers were spoken of in awed whispers. I’m not kidding: one of the WGA workers asked me, "So, your fans. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?" I swear, having you guys in my corner is like being friends with Zorro. People in the community are amazed.

Excuse me... I've just got a little something in my eye. *sniffle*

If you want to support the writers during this strike, please do something. Get a banner, spread the word, visit fans4writers.com or unitedhollywood.com and learn what it's all about. Fans4writers accepts donations that go towards doing a weekly food drop for people on the picket lines. Join some of the campaigns they've got going to show the networks how much we love and appreciate the writers who bring us our favourite shows.

Want to get fans4writers updates on your cell? Get on Twitter and start following them.

Thanks and spread the word!

If '24' was around in 1994...

2007-11-09T14:10:00.000-06:00

If Kiefer Sutherland had done '24' back in 1994 instead of making really bad movies, this could have been what the show was like :)

...it seemed wrong not post this :)

24 Season 7 becomes another casualty of WGA Strike

2007-11-07T19:31:00.000-06:00

Ahhh well you knew it would happen. According to EW, Fox has decided to postpone the 7th season of Kiefer Sutherland's Thighs of Doom (TM Melia). As rumours spread that the WGA Strike could indeed last until into 2008, the network decided not to take a chance that the show would have to go on a break midseason. They will finish shooting episode 8 and then shut down production later this month. Seems it's important to Fox that the show is able to have every episode from start to finish shown consecutively.

That pleases me.

I am not disappointed though. Fans of several shows are showing their support of the strike by displaying icons on their sites and hell, even delivering pizza to their favourite show writers. I find that awesome (I also believe Whedon-verse fans are some of the best I've ever met, present company accepted. You 24 peeps rawk :) I can deal with a longer wait if it means the writers on my favourite shows can be fairly compensated for their work.

So, I'm putting an icon a Whedonite created for other fandoms up here - feel free to take it and use it on your own blogs and sites (Just please don't hotlink, kthxbye :) ) It'll be at the top of the page.

Will the Strike affect 24?

2007-11-05T16:07:00.000-06:00

The Writers Guild went on strike today. If you're wondering what it means to them and why they're doing it, take a look at what showrunner Shawn Ryan has to say about it.

Powerful stuff and I hope both sides can come to a satisfactory conclusion.

But what's it going to mean for 24 and other shows? From the Chicago Tribune:

David Fury, an executive producer of "24," said that if the writers work past their contract date, as some think might happen if progress is made in negotiations, Jack Bauer may indeed return in January. "As of right now, I think Fox will premiere '24' as scheduled," Fury said, but he noted that "it really depends on if and when the writers are called to walk out. If the strike does hit on Nov. 1, it certainly makes sense for Fox to delay the start, even if the lack of new programming hurts their bottom line."

The last strike happened in 1998 and dragged on for 5 months. I read that it cost the industry over $500 million. A friend of mine in the industry said this is a scary time right now and if the strike does drag on then 2008 could be pretty bleak.

It's an interesting story to follow, to say the least. I think it's still too early to tell how it will affect 24 and other shows because they could strike a deal tomorrow and the point will be moot. But if it drags on, I know I'll be curious to see how it pans out next year.

24 Fanfiction Launched

2007-10-27T16:01:00.000-06:00

Now that the excitement from the 24 trailer release has died down a little, I thought I'd take a moment and let you know about a new feature here at 24addict: 24 (and more) Fanfiction.

Perhaps for some of you who stop by here fanfic isn't really your thang and that's cool. But 24 fic is pretty popular around the 'net and my forums have a very active and very talented community of ficcers and I felt it was time to give them a better home for their stories.

I've been a, well, fan of fanfiction for years. I think it's a wonderful outlet for those of us who want to hang out in a 'verse even when our shows are off the air. I also believe it's a great way to hone your writing skills. Oh I know all of the arguments for and against fanfic but you won't find me getting tangled up in all of that. I'd rather spend my time reading the fabulous stories normal everyday people can make up.

So if you write fanfic, come help me fill up the database with your stories and reviews. The software I'm using for it allows you to write a series, create and participate in challenges or round robins, or it lets you just review the stuff that's already there. It's pretty cool actually.

There isn't very much there yet, I should warn you, because it's fairly new (only been active a little over a week) and it will take time for my forum ficcers to drift over and start adding more of their stuff. But over time I'm sure it will grow and become a great archive for 24 fic.

I know this is a long post but bear with me a little longer if you're still there.

I allow pretty much any kind of fic - this means everything from fluff, PWP to slash and NC-17 stuff. I don't like to restrict imaginations. If the harder stuff squicks you, then please don't read it :)

I also allow other fandoms. I know this is a 24 site, but I don't see the harm in having other fandom fics. So if *cough* anyone has any good Buffy/Angel fics out there... ;)

And finally, I'd love to house original works too, so there's a category for that.

So come visit 24 (and more) Fanfiction and add your stuff, read what we've got and don't be afraid to leave reviews. Our writers love feedback! You might even find a couple of my fics in there somewhere :)

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Season 7 Trailer

2007-10-24T18:03:00.001-06:00

Beyond the Call of Duty

2007-10-16T13:02:00.000-06:00

In the next couple of months I'll be talking about a few books about 24 that are coming out. I think I mentioned a couple of them in a previous post. The authors and/or publishers of these books asked me if I'd like a sneaky-peek at them and who am I to turn down swag? :)

The first one that seems quite intriguing is called, "24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack" and will drop within the next month. It's a collection of essays from professional philosophers that delve into the philosophical themes of 24.

Click here to read an excerpt from the book (PDF).

Themes such as 'The Duty to Die' and 'Must Chappelle Die?' I read one of the essays and found it quite fascinating. I mean, regular readers here know that one of the over-arching themes of the show is 'Needs of the many outweigh needs of the few' and it looks like this book will dig deep into that philosophy as well as others and give us fans an even greater respect for the show.

Nifty!

For the record, I am not being paid for any of these reviews. Unless you count swag. In which case, I guess I am being paid. Sort of. But I'm not being paid to like the books. Just talk about them :) Frankly, I could use the dosh, but having a new book to read is cool too :)

Kiefer Kiefer Kiefer :(

2007-09-25T08:07:00.000-06:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kiefer Sutherland, star of the television thriller series "24," was arrested early on Tuesday in Hollywood for drunken driving after being pulled over for making an illegal U-turn, police said.

Link

I don't want to report this news :( 1. Never flip a U-y in the middle of the night. 2. Don't drink and drive ya eejit. Reign it in Kiefer. I know you like to have a good time but dude... Don't go all Lohan.

The other not-so-amusing thing about this is everyone I know IRL and online is taking a little TOO much pleasure in informing me of Kiefer's misdeed. Any of you lot read this - I already know about it, thanks ;)

Return of the Cubs mug

2007-09-19T15:09:00.000-06:00

Now, I thought he was dead. I hope I won't have to fanwank too much for this plotline for next season's 24 but I definitely thought Tony Almeida was dead.

Not according to a FOX press release (posted via AICN):

"Bauer's day gets off to a shocking start when former colleague Tony Almeida (played by Carlos Bernard), last seen in Day 5, returns after being left for dead by a terrorist conspirator in CTU's infirmary."

Of course... Yay for Tony not being dead, but I'm still going, 'Huh? I thought he was dead.' I know there was no silent clock for him but still... Oh hmm, I hadn't checked the Fox agent files thingie to see if it said DECEASED over his mug - did anyone else?

Oh well, I've been reading about some season 7 changes (no CTU, location will be DC etc.) but that's about it because as you all know, I'm spoilerphobic and I don't want to know too much. But these changes seem pretty shiny actually.