While it’s definitely true that television is perpetually on a quest for the Next Big Thing, sometimes that thing is part of an already established formula. At least that’s what FOX and the producers behind 24: Legacy are likely hoping, as the series that became famous for packing a season’s worth of action and adventure into one horrible, no good, very bad day, is now set to continue the… legacy of original series star Kiefer Sutherland. That’s a tall order, as throughout Sutherland’s nine-season run, the sound of Jack Bauer’s thunder punches and cries of “Dammit, Chloe!” became as synonymous with the series as its ever-present ticking clock.
But as the series gets set to welcome in a new lead actor and hero with Corey Hawkins taking on the role of Eric Carter, it becomes clear this new iteration is more about passing the torch than reinventing the wheel. This has been more or less evident since FOX released the first footage from the show, sharing a lengthy first-look at Legacy with potential advertisers earlier this year. But the degree to which that initial footage successfully demonstrated the potential of lifting a key component like Bauer from the series and inserting an unknown commodity like Hawkins’s Carter was surprising. While it didn’t exactly breathe new life into the concept of the long-running series, it’s not necessarily a concept that requires much in the way of rethinking.
That doesn’t necessarily mean FOX is assured a winner when the show finally premieres after the Super Bowl in February 2017. As such, the network has begun what’s sure to be a marketing onslaught for the new series over the next few months. The opening salvo of that blitz begins with a new extended trailer for Legacy that does double duty in terms of spelling out the specifics of the threat facing Carter and the CTU, while enticing potential viewers with a rundown of the show’s impressive cast.
Hawkins, of course, has seen his star rise considerably since taking on the role of Dr. Dre in the biopic Straight Outta Compton. In addition to Hawkins, though, the new trailer is sure to remind everyone that co-star Miranda Otto, who plays former head of the CTU Rebecca Ingram, was one of the best things about Homeland season 5, and that Emmy-winner Jimmy Smits (because Emmy-winner is easier than running down the impressive list of TV shows and movies Smits has been involved in over the years) also has a key role as John Donovan, a Senator making a run for president who also happens to be Ingram’s husband.
But if the cast doesn’t convince you that 24 is in good hands, then perhaps the many, many action shots will. The trailer doesn’t offer up much that hasn’t been seen before, but it does do a better job of putting the explosions, gunfights, and car chases into better perspective. By underlining the season’s overarching plot of a terrorist set on wreaking havoc on U.S. soil and exacting a little revenge on Carter and his fellow Army Rangers, the new trailer does a solid job reminding viewers why the 24 formula works so well.
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24: Legacy premieres Sunday, February 5, 2017 after the Super Bowl on FOX.
Photos: FOX
