It’s absurd, but we adore it.

24 was always ridiculous. In the space of 24 hours, none of the main characters went to the toilet, ate or drank. The show is action thriller interspersed (undeliberately) with science-fiction. There are major plots with sub-plots and sub-plots within the sub-plots that will make you feel like you’re back watching Inception.

The new revitalised series of 24 takes us to jolly old London. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) has been on the run for the last four years and is suddenly captured by the CIA. Meanwhile, an American drone kills four soldiers, some British. This all (strangely) coincides with the American President James Heller being in London to sign a treaty with the British Government. Stephen Fry chummily captains Britain as Prime Minister in the meantime.

Forgive one for being a Londoner, but the location managers come across as amateurs, as it seems they have chosen the filming venues simply from watching one too many British films. Any anti-war demonstrator would soon realise that the American Embassy in London is not the one in Grosvenor Square, while anybody from Shepherd’s Bush will tell you that you won’t end up by the Thames in East London in a couple of minutes by running westwards from Shepherd’s Bush Market. Never mind though, the action scenes make up for the apparent powers of teleportation.

You really need to be a 24 buff to understand all the characters, however you’re then left with the  problem of how preposterous it is that everyone in 24 seems to be connected to Jack. They either worked/served with/slept with/learnt his methods. The world has never been smaller.

Nothing profoundly ground-breaking comes out of this new series and in all honesty better action and spy shows now exist on television. Nevertheless 24 is always exhilarating, always addictive, and always magnificent. It is a long-term friend to many and it will remain that way.

Harry Wise