24 spin-off gets the greenlight

Cult series will Live Another Day, this time without Jack Bauer in the lead

You're replacing me?

It would seem Jack Bauer's days of torturing terrorists are coming to an end. Word around the internet suggests 20th Century Fox Television is hard at work developing a 24 spin-off. The plan is to shift the focus off of Kiefer Sutherland's beleaguered, torture-happy hero and onto a newer, younger protagonist. Like recent 24 mini Live Another Day, the spin-off will be a limited series. If, however, audiences react positively to this new flavour of 24, we imagine there's a good chance it'll return for a full season.

TV Line had a word with series co-creator, Howard Gordon, about the potential spin-off and learned that though the series will see a new special agent take the reins, it will still stick closely to the spirit of the original series. Presumably this means lots of plots within plots, nerve-racking cliffhangers, casual torture and people barking the word "dammit" into their mobile phones.

For those 24 fans already mourning the loss of Jack Bauer, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. From what I'm hearing, Jack will still be a part of the CTU-verse, appearing from time to time to give our new hero tips on how to extract a confession from a suspect using nothing but a towel, presumably.

Whatever happens, you have to feel bad for whoever Fox cast in the lead role: Jack Bauer is a tough act to follow and the actor replacing him is bound to be the object of close scrutiny. At the end of the day, though, 24 is in desperate need of a shake up and this could be just what the series needs to get back on track.