TV's '24' beats ratings clock, gets full season

Associated Press

NEW YORK — While the critical raves showered on "24" so far have not translated into blockbuster ratings, Fox has made its own support official: The groundbreaking thriller won a full-season order of 24 episodes, which presumably means the clock won't stop ticking until this day is done and the story told.

But complications will arise when you try to tell a tangled tale hour by hour, in real time, stretched across a season's 24 weekly episodes. (The fifth "24" segment, which covers the period of 4-5 a.m., airs tomorrow on Fox at 8 p.m., with an encore Friday at 8 p.m., and on cable's FX network Sunday and Monday.)

The conclusion of "24" is up for grabs, with the series at its production midpoint, according to star Keifer Sutherland.

"I think the writers have a couple of scenarios in their head and are waiting to decide which way to go," said the actor, who doesn't see the script for each episode until just before it's shot.