24 Season 7 News!!

From the Entertainment writer from the Tribune:

Big changes for Season 7 of '24'

Will Jack Bauer take the Fifth?

When season 7 of "24" debuts on Fox in January, Kiefer Sutherland’s driven agent will be hauled before a Congressional committee "to answer for what are perceived to be his crimes," executive producer Manny Coto said Friday at a "24" panel Comic-Con International in San Diego.

And with the action likely moving to Washington, D.C., the famous CTU set is gone, producers said. Really, truly gone.

"I want people to know that, because I know they’re going to be asking," said director/producer Jon Cassar after the panel.

Executive producer Evan Katz said the team is "98 percent sure" of the Beltway move.

In the panel presentation, producers confirmed the return of technology whiz Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), and broadly hinted at another possible return: Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard).

If he comes back (and it's a big if), it will come as a surprise to fans who remember the former agent dying in Jack’s arms in season 5. But producers said Friday that they weren't especially happy with how Tony's death was handled.

"Tony's death wasn't satisfying," executive producer David Fury said after the session.

But was it a death? Judging by how often his name came up on Friday, you never know. When asked if characters from past season -- other than Chloe -- might reappear in season 7, Katz said that was a definite possibility.

Though in most respects, "we'll have the clearest slate we've ever had" when season 7 begins, Katz said.

A female president clocks in on '24'

Fox announced Sunday "24" has cast Cherry Jones as next season’s President Allison Taylor.

Jones is a Tony-award winning actress who is best known for her stage work.

Hmm, last year we had Wayne Palmer, who got more than a few Barack Obama comparisons, and now we have "24's" first female president, just as Hillary Clinton is running for president.

So what will President Taylor be like? Fox chairman Peter Liguori wouldn’t say at Fox's executive session here at TCA.

“It's way too early in the process to get overly specific,” he noted. “I can just say broadly, decisions are made consistently on "24" to always reinvigorate the franchise.”

I hope that’s the case, but I hope that Liguori’s other comments about the show on Sunday were just politic attempts to not ruffle the feathers of some of the network’s most important showrunners. Because I think it’s pretty clear that “24” had a not-great season – even many of the show’s hardcore fans thought that was the case.

“I would not categorize my view of the show last year as being disappointing,” Liguori said at one point. As to whether show's writers should map out "24's" entire season in advance, rather than go by the seat of their pants, Liguori said, “…If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I feel like part of the high-wire act is their process.”

Having said all that, Liguori allowed that even the show’s creative team doesn’t feel as though “24’s” sixth season was its best.

“They don't sit there and say that the show was perfect,” Liguori said. “But with all that being said, last year's performance doesn't require wholesale changes. By far and away, it has them put their game face on to say they have the opportunity for another day, another 24 hours, of which they have a bar that they have to jump over. And, you know, I can tell you that those guys are very competitive, and it fuels their creativity.”

Maybe in terms of ratings, last year's "24" was fine by Fox standards and thus the show doesn’t require “wholesale changes,” in Liguori’s view. But putting aside ratings, creatively, the show does require changes, if it wants to return it to being the nailbiting thriller it was from Seasons 1-5.

But maybe it’s just too hard to surprise us anymore on that show. We’ve had six seasons of constant danger and twists – I’m starting to think it’s just not possible to keep up that kind of plot-heavy, danger-laden storytelling forever. And given that the show has killed off most of the characters I ever liked, there are even fewer reasons to tune in.

Frankly, I’d rather have “24” end after Day 7 – if it’s another panicked, predictable, bland season – than see it keep going indefinitely. Your thoughts?