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TV Media Weekly | February 4 - 10, 2017 By Kyla Brewer TV Media T he Super Bowl may be the most exciting event of the year for football fans, but they aren't the only ones with something to cel- ebrate. One of the most exciting television series in history is about to reboot, and millions of TV viewers eagerly await the premiere. Following the big game, "24" fans get their first taste of a brand new edition of the iconic action series that aired from 2001 to 2010, and was revived briefly in 2014. However, the legendary Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland, "Des- ignated Survivor") is not the star of the new edition. Corey Hawkins takes over as the lead in "24: Legacy," which pre- mieres Sunday, Feb. 5, and con- tinues Monday, Feb. 6, on Fox. The series again features a real- time format as Sgt. Eric Carter (Hawkins) battles terrorists, but, with 12 episodes instead of 24, there are time jumps incorporat- ed into the season. TV viewers may recognize the Juilliard-trained Hawkins as Heath from AMC's ratings win- ner "The Walking Dead." How- ever, it was the actor's role as Dr. Dre in the 2015 biopic "Straight Outta Compton" that attracted the attention of "24: Legacy" casting director Lisa Miller Katz. Considering the popularity of the original "24," and of Jack Bauer in particular, Hawkins has big shoes to fill. His character, Carter, is a U.S. Army Ranger who led a success- ful mission to take out terrorist leader Sheik Ibrahim Bin-Khalid. Six months later, it appears that Khalid's followers have tracked down Carter and his fellow Rangers, prompting him to go into hiding and enlist the help of Rebecca Ingram (Miranda Otto, "Homeland"), former national director of CTU. Ingram seems to be the Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub, "Mr. Show") to Carter's Jack: a per- son with skills and resources who can help him from the in- side. Ingram stepped down as director of CTU to support her husband, Sen. John Donovan (Jimmy Smits, "NYPD Blue"), during his bid for president of the United States, but she re- turns to CTU because she has faith in Carter's ability to thwart a looming terrorist attack on U.S. soil. "Carter was the youngest squad leader in the history of the Rangers," she explains in the show's trailer. "He doesn't fail, because the battle isn't over until he wins." Hawkins, Otto and Smits make a formidable core cast, but fans of the original"24" are un- doubtedly most excited to see a familiar face: Tony Almeida, played by Carlos Bernard ("Scoundrels"). "Carlos Bernard has done an amazing job portraying this dark and conflicted character, and we couldn't be more thrilled with his return to the show," said ex- ecutive producers Evan Katz and Manny Coto, in a joint state- ment. One of the show's original characters, Almeida appeared in seasons 1 through 5, as well as 7 and 9. His character proved so popular, he was featured in "24: Solitary," a short film about his time in prison that was included in the DVD/Blu-ray for 2014's "24: Live Another Day." Once a top CTU analyst, Almeida went rogue after his beloved wife, Mi- chelle (Reiko Aylesworth, "Ha- waii Five-0"), was murdered. It remains to be seen whether Almeida will be the reboot's big bad, or if the events will offer him the chance to redeem him- self. Regardless, his return is highly anticipated all around, but don't expect to see him right away. He shows up later in the season, so fans will have to stay tuned. Tony may be the only original cast member returning, but there is another link to the origi- nal. Newcomer Coral Peña por- trays CTU computer analyst Mariana Stiles, cousin of the late, great Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi, "The Sopranos"). Other cast members of note in- clude Anna Diop ("The Messen- gers") as Carter's wife, Nicole; Ashley Thomas ("The Night Of") as Carter's brother, Isaac; Dan Bucatinsky ("Scandal") as CTU communications analyst Andy Shalowitz; Charlie Hofheimer ("Mad Men") as former soldier Ben Grimes; and Raphael Acloque ("The Danish Girl," 2015) as Jadalla bin-Khalid. Hopefully, fans of the original will be satisfied with Tony's return and role in the new series, but Bauer fanatics can take even more comfort in the fact that Sutherland is still leading the show, this time in the role of executive producer. And, although Sutherland initially rejected the idea of appearing in the new series, he's waffled in his resolve, giving Bauer fans hope. "I've learned enough over the last few years to not say never," admitted the actor during an in- terview on "Live With Kelly and Michael" in February of last year. As the clock resets in this re- boot, Hawkins must work hard to win over diehard "24" fans, many of whom can't imagine the series without Bauer. Critics have been mostly kind to the spinoff, though, especially to Hawkins — in a Jan- uary article, Chuck Barney of The Mercury News even went so far as to claim that Hawkins would make viewers forget about Jack Bauer. Find out if he lives up to the hype as he races to stop terrorists in the premiere of "24: Legacy," airing Sunday, Feb. 5, on Fox. Miranda Otto as seen in "24: Legacy" A new hero emerges in the premiere of Fox's '24: Legacy' 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" 455-2700 3833 S. LaFountain • Kokomo, IN 46902 www.norrisinsurance.com • Home • Auto • Business • Life Call for a FREE Quote! Serving You For Over 50 Years Bill Neher

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