Jim Prescott

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24 character
James Prescott
Gender:	Male
Jobs held:	Vice President of the United States (2 & 3), Acting President of the United States (2)
Affiliation:	White House
Family:	NA
Spouse:	NA
Current status:	Alive
Portrayed by:	Alan Dale
Seasons:	2, 3

James Prescott, aka Jim Prescott, is a fictional character played by Alan Dale in the television series 24.

During the show's second season, Prescott is the Vice-President of the United States. Following a failed nuclear attack on the United States, retaliatory strikes are planned against three middle eastern countries believed to be supporting the terrorists responsible. President David Palmer is hesitant to launch the strikes following word from CTU agent Jack Bauer that the information implicating the three countries may have been fabricated.

Prescott, believing the evidence to be legitimate, and the window for a successful strike limited, collaborates with Palmer's Chief of Staff, Mike Novick, and several members of his Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare Palmer unfit to lead, remove him from office, and install Prescott as Acting President.

After learning that the entire situation was orchestrated by a businessman named Peter Kingsley (after Kingsley implicated himself during a recorded conversation with Palmer's ex-wife Sherry), Prescott aborts the planned attacks and restores Palmer to power. Shamed by his actions, he and the cabinet members who voted against Palmer offer their resignations. Palmer warns them that they made a grave mistake but does not accept their resignations.

Ironically, Palmer is gravely injured in an assassination attempt only minutes later, forcing Prescott to take office once again.

Prescott also makes a brief appearance in Day 3.

[edit] 24: The Game

In 24: The Game, Prescott is in L.A. over labor disputes. He is targeted for assassination. The plan was for snipers to be positioned along his motorcade route. Jack Bauer stops the snipers, but Prescott's motorcade is ambushed. As Prescott steps out of the damaged vehicle, it explodes, knocking him out.

[edit] Trivia

According to the commentary on the Season 2 DVD, an unused subplot would have established that Prescott had been a presidential candidate himself during the primary (as has been the case with many real-life Vice Presidents) and that he and Palmer had been bitter rivals.

Preceded by: Unknown, but mentioned in the 24: Declassified Series

Vice President of the United States, 24 2005-2009

Succeeded by: Charles Logan