Riveted

To me, "24" is the best show on television - hands down, and bar none. The new season started last night with 2 episodes and they are continuing tonight with another 2 hours. If I had it my way, I would watch all 24 hours of it in a row. This is how gripping it is. Never have I felt like this about a TV show. I mean, there are shows that I say "Man, I can't wait untol next week." But this one I really, really can't. I cannot miss an episode, simply cannot.

You want to talk twists? Twists? Each episode has a small twist, but there have been moments when I sat there with my mouth gaping open saying "I cannot believe that just happened." I will sometimes, actually, hold my breath. This season, there have been a number of casting changes but Kiefer Sutherland still remains, and that is the important thing.

Last year I heard a rumor that he would not return and they would try to continue with someone else. If that happened, I don't know if I would watch. Over the past 3 years you get used to him as Jack Bauer having bad days.

If you're not familiar with the premise, the season starts at a certain point in the day. Each episode is an hour of that day, and all events happen in "real time." So it is like the entire season is a huge rollercoaster of a movie. Over the past 10 years, maybe longer, I cannot think of a show that had a more creative approach to a season.

In the past it started in the fall. This made it difficult to follow, because it is on Fox. In the fall Fox is involved with the baseball playoffs, NHL and (when applicable) election coverage. So in past years they would occasionally move the show, or not run a new episode for a few weeks. This was a little disruptive of the flow. This year they played it smarter by starting it in January. This way, Fox is only involved in football, and that's only on the weekends. So that frees up time for "24" and (ugh) "American Idol." That show I will not get sucked into ever again. It is horrible.

Back to "24." I own the firs season on DVD, and watched it a second time in its entirety after I bought it. I lent it to my dad, who finished it in a week. I lent it to Rachael who finished it 3-4 days. If that's not a testament to the intensity of the show, I don't know what is. It is so gripping, I have even thought about not watching and just waiting for the DVD so I can watch all the episodes consecutively. But that just is not going to happen...

Well, I got to get back to "24".... (boop, beep, boop, beep, boop, beep)