Fox Developing 24 Spin-Off, But Jack Bauer Would Still Appear

A few months ago, word came out that Fox was considering bringing back their real-time thriller series 24. Star Kiefer Sutherland's involvement was questionable at the time, but now, thanks to a new report by TVLine, we now have a better idea of the network's plans on resurrecting the series.

Fox is currently developing a 24 spin-off that would star a younger male lead, and the intention is to have Sutherland's Jack Bauer "weave in and out as a guest star." The new male lead would be in his 20s and work alongside an older female agent (not Yvonne Strahovski’s Kate Morgan, but like Sutherland, that actress might also pop up here and there). The series would launch as a limited series, but if it performs well, it could "easily become a long-term property for Fox."

Before the details of this spin-off were worked out, rumor had it that Sutherland wouldn't be back at all for whatever Fox was planning. At that point, I mentioned how 24 without Jack Bauer just felt wrong, even despite my opinion that the show dropped drastically in quality in its last few seasons, including the limited series 24: Live Another Day. I suppose I'm glad to hear that this new iteration will at least feature Bauer intermittently, and maybe by making Jack a supporting player in a larger narrative, the showrunners will be free to write some fresh stories for a new set of characters without being bogged down by Jack's complicated history.

What do you all think?