As the television incarnation of “24” nears a close, we look back at the finest hours from its eight pulsating seasons...

Season 1 – 11:00am – 12:00pm

Hinting at what was to come, our first chance to see Jack Bauer take no shit and no prisoners – he actually frees them – sees him break into Gaines’ camp, snatch his wife and daughter back and blow all manner of things up in the process. Cue gun fights, explosions and a head of hair any man in his 40’s would be proud of – where did that go?

Season 2 – 10:00pm – 11:00pm

With Season 2 really upping the action stakes, and making some serious boobs in the process (the now infamous Kim and the Cougar episode), what better way to bow out early than save the day in the process. George Mason’s heroic flight into the sunset (actually it was a desert crater) brought a tear to many a grown man’s eye. There was still another 9 hours to go as well. At least he got the silent clock treatment.

Season 3 – 6:00am – 7:00am

Shifting from actual bombs to chemical ones, Season 3 stands out as the most interesting of the lot. A shame then that it shifted to Sky meaning millions of viewers had to stump up the cash or find alternate ways of watching Jack kick butt. Those that did were rewarded with some genuinely startling moments. After a race against time to try and pin down the bad guy Jack has no choice but to give into his demands and execute annoying but loyal Division dweeb Ryan Chapelle. A horrible train depot setting and a gut-wrenching Death Row ticking clock make this a stand out moment from a stand out season.

Season 4 – 6:00am – 7:00am

Perhaps signalling a possible early finish to the show, the final episode of Season 4 has it all – dangling suspects, close missile misses, dramatic deaths, backroom deals and a dead Bauer – or is he? What better way to end four seasons of carnage than with Jack coming back from the dead, like Jesus, and walking off into the sunrise. Jesus opted for a cloud into heaven but I doubt that’s Jack’s style.

Season 5 – 10:00pm – 11:00pm

Regarded by many fans as the best season of the lot, the first episode killed off two firm favourites (Palmer, Michelle) and set up a new set of characters to slew. What made this season so great, and with a pleasing return in the current series was Gregory Itzin’s creepy President Charles Logan. With its terrific cliff hanger moment and the whole series’ best plot twist – the Pres is the bad guy, episode 16 is great television. Now Palmer would never have gone to the dark side would he?

Season 6 – 9:00am – 10:00am

After Season 5’s great heights, “24” had a long way to fall and Season 6 is thought of by many as its weakest. With family shenanigans taking a lead role, at least it all started well, with Jack failing to save the day for once (he had another 20 hours to redeem himself). Fresh from a Chinese torture camp, Jack can’t stop a nuclear bomb going off in the city – only the second mushroom cloud of the whole series. Jack thinks of making a swift exit to LAX for Shanghai – though it’s only fair he stays to help I suppose.

Season 7 – 7:00pm – 8:00pm

After a poor reception for Season 6, the writers had to pull out all the stops to get the pulses racing once more, and managed a real coup with the whole eight series’ best overall hour so far. A terrific raid on the White House and more tension in 5 minutes than Fincher managed with 2 hours of panic room time at his disposal, the episode concludes with a red-faced President Taylor. The only President slapping of the whole eight seasons, even if Logan deserved a few.

Season 8 – 6:00pm – 7:00pm

With only 6 hours to go, Season 8 is shaping up nicely. Hassan’s death, Renee’s shooting are all contenders for great moments, but Season 8’s most heart-racing scene was in fact pretty early on. As the UN is evacuated, wannabe Jack (Cole) saves the day by diverting Hassan’s car at the last moment with his own vehicle and nearly dying in the process. If he’d have known the Iranian Pres would be dead in a few hours he might have thought twice – but then that sort of attitude never got CTU anywhere did it?

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