REAL-TIME BAUER! '24' RETURNS IN 'LIVE ANOTHER DAY'

America's modern-day TV hero, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), returns in 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY. Image: FOX.

It looks like someone in the upper echelons of FOX USA thankfully read my opinion last month about the future of 24, and made some fast-paced executive decision-making which we all really wanted to hear. Pioneering action hero Jack Bauer is back, and hell's coming with him (again!), in the new limited series, 12 episode adventure coming May 2014- the intriguingly James Bond-esque 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY. The lack of a 24 film may ultimately prove to be one of the biggest loses for the action genre and summer multiplexes, but at least we'll have Jack back on the small screen one more time, where he belongs, in what apparently is being touted by insiders as a re-start for the franchise.

There's no plot details yet apart from its being set several years after our hero became an exiled figure from his political and spy-dom superiors, but with two of the award-winning, pioneering series best creative talents back aboard, THE X-FILES and HOMELAND's Howard Gordon (also showrunner) and David Fury, we're sure icon Kiefer Sutherland will have lots to mentally and physically engage himself in, hopefully sparring anew with his tantrum computer genius best friend, the lovable Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub).

Let the mayhem begin all over again. Welcome home, Jack....

BAUER'S BATTLES! '24' - NOW SHOWING ON NETFLIX

Don't get on his bad side! Kiefer Sutherland, now a TV legend as Jack Bauer in 24. Image: FOX.

In an age where James Bond is back to bigger box office business than ever before, and where Jason Bourne has managed to be a success within a series where, at one point, he wasn't even in one of the movies!, you'd think that 20th Century Fox's handling of their potentially biggest action hero-American patriot and badass Jack Bauer, as played by the dedicated Kiefer Sutherland, and his destiny in the once planned for premiere big-screen 24 movie, would've been handled better. With much time wasted trying to find a scripter and director (which took two years), then Sutherland committed to the now axed after two seasons TOUCH, the on-track production ball has seemingly been well and truly lost forever, and, according to top action director Antoine Fuqua (once attached to the project-one of many, including the likes of the late, great Tony Scott), dead in the water. A great pity-so much potential, time and big-league profit revenue lost.

I think it likely that, if 24 eventually does return, it will be back on the small screen a few years from now, in all probability "re-imagined" with a younger lead actor/character. But regardless, no one will ever forget the incredible contribution to the series made by Sutherland- he'll truly be a hard act to follow...

Despite the loss of the film, we still have eight exciting seasons of Bauer-ness to enjoy, too. And if you've never sampled the series and its always innovative format, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, check it out from the beginning on NETFLIX: Watch 24 Online | Netflix

Get the complete series here: Amazon.co.uk: 24 box set

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: '24' AND 'DALLAS' STAR ANNIE WERSCHING

Ready to play...? The lovely US actress Annie Wersching. Image: FOX.

Very few female friends, lovers or work colleagues make it beyond a season alongside immortal US TV action hero Jack Bauer, as personified by the intense Kiefer Sutherland over eight years of the hit series 24, but Annie Wersching, as the fiery redheaded spitfire and his partner-of-arms, Renee Walker, certainly left her mark on the lead characters heart and soul, and particularly with viewers, in its final two seasons. At first a loyal and dutiful FBI agent who played by the rules, Renee soon had to throw away that rule book when coming across several formidable threats attacking both the White House and America across its seventh gripping day of action, suspense and drama. By the following season, she was out of the service-her career and life seemingly washed up and beyond repair after her past deeds- her emotional and psychological status seemingly wrecked beyond repair. Finding the courage and the bravery to help Jack defeat a new threat to the United Nations, she was sadly eventually slain by a Russian commissioned hitman after her one and only night in the sack with Jack (as a going away forever present, I hope it was a good one!). Her blood soaked death in front of his eyes would soon launch Jack onto the final revenge fuelled destructive course of action that would satisfyingly end his character and the TV phenomenon's current destiny on the small screen...

As FBI Agent Renee Walker, giving Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) an occasional conscience in 24. Image: FOX.

Wersching's first TV work, as the big-eyed alien Liana in STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE. Image: CBS PARAMOUNT.

Memorably started off her TV career in 2002, playing a mysterious alien, Liana, in STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE, Missouri-born Wersching's work beyond her popular, severe FBI suited heroics has included appearances on lots more highly successful series: the noteworthy likes of CSI, BODY OF PROOF, HAWAII FIVE-O and HARRY'S LAW to name but a few. She can currently be seen making the job of boss to the Department of Transportation of Dallas look much more sexy than it ever deserves to be, as Alison Jones, in the second season of the re-imagined series of the same name, currently airing on the UK's FIVE HD, where she'll soon no doubt be steamily caught in the antics of rival Ewing clans. I think my temperature has already started to rise in anticipation of this bright and sexy lady's continued appearances...

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: 'COVERT AFFAIRS' KARI MATCHETT

Gentlemen prefer blondes. The cool and confident Canadian actress Kari Matchett. Image: ULIKE.

No stranger to playing determined, fiery women, office super bitches or crisp cool femme fatales across all kinds of TV series, lovely award winning Canadian actress Kari Matchett has had a very diverse and populist home country/Hollywood career ranging from mini-series (like the FIVE DAYS TO MIDNIGHT time travel thriller, opposite Timothy Hutton (who she would star with again in the LEVERAGE series) to hit shows like 24 (as Vice President Noah Daniels ruthlessly efficient personal assistant Lisa Miller), the medical ensemble world of ER (as Dr.Skye Wexler) and in her most recent series role as the conflicted DPD agency boss Joan Campbell in the USA NETWORK action drama series COVERT AFFAIRS. She's even been unrecognisable under tons of prosthetics as a creepily believable alien Taelon in the popular long running series EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT of the early 2000's, as well as playing one of the shows loyal human companion protectors, too-the Irish firebrand of Siobhan Beckett, and lover to fellow agent Ronald Sandoval (Von Flores), making a fine impression in the series first two seasons. Other sci-fi related work would include movie CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE and the popular, if only one season lasting, Florida set aliens on Earth series suitably titled INVASION (as possessed mom and career Doctor, Mariel Underlay). Other notable genre crossing work would include populist hits like THE NERO WOLFE MYSTERIES, CRIMINAL MINDS, UGLY BETTY, THE ELEVENTH HOUR, SHARK and Aarron Sorkin's witty if doomed STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP.

As an alien Taelon in early episodes of EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT. Image: ALLIANCE ATLANTIS.

Aliens amongst us? With William Fichtner in the short-lived but memorable INVASION series. Image: ABC.

Re-united with Timothy Hutton in several episodes of the hit series LEVERAGE. Image: TNT.

And as part of the ensemble cast of the popular action drama COVERT AFFAIRS. Image: USA NETWORK.

Recently making an appearance in the Brad Pitt starring/Terrence Malick directed THE TREE OF LIFE, Miss Matchett is now back to her Canadian roots: her next film project being as co-star in the drama TRACING IRIS, a mother/daughter drama based on the novel by Genni Gunn, alongside acting talents Aidan Quinn and Kenneth Welsh.

Always a welcome presence on high quality TV: the lovely Kari Matchett. Image: ULIKE.