Jon Cassar, executive producer of hit US series 24, tells Scott Matthewman about how the writers’ strike affected the show, how it mirrors current affairs and its future
When it first hit the air in November 2001, Fox Broadcasting’s 24 quickly established itself, becoming known worldwide as much for its adrenaline-fuelled, split-screen real time drama as for its post-9/11 relevance.
With each series spanning a day in the improbable life of counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer, it won leading actor Kiefer Sutherland a Golden Globe.
After six successful seasons on air, when the writers’ strike hit in 2007, filming was halted. Rather than broadcast the eight episodes already shot and wait until the strike was over before continuing the series, Fox delayed broadcast of the seventh season for a full year so that all 24 episodes could run in a continuous block. For 24’s executive producer Jon Cassar, this was a mixed blessing for the show.
“The strike was a horrible thing, especially for the business,” he says, “but we are probably the show that benefited the most from the strike, for many different reasons.”
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