15-Year-Old Action Drama with 20 Emmys Named ‘Most Addictive TV Series of All Time’ Is on Hulu
What does it take to keep a viewer glued to the screen? This show has all the answers.
In the age of streaming platforms, the balance of power in television has changed. Studio bosses started spending many times more money on TV series, cutting the number of episodes so that viewers could binge on the entire season, and investing no less, if not more, in advertising and PR than they would for a major motion picture.
Competition has increased, with popular shows replacing each other every month, sometimes even every week.
20 years ago everything was different – the competition was not so fierce, but it was also more difficult to attract an audience. Channel management had to keep viewers glued to their screens for 20-30 episodes to keep ratings from dropping. Some projects failed and were quickly canceled, while others stayed on for nine full seasons, like 24.
24 Is Officially The Most Addictive Show Ever
And 24 did such a good job of keeping viewers glued to their screens that, according to the LOVEFiLM survey, it was named "the most addictive TV series of all time," beating out such cult favorites as Lost and Friends.
What is 24 About?
There are 24 hours in a day, but for Jack Bauer, head of the CIA's elite counterterrorism unit, there is clearly not enough time. In one day, he must accomplish the nearly impossible: prevent the assassination of presidential candidate David Palmer, identify a traitorous informant within his own agency, and find his kidnapped teenage daughter.
24's Secret is That It Takes Place in “Real Time”
A counterterrorism agent investigates an assassination attempt on a politician – is it possible to make something exciting out of this standard premise? Fox Channel met the challenge brilliantly by launching 24 – a drama in which events unfold in real time (one episode – one hour in the life of the characters).
Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran's show, packaged within the confines of a real day, resonated with viewers better than any reality show.
The dynamics of the action were facilitated by the show's unique editing. The viewers are shown different frames at the same time, so you could either see one character from different angles, or two characters talking on the phone in one scene, which allowed the creators to fit into the "one hour – one episode" deadline.
It can’t be said that such editing had not been done before, but it was 24 that popularized the technique. Many parodies, sketches, talk shows, and even satirical animated shows such as The Simpsons, South Park, and The Amazing World of Gumball refer to this series, but primarily parody its editing.
24 Is Your Ultimate Binge-Watch Option
The result is a dramatic series with spectacular action that sometimes surpasses the quality of feature films of the time. If you are looking for a show to binge-watch, there is simply no better option than 24.
All nine seasons of 24 are available to watch on Apple TV, Prime Video and Hulu.
Source: LOVEFiLM (via The Telegraph)