Time Winds Down on 24

Ding dong, 24 is done.

After eight rocky, mostly terrific seasons, the clock is running out on the Emmy-winning real-time Fox drama this year.

Star Kiefer Sutherland promises that producing a ninth season for another network, like NBC, which was rumored to want to pick it up, is not an option because he and exec producer Howard Gordon are calling it quits.

“The writers are producing the equivalent of 12 films a year, which is unheard of, and Howard felt to do a ninth would be potentially damaging,” the actor said. “We both felt strongly that there has been a demand and an interest in a 24 film, which would be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day, so we felt it was time to move in that direction.”

Sounds good to me, like the sensible thing to do, albeit a couple of seasons too late. I’m still a fan, though, and I look forward to the movie.

Photo: EW.com.