Pivoting on a declaration of martial law and a mysterious cabal of unnamed conspirators, "Day 5" shocked even loyal 24 fans with a high body count including several important supporting characters. It all adds up to an exceptional season that earned Sutherland a well-deserved Emmy (for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series), equally deserving Emmy nominations for Itzin and Sharp, and an Emmy win for co-executive producer Jon Cassar's direction of the riveting season premiere. And while the breathtaking twists of 24 don't always hold up to intense scrutiny, these 24 episodes (running about 43 minutes each) are tightly written and flawlessly directed with an involving emphasis on thriller plotting and dramatic focus on the complex and operatically tragic relationship between President Logan and his traumatized wife. Add it all up, and you've got an addictive reason to look forward to season 6. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Discs 1-6 contain four episodes each, with several episodes including optional viewing of extended or alternate takes of selected scenes. A total of 12 full-length episode commentaries are provided by 24's primary cast and crew, allowing listeners a comprehensive appreciation of the series' extended "family" of talent, along with a wealth of production anecdotes, revealing observations about plotting and character, and a welcome overview of individual personalities and contributions. Disc 7 is packed with features, beginning with a season 6 prequel that offers a tantalizing glimpse of things to come, with an interrogation and escape scenario set seven months after the events of "Day 5"; by comparison, the season 6 trailer offers little more than a recap of season 5. The featurettes are all well-crafted and worth a look, beginning with a "Supporting Players" profile of 24's extended cast (including some surprising glimpses of their off-screen hobbies and activities); a detailed documentary about 24's innovative and hard-working camera crew; a profile of music composer Sean Callery, who demonstrates his versatile mood-setting techniques; a detailed exploration of the "Presidential Retreat" set with production designer Jonathan Hodges and colleagues; a "100th Episode Reel" with tightly-edited clips from seasons 1-5; and a sampling of cast and crew photos from 24: Behind the Scenes, a picture book published in November 2006. Kudos to Sparkhill Productions for continuing to provide 24 bonus features as well-made as the series itself. --Jeff Shannon

Beyond 24: Season 5

More "Edge-of-your-Seat" TV DVDs

24: Seasons 1-5

24: Behind the Scenes (Paperback)

Unsure about this concept, I tuned in to the first episode in the fall of 2001...and became an instant fan of 24. I watched about 22 episodes on first run...missing only a couple due to outside obligations or cable TV outages. Now that I own the boxed set of Season One, I have seen the entire series and can now write a few words about it.

Although it is very much an action-suspense thriller (closer to Tom Clancy than to Ian Fleming), 24's tale of vendetta-driven terrorists plotting to kill Sen. David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert)on the day of the California primary is also the intimate story of the implosion of three families.

First, the Bauer family. When we first see Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), the setting is almost dully domestic -- he's playing a game of chess with his teenage daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert). But shortly before he gets a call from one of his fellow agents in the Counter Terrorist Unit, we see the domestic tranquility is belied by some tension. Kim is openly rude to her mother, Teri (Leslie Hope) and will soon sneak out to go partying with her friend Janet....which will be one of the worst choices she's ever made. And as we watch the series unfold, we'll learn about the straining effects of Jack's job on the marriage and of Jack's affair with fellow CTU agent Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke).

The second family implosion involves the Palmer family. Just as it seems everything is going perfectly for Sen. Palmer and his picture perfect family, we see as 24 unfolds that all is not well here, either. Skeletons from the Palmer children's past are surfacing on the very day that David Palmer seems poised to win his party's nomination for the Presidency, and he is forced to see how far his ambitious wife Sherry (Penny Jerald Johnson) will go to keep ugly family secrets out of the public eye.

And finally, there is the Drazen clan. Serb nationalists who supported Milosevic's iron-fisted rule, they were targeted by American forces and lost several family members as a result of a covert operation to take out the Drazen patriarch. Now they are bent on revenge and will do anything and kill anyone to get it.

Yes, 24 does have its flaws (the travails of wayward Kim and Teri's amnesia are a bit over-the-top for some viewers), but overall this is a fine piece of television drama.

I think the casting of Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer was strategic, because as the one "movie star" in the cast he stands out as larger than life against the rest of the ensemble. The Sisyphus analogy is not meant to be superficial, because any sense of success at any given moment in the series is transitory at best. Sutherland's performance holds the series together, but the true star is Cochran and his team of writers. It is the story that gets you hooked and sweeps you along for the roller coaster ride as the bad things just keep happening. Watching the show a second time (and in a shorter time span) gave me a better appreciation for how things were set up, which you do not really notice so much the first time through because you have to absorb all the rapid fire developments. The second season is following the same pattern, and I fear it will be disappointing simply because the ending cannot have the emotional impact of what happens with Season One. I would be surprised if Jack Bauer and company make it beyond 48 hours, but we shall see.

Finally: One of the "advantages" of watching the complete first season of "24" on DVD is that you can do it less to start watching it straight through some time (of course, you have to start at midnight). I am too old to engage in such a dedicated effort, but that is no reason for the rest of your not to give it a try.

Season 1 of 24, dubbed as "The Longest Day" ranges from 12:00am to 12:00am, the full day of the presidential primary in Los Angeles. The story revolves around two men: Senator David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), an African-American presidential candidate, who is the target of assassination on that day, and CTU (CounterTerrorist Unit) agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), the man whose mission is to protect Palmer and thwart the terrorists behind the plot of achieving their goal. However, Bauer's mission has become personal. His daughter, Kim and eventually his wife, Teri are kidnapped and they, along with Bauer, are also targeted by the very same people threatening Palmer. But why? You would have to see how this plot unravels. To make matters harder, some of the people Jack works with at CTU, are working for the terrorists. Jack has the arduous task to protect Palmer and save his family, while having the right frame of mind on who to trust and not to trust in his mission to realize both his aims.

24 is wonderfully crafted and complicated that demands the viewer to watch its episode carefully, because of its meticulous real-time format. The pulse-pounding suspense can let up at certain points, but the transition scenes, whether it would be a shocking development or a pivotal juncture, kicks up the suspense a notch higher. But what makes 24 so effective is the superb acting of Kiefer Sutherland, who is in a word, masterful as Jack Bauer. He portrays Bauer as the gritty consummate professional, who would do just about anything to get the job done, even if it means walking the fine line of good and evil. At the same time, Sutherland elicits sympathy as a family man, with the desperation of a second crack at family togetherness. Haysbert pulls out a tremendous performance as Senator Palmer, an honorable and honest politician who believes in upholding the righteous ideals of American democracy. Worthy of mention is Penny Johnson Jerald, who plays Sherry Palmer, David's wife, a conniving, greedy woman, wanting nothing more than the power and popularity of being the First Lady. The two Bauer women, Teri, played by Leslie Hope and Kim, portrayed by the eye-catching Elisha Cuthbert, are solid in dealing with the unpredictability of their days. Nina Myers, played by the sultry Sarah Clarke, is impressive as Bauer's reasonably trustworthy secretary, with something up her sleeve. The rest of the supporting cast, from top to bottom are also wonderful.

In my opinion, the first season of 24 is slightly better than its successive second season because it is more unpredictable and provides higher shock value. For those who have not seen 24 in its entirety, it is best not to reveal the story and its highly detailed events in greater detail. Just sit back and watch how the story unravels, with loads of startling developments and intensity, leading up to the unforgettable, piece-de-resistance ending. I highly recommend this along with the second season DVD set, which is slated for a September release.

Now you can get the entire first book(DVD set)!!
And enjoy the entire thrill ride all at once!