Critical reaction to 24 (TV series)

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Because of the "real-time" storytelling approach to the Fox Network television series 24, and the series' willingness to directly address the threat of terrorism, the implementation of torture as a way to acquire information and the use and misuse of government authority, the series has generated a sizeable critical reaction, both positive and negative. The series has won numerous Emmy Awards for its technical and artistic merits, but at the same time has been criticized by a number of prominent individuals and organizations who have objected to how the series has handled story and character elements. The series has also been accused of a conservative political bias. Nonetheless, 24 has become part of American popular culture and has been the subject of numerous parodies.

Contents 1 Acclaim 2 Controversy 2.1 Depiction of Muslims 2.2 Torture 2.3 Allegations of bias 2.4 Allegations of decline in storytelling quality 3 Audience interaction 3.1 Fan Phone 4 References

[edit] Acclaim

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (November 2007)

Kiefer Sutherland won a Golden Globe for his performance in the first season of 24; Surnow and Cochran, the creators of the show, won an Emmy Award. The show won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2004.^[1] 24 won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series, Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing For A Series, Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series, and Outstanding Stunt Coordination. Kiefer Sutherland also picked up the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in 2004 and 2006. Sean Callery won an Emmy in 2003 for his work on Episode 2.15 (Season 2, "10:00 PM - 11:00 PM") for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.

24 received 12 Emmy nominations in 2006, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor (Kiefer Sutherland) and supporting nods to Jean Smart (Martha Logan) and Gregory Itzin (Charles Logan).^[2] Itzin said in an interview following the news, "So just to end up being one of five is obviously a big surprise and very gratifying. But in another way, I wasn't surprised because the show is so damn good, it should get recognized."^[3]

At the Primetime Emmys, 24 went on to win Outstanding Drama Series and Sutherland received his first Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award^[4] and Director Jon Cassar an Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.^[5] The show also won Best Dramatic Underscore Music Composition and Best Single Camera Editing.

Most recently, 24 received two 2007 Golden Globe Award nominations, for Best Drama Series and Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series (Kiefer Sutherland), but lost to Grey's Anatomy and Hugh Laurie of House, respectively. The same outcome took place when 24 received two 2007 Screen Actors Guild nominations. Kiefer Sutherland was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, losing to Hugh Laurie, and the entire Season 5 cast was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, once again losing to Grey's Anatomy.

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Depiction of Muslims

Criticism of the show's depiction of Muslims began in its fourth season, in which the main antagonists were Muslims affiliated with the fictional terrorist group Turkish Crimson Jihad. In the first episode, a Muslim-American family is depicted to be among these, in which parents and their teenage son actively engage in a plot to kill Americans^{[6][dead link]} (although the son, and in later episodes, the mother, are portrayed sympathetically). Criticism began early on in the season, including a complaint made by the Council on American-Islamic Relations that depicting Muslims as terrorists could "contribute to an atmosphere that it’s OK to harm and discriminate against Muslims. This could actually hurt real-life people." Following this complaint, representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and FOX met to discuss the matter, and an episode of the season began with a public service announcement by Kiefer Sutherland addressing these concerns, in which he stated that "the American Muslim community stands firmly beside their fellow Americans in denouncing and resisting all forms of terrorism. So in watching ‘24,' please bear that in mind.”^[7] Another episode of this season also portrays two Muslim American citizens aiding Jack Bauer with the intention of seeking retribution for the previous attacks by terrorists that day. Both brothers (and Bauer) survive a gunfight against American mercenaries.

In 2007, the American Islamic Community renewed its criticism of the series when it appeared that the main terrorists of the sixth season would, as in 2005, be Muslim.^[8] (It was later revealed that the Muslims in season 6 were being used by Russian radicals to take the fall for their agenda.) In response to this criticism, FOX sent a statement to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, expressing that "Over the past several seasons, the villains have included shadowy Anglo businessmen, Baltic Europeans, Germans, Russians, Islamic fundamentalists, and even the (Anglo-American) president of the United States. Over the course of the series, no ethnic group has been singled out for persecution or blame."^[9] In season 1, the terrorists were Serbian; in season 2, there were Muslims and Americans. In season 3, the adversaries were Mexican drug dealers along with a former British intelligence agent, also involving former CTU agent Nina Myers who was from Germany. In season 4, the terrorists were Muslims from Turkey, and in season 5 the terrorist plot involved Russians and American conspirators, including a corrupt President of the United States. It should also be noted that the attacks in Season 6 also involve a former Soviet General, a British businessman, and members of Jack Bauer's own family. Later on in the day, as the terrorists are defeated, shadowy elements of the Chinese government surface to take advantage of the crisis and the Muslim element of the antagonists disappear.

[edit] Torture

Further information: Ticking time bomb

24 routinely includes scenes of torture, both physical and psychological, in its storylines. In many cases, the protagonists employ torture to extract vital information from suspects in "ticking time bomb" situations. According to the Parents Television Council, 24 has depicted 67 scenes of torture in its first five seasons, more than any other show on television.^[10] The PTC has also claimed that in general, as 24 has added more torture scenes, more torture scenes have appeared on TV in general as well.^[11]. Melissa Caldwell, the Council's Senior Director of Programs, said, “‘24’ is the worst offender on television: the most frequent, most graphic, and the leader in the trend of showing the protagonists using torture.”^[12] Subsequently, the PTC launched a campaign to try to persuade sponsors to stop buying airtime for 24^[13], having named two episodes of the sixth season the worst television programs of the week in which the episodes aired. ^{[14] [15]} The PTC has also cited torture as a reason for naming one episode in the third season the worst of the week.^[16]

CTU is portrayed as employing several personnel exclusively to interrogate suspects potentially withholding vital information. Richards, Johnson and Burke are three such employees; they are only seen onscreen when they are torturing someone for the purpose of interrogation. Methods of torture used by these agents on the show vary from non-invasive techniques such as SDT (sensory disorientation torture) to the injection of chemicals to induce extreme pain (the only chemical ever mentioned for this use was the fictional hyoscine pentothal).

Jack Bauer himself is prepared to torture suspects both physically and emotionally. Physical torture is usually his primary choice, however should this yield no results, he will move onto emotional/psychological torture, as demonstrated in Season 2 when he stages a mock execution of Ali's family. Bauer is also well able to withstand torture, as demonstrated in Day 2, when he clinically dies rather than give up information. In the Day 6 preview, he is repeatedly tortured with electrical shock, but still holds his tongue. His ability to withstand torture is again referenced in the opening episode of Day 6 when it is revealed that he has endured two years of torture without saying a single word. Curtis Manning has also demonstrated the possibility that he is trained in, or at least has some experience in, torture when he informs Richard Heller of the effects of an algesic which he is about to inject him with.

24's frequent depictions of torture as an effective and necessary interrogation tactic have prompted considerable criticism from human rights activists, military officials, experts in questioning and interrogation, and even from fans of the series.^[10] Stephen King, an avowed fan of 24, wrote,

"There's also a queasily gleeful subtext to 24 that suggests, 'If things are this bad, why, I guess we can torture anybody we want! In fact, we have an obligation to torture in order to protect the country! Hooray!' Yet Jack Bauer's face — increasingly lined, increasingly haggard — suggests that extreme measures eventually catch up with the human soul."^[17]

In February, 2007, The New Yorker magazine reported that U.S. Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan (dean of the United States Military Academy at West Point), accompanied by three of the most experienced military and F.B.I. interrogators in the country, met with the producers of 24 to criticize the show for misrepresenting the effectiveness of torture as an interrogation technique, saying it encouraged soldiers to see torture as a useful and justified tactic in the War on Terror, and damaged the international image of the United States.^[12] Brigadier General Finnegan believed the show had an adverse effect on the training of American soldiers because it advocated unethical and illegal behavior. In his words:

“The kids see it, and say, ‘If torture is wrong, what about “24”?’ The disturbing thing is that although torture may cause Jack Bauer some angst, it is always the patriotic thing to do.”^[12]

Joe Navarro, one of the F.B.I.'s top experts in questioning techniques, also attended the meeting. He told The New Yorker,

“Only a psychopath can torture and be unaffected. You don’t want people like that in your organization. They are untrustworthy, and tend to have grotesque other problems.”^[12][18]

The New Yorker article itself echoed many of these criticisms, and went on to suggest that the show's portrayal of torture was a reflection of the political views of its creator, Joel Surnow, an avowed conservative and supporter of George W. Bush.^[12] The New Yorker's criticism of 24 and Surnow was picked up by other commentators and bloggers. Andrew Sullivan, for instance, argued that 24 repeatedly used the "ticking time-bomb" scenario "in such a way as to normalize torture in the public consciousness."^[19]

U.S. intelligence officers say they have little—if any—evidence that useful intelligence has been obtained using techniques generally understood to be torture.^[20] People affiliated with 24, as well as many of its fans, have responded to this criticism by stressing that the show is fiction and therefore is not required to portray torture and interrogation realistically.^[21]

[edit] Allegations of bias

On June 23, 2006, the conservative US think tank The Heritage Foundation held an unusual panel event to discuss "24 and America's Image in Fighting Terrorism".^[22] The panel event, which was first conceived by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's wife, Ginni, was moderated by conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. In addition to 24 executive producers Robert Cochran, Joel Surnow, and Howard Gordon, and 24 cast members Gregory Itzin, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Carlos Bernard, the panel included Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and leading Homeland Security experts James Jay Carafano and David Heyman.

During the event, Limbaugh, a fan of the show himself, commented that "Everybody I've met in the government that I tell I watch this show, they are huge fans." He specifically identified Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Republican political strategist Mary Matalin as enthusiastic fans.^[23] In addition to his commentary, Limbaugh reportedly kissed Mary Lynn Rajskub, the actress who portrays Chloe O'Brian.^{[citation needed]} The event audience also included Justice Thomas and conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham.

Time magazine ran an article on January 14, 2007, analyzing the show's political tilt. ^[24] The article argued that whilst the show's use of the "ticking time bomb scenario" favored conservative interpretations, the thriller is itself a conservative genre and that such scenarios "make for exciting TV". Furthermore, journalist James Poniewozik pointed out the show's use of plotlines - such as an invasion of a Middle East country based on fabricated evidence of WMD stockpiles and a "chilling" depiction of Muslims rounded up into detention centers. Joel Surnow is also quoted as noting that the show has fans across the political spectrum, from Limbaugh to Barbra Streisand. TIME concludes that: "24's ideology--Jack Bauerism, if you will--is not so much in between left and right as it is outside them, impatient with both A.C.L.U. niceties and Bushian moral absolutes."

The February 19 & February 26, 2007 edition of The New Yorker, however, claimed that the series was heavily tilted towards conservatives. Throughout the article, "Whatever It Takes: The Politics Behind the Man of 24," Jane Mayer cites Surnow's support for the Republican Party and in particular his admiration of Ronald Reagan, who Surnow states was "the father this country needed" and "made me feel good that I was in his family". Mayer also characterizes Rick Santorum, whose campaign Surnow donated money towards, as "hard line" and Surnow's friend Cyrus Nowrasteh as a "hard-core conservative". However, early in the article Mayer admits that Surnow is a critic of the 2003 Iraq War, an "isolationist" and as someone who has "no faith in nation building". ^[25]

[edit] Allegations of decline in storytelling quality

During Season 6, 24 received repeated criticism from fans, critics, and media watchdogs. Jack's torture of his own brother, Graem Bauer, drew strong attention to the show's extreme portrayal of violence, and criticism was aimed at the series' over-reliance on plot devices used in prior seasons, such as a nuclear threat, the attempted assassination of a president, the invocation of the 25th amendment, and Jack's attempt to save someone with whom he was romantically involved. The deaths of main cast members such as Curtis Manning also came under scrutiny.^[26]

Co-producer David Fury has gone on record to admit that the production team made several mistakes in the long-term plotting of direction of Season 6; this played a large part in their decision to end the "Suitcase Nuke" plotline early and dedicate the final seven episodes to a completely different storyline.^[27] FOX President Peter Liguori said: "We’ve really heard what the loyal audience has said to us. The good news is simply this: It has really fueled the show runners to be more daring with what they're going to do next year."^[28] In another interview, Howard Gordon confirmed that Season 6 could be "the last iteration of [the series] in its current state." ^[29]

[edit] Audience interaction

[edit] Fan Phone

First appearing in the fifth episode of the fourth season, a valid California phone number (310-597-3781) has been shown on screen at various points during the show. The number, since dubbed the 24 "fan phone", leads to an actual telephone on the set, and received upwards of 50,000 callers in the first week after it was shown.^[30][31]

In the original scene containing the phone number, a character receives a call from her mother. In order to have the cellphone's caller ID show "Mom", producers chose to use a real phone (belonging to a member of the props department), rather than build a fake display. Although the number only appeared on screen for a moment, calls started flooding in within minutes of the first airing. The phone's owner canceled the account, but director Jon Cassar decided to reactivate the line.^[30] Since then, the number has appeared multiple times, as the phone number of various characters, through the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons.

Generally, especially of late, viewers calling the number are directed to a generic Nextel voicemail box; however, the phone is often picked up by whoever is free onset, and viewers have spoken to a wide variety of cast and crew members, including director Jon Cassar, production designer Joseph Hodges, Kim Raver (Audrey) and Carlos Bernard (Tony).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

v • d • e 24 Characters Jack Bauer · Chloe O'Brian · Bill Buchanan  · List of characters · Minor characters · Minor CTU agents Days Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3 · Day 4 · Day 5 · Day 6 · Day 7 · Episode list Merchandise Conspiracy · The Game · The Soundtrack