IN a TV world where even Tony Soprano can get shot in the gut in the season opener, nobody is safe. And if Fox's "24" is any indication, not only can any character go at any time, there likely won't be a lack of company.
"Not Edgar!" the show's fans screamed in e-mails to the writers, on Internet blogs and even to other "24" actors on the street last week after Louis Lombardi's nerdy and sweet computer genius inhaled nerve gas and fell to his death as his close friends watched from behind protective glass. Still reeling from that loss, "24" viewers were dealt two more blows Monday night: Lynn McGill (Sean Astin), who annoyed as a boss, redeemed himself by dying to save Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and the rest of the CTU gang from the seeping gas; and Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) died in Bauer's arms at the end of the episode. Almeida was trying to avenge the murder of his wife, Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth), who died in this season's premiere, marked also by the surprising assassination of former U.S. President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert).
In an already risky industry in which shows get canceled without notice, there is no such thing as job security for actors no matter how beloved their character or how long they have been playing him or her -- even on a hit show. The lack of character-centered dramas in film has allowed for a renaissance in television, but the 200-channel universe has made it tougher to hold the attention of the audience, so writers have had to raise the stakes. For stories that deal with terrorism, crime and even the supernatural, death often becomes a logical outcome.
"You have to grab the audience, and I don't think you have to be sensational, but you have to be emotionally honest no matter what you're doing," "24" executive producer Howard Gordon said. "Shock for shock value will never work if it's not attached to something with emotional integrity. As a writer, it does make you dig a little deeper and look a little harder to get a result."
As audiences are opting to stay out of movie theaters and spend more time on the sofa, shows such as "24," "Lost," "The Shield" and "The Sopranos" are fulfilling the appetite for drama. This renaissance in television also attracts A-list actors, directors and writers who are willing to experiment with genres and storytelling that leaves viewers with their jaws dropped.
