'24': THIS GUY'S GOT PROBLEMS ROUND THE CLOCK.Byline: DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. KRONKE TV Critic Boy, does Jack Bauer Jack Bauer is the protagonist of the American television series 24, in which he has trained and worked in various capacities as a government agent, including US Army Delta Force, LAPD SWAT, and finally the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) Los Angeles. (Kiefer Sutherland) have a lot on his mind. His relationship with wife Teri (Leslie Hope) is on tenuous ground, and his teen-age daughter, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert Elisha Ann Cuthbert (born November 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series, Popular Mechanics for Kids ), has skipped out on her parents, hanging with some fairly dubious fellows. Oh, yeah, and there's the small matter of an impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. assassination Assassination See also Murder. assassins Fanatical Moslem sect that smoked hashish and murdered Crusaders (11th—12th centuries). [Islamic Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 52] Brutus conspirator and assassin of Julius Caesar. [Br. attempt on America's first viable African-American presidential candidate, David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), that Bauer has been charged to prevent. The attempt may be the work of overseas terrorists, or a domestic hate group with money to recruit a pricey soldier of fortune. Or the threat may come from Bauer's employers: ``Palmer's no friend of the agency,'' Jack's boss warns him. ``If he gets elected, this place gets gutted.'' And everyone at the Counter Terrorist Unit at which Jack labors is deeply suspicious of him, since he's already ratted on corrupt colleagues - even his former lover, Nina (Sarah Clarke), one of the reasons his marriage is on the rocks, is suspicious of him. That's an awful lot to put on one guy's plate, and Jack has exactly 24 hours to resolve both his nation's and his family's dire predicaments. Alas, those who become adherents to ``24,'' Fox's new political action thriller series, will have to wait an entire season to see how all this plays out. If tonight's pilot episode is any indication, it'll be well worth the wait. The series, created by Joel Surnow (``Wiseguy'') and Robert Cochran (``Le Femme femme adj. Slang Exhibiting stereotypical or exaggerated feminine traits. Used especially of lesbians and gay men. n. 1. Slang One who is femme. 2. Informal A woman or girl. Nikita''), is smart, tart and taut, with a gimmick that doesn't feel all that gimmicky: It plays out in real time. Which means tonight's episode runs from midnight to 1 a.m. on the day of California's presidential primary; each successive episode will also play out over but one hour of the intrigue. The series is well-cast and ratchets up the suspense with more split-screen imagery since the '60s heydays of ``Charlie'' and ``Woodstock,'' following the perambulations of all the major players, each of whom has tantalizing tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. secrets aplenty a·plen·ty adj. In plentiful supply; abundant: "There were warning signs aplenty for their candidates as well" Michael Gelb. . Whether audiences are in the mood for such intrigue given our current global state of affairs is open for debate: Two other CIA-related series, ABC's ``Alias'' and CBS' ``The Agency,'' aren't exactly drawing scads of viewers. (``Alias'' may be burdened by too much confusing ``mythology'' while ``The Agency'' may simply be doomed by its time slot opposite ``ER.'') But if Surnow and Cochran can maintain the level of quality promised by tonight's episode - clearly, no small feat - they'll have a series for the ages. ``24'' What: Action thriller about an anti-terrorist agent who must prevent the assassination of a presidential candidate and rescue his dysfunctional family dysfunctional family Psychology A family with multiple 'internal'–eg sibling rivalries, parent-child– conflicts, domestic violence, mental illness, single parenthood, or 'external'–eg alcohol or drug abuse, extramarital affairs, gambling, on the same day. The stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Leslie Hope, Dennis Haysbert, Elisha Cuthbert, Sarah Clarke, Penny Johnson Jerald. Where: Fox (Channel 11). When: 9 tonight. Our rating: Three and one half stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Kiefer Sutherland, left, and Dennis Haysbert star in Fox's ``24.'' |
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