24: Redemption---Sunday November 23 on FOX

I was confused today to see an ad for the FOX premiere, this coming Sunday, of 24 . I thought I remembered reading the new season of 24 started with a 2 night, 4 hour premiere on Sunday, January 11th and Monday, January 12th. Not Sunday, November 23.

Well. It did not take a whole lot of sleuthing to find out that the 24: Redemption 2 hour 'movie' is sort of a set up for the new season of 24, bridging the gap between season 6 and the new season 7.

There have already been six 24s? It's been so long since the last 24, due to last winter's writer's strike, I can't quite remember what Jack Bauer's trauma was when we last spent a day with him. Was it terrorists setting off nuclear bombs in LA? Was it the one where his dad was a bad guy? Was it the one that had Jack returning from China with a big beard? Or all those the same season? Likely so, due to my bad memory I doubt I can remember back more than one 24.

So, a little more sleuthing results about this 24: Redemption movie. It is set in the made-up nation of Sangala. That's in Africa. Jack gets caught up in a military coup while trying to find himself some peace and quiet. Back in the United States it is Inauguration Day. Allison Taylor is being sworn in as President. I'm not sure if Allison is a boy or girl. Maybe more sleuthing will turn up the answer.

24: Redemption begins with a short prologue of a little boy getting kidnapped in the middle of the night, then drafted into the militia.

Jack has been moving from place to place trying to get his mojo back. Just as Jack gets caught up in that Sangala coup he gets subpoenaed to go before a Senate hearing. Jack doesn't want to go.

Kiefer Sutherland, that's Jack Bauer in real life, has said the inspiration for 24: Redemption was the U.S. response to the genocide in Rwanda.

Others in the "movie" are Cherry Jones as President Taylor. I'm guessing Cherry is a girl's name, so Allison must be a girl President. 24 had the first African-American President in President David Palmer, so it is only fitting that 24 has the first female president. Ooops. We've had those on TV before. At least 2 I can think of, an evil female president on Prison Break. And a funny one in the form of Geena Davis on Commander in Chief.

Other recognizable, to me, names in 24: Redemption are Gil Bellows as Frank Tranell, the State Department official sent to subpoena Jack Bauer. Jon Voight as Jonas Jones, an evil villain in a Blackwater type company. Powers Boothe as President Noah Daniels. Peter McNichol as Tom Lennox. Those last two I remember from the last 24. Noah Daniels became President when the brother of David Palmer, Wayne, was assassinated. Tom Lennox was a good guy who did bad things.

Now, I like 24. If I watch this 24: Redemption movie maybe it'll help me not get so lost when the new 24 starts in January. But that'd make a lot of Sunday TV watching, what with that being the night of The Amazing Race. Once more, the DVR to the rescue.