"24:" The clock needs winding Pt. 2

On “24,” of course, Jack Bauer can’t call for a timeout. But “24’s” producers can, and in fact have for a second time while in production for the upcoming season.

We previously discussed the first suspension of production, when Fox wouldn’t pony up for some location shooting in Africa (couldn’t they’ve shot in the Africa-world section of EPCOT Center?), necessitating a retooling of the plotline. Since then, producers have announced that Cherry Jones will join the cast as the President of the United States – and that’s about it. Production has been pushed back from late July to late August and now to mid-September.

(Apparently, the producers weren’t sufficiently impressed with the storyline I offered them, gratis, at the time of the first delay.)

In a year’s time, “24” has gone from being an Emmy-winning drama to, thanks to the disappointment of the past season and now these delays, a production perceived to be in trouble. But, honestly: After featuring a President in league with Russian terrorists, an equally corrupt Vice President, an assassination of a former President and the detonation of a nuclear bomb in the U.S., where do you go from there?

Maybe the producers could borrow a page from the James Bond playbook and, “Casino Royale”-like, revert to a less fantastical scenario with less crazy, where’d-that-come-from? plotting (only avoid the 90 minutes of poker playing, ’cause that stuff drags). I’ve also thought they’ve missed a good bet by not having a season with Jack as a mercenary in some overseas hellhole (why not, since they’ve just about killed off everyone else in the cast at this point?).

Anyway, best of luck to them, because not even Jack Bauer can save people from low ratings.

Feel free to share your thoughts on what'd make a great - or serviceable, or even stupid - plotline for the upcoming season. Who knows? They might get so desperate they'll use yours.