24: Legacy canceled at Fox; network plans ‘new version’
No matter how you slice it, this move should be considered a failure given that this is a show that previously got a chance to air following the Super Bowl. While this is not a bastion for retention anymore, it’s still an opportunity to get off to a huge start ratings-wise. The fact that Fox got so many viewers there, only to lose them soon after, speaks to a creative failure on the part of the producers to deliver a product that brought the excitement of the original show.
One of the big problems was that by and large, the whole concept felt a little more stale. There are only so many times that you can watch a show about taking down terrorists in real time, especially when there are so many familiar plot points in between the randomly-stupid people in law enforcement and the traitor working within CTU. One of the other issues here is clearly that the show didn’t have Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer; with Bauer, you’re able to look back some of the inane things that the show does do on a regular basis. Without him, you really have to deliver something next-level.
In lieu of the show’s cancellation, Fox is now looking to create an anthology potentially of stories to be told in this format, ones where they can bring in different actors and stories every year. Maybe this ends up being something special if the right people are involved, but it is another gamble for the network to take and they may now be at a point where they have to consider more original properties. We love 24 as much as the next person, but you do need to take a few creative risks here and there if you do want to keep your lineup interesting. Otherwise, you just run the risk of looking uncreative and viewers will bail on you because of that.
What do you think about the 24: Legacy cancellation? Be sure to share some of your thoughts in the comments! (Photo: Fox.)