24 is an American
dramatic action/
thriller television series co-created by
Joel Surnow and
Robert Cochran. It premiered on
Fox on November 6, 2001.
24 centers on the (fictitious)
Los Angeles branch of the
U.S. government's "Counter Terrorist Unit" (CTU). The series is presented in
real time format; each one-hour episode depicts one hour's worth of events, and each season is a 24-hour period in the life of
protagonist Jack Bauer (played by
Kiefer Sutherland), a CTU agent. The first six seasons of the show are set in Los Angeles and nearby locations – both real and fictional – in California, although other locations have been featured. The television film
Redemption is primarily set in the fictional African country, Sangala. The seventh shifts locations to Washington, D.C., and the eighth season is set in New York City. The limited series
Live Another Day takes place in
London.