24 - Can I watch Season 2 if I didn't watch Season 1
 

I would like to get into 24 but haven't watched one show of Season 1. Will I understand it???? Thanks in advance..

My guess is that, while you won't get some of the inside jokes or completely understand the relationships between some of the characters at first, you'll be able to understand what's going on. Although many of the characters are returning from last year, it's a whole new plot taking place within a new 24 hour period. I also bet that the writers will provide whatever explanations are necessary for new viewers to pick up the essentials.

And we here in the forums can help you with any questions. :)

Enjoy! I'm really looking forward to this.

I'm fairly sure that they will explain enough for you to understand it. However, huge parts of Season 1 will be spoiled for you, and that's a damn_shame.

My suggestion: Start taping 24 Season 2, but don't watch it. Rent/buy Season 1, watch it, and enjoy 24 of the greatest hours of television ever. Then get back to Season 2 and start watching it.

Ratings were so bad for the first season that I'm sure there will be plenty of exposition to get new viewers on board.

But, as was said, you'll be spoiled the main points of the first season, which wouldn't be very good. Speaking of not very good though, I'm one of those who thought the first season was so cliche and laughably bad in parts that it wouldn't really bother me to have missed it. But that's just my opinion.

So, you really have to decide whether you intend to watch the entire first season at some time. If you do, then you need to watch it first. If you're not planning on watching it and just want to know if you can jump in at this point, then I think the answer is yes. I would guess they'll find a way to bring people up to speed in the first episode.

das

Cling was right. You can easily pick up starting with tonight's episode and the plot will move very fast and you'll understand though who are the main characters. However, besides missing crucial past interaction between the "old" characters, you will also unequivocally find out how the first season ended, which is a major spoiler in case you want to fully enjoy it at some point.

How did this show make it back if its ratings were so bad? Last I heard people were calling it some of the best TV out there at the time.

its got a major cult like following. this tonight after all the hype will probably be a top 20 show this season.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth Dr. DVD •<HR SIZE=1>How did this show make it back if its ratings were so bad? Last I heard people were calling it some of the best TV out there at the time. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

It was renewed at the halfway point to avoid embarassment after the insane amount of promotion FOX put into it. It was renewed for a second season after garnering numerous award nominations. Unfortunately, the way they farted around with renewing it the first time backed the writers into a corner and caused some incredibly lame episodes (IMO). Hopefully, with a full season guaranteed, they'll be able to write a more legitimate story. Writers have commented, though, that the audience can't handle the concept of the show when written correctly, so it may be dumbed down even further this time. Who knows which will win out.

I'll be watching since I think they were close to getting it right last season, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that it wouldn't have been so lame had they been able to write the full season like they originally intended.

das

Actually, this show was never in danger of being cancelled. It was Dana Walden's baby from the beginning and it was going to run all year regardless of ratings. Joel got the official word 3 episodes into the season, but the public announcement didn't come until much later.

The writers (read Exec Prods) have stated publicly about the not knowing about being cancelled as the reason the episodes were uneven, but what it actually was was that Fox had decided during the first season that season two would not be in real time.

It was picked up for the 2nd season before the first season was over (prior to the majority of award nominations) because the ratings climbed in the second half of the season, because Fox thought they'd try it without the gimmick, and because yes, Fox spent more on this show's promotion than any show in the history of TV.

Fox changed their mind about the real-time thing once the awards started rolling in.

Here's all you need to know about season one:

It's...just...one...of...those...DAYS!

Ah ... then why did the writing suck so much as the series went on? Was it just that they were starting to make the transition out of the 24 hour format and got jumbled up in indecision? The writing is really uneven for a stretch of episodes, and some plot points seem like someone just randomly made it up on the way into work that day.

das

IMPO, das, it is because Joel "stepped away" for a brief time. Now, I am not a fan of this show anyway, so my opinion may mean squat, but I do think its best episodes were when Joel was running things and not Robert Cochran.

I have no idea what episodes you're referring to, but around eps 8-14 Joel was not running things as much as normal due to certain battles with studio folk and some personal issues he was going through.

Can you explain further?

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth BoatDrinks •<HR SIZE=1>IMPO, das, it is because Joel "stepped away" for a brief time. Now, I am not a fan of this show anyway, so my opinion may mean squat, but I do think its best episodes were when Joel was running things and not Robert Cochran.

I have no idea what episodes you're referring to, but around eps 8-14 Joel was not running things as much as normal due to certain battles with studio folk and some personal issues he was going through. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd have check my DVDs to see which hours were when, but I can remember making the statement that the first 7 hours were great, but after that it all went sour, and even when it got better it wasn't as good.

das

SPOILERS


Okay, I have only watched up to episode 13 on my DVD set, but it seems as thought that episode ended on a beat that it could have ended the show with had it been cancelled.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth Static Cling •<HR SIZE=1>Can you explain further? <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Remember around the time everyone was wondering if the show would be renewed for the second half, a few of the producers made statements that perhaps the format was too "complex" for the American audience, and that's why the ratings were so low. Somewhere around that point, the 24-hour format got a bit more "loose" and IMO the plot started to get a bit silly too.

At the time, there was all sorts of talk about how if the show was renewed, just ditching the 24-hour format altogether because it demanded too much attention from a fickle audience. This meshes pretty much with what <B>BoatDrinks</B> is saying too.

I don't remember the specifics, but I remember reading more than one interview where low ratings were blamed on the format requiring the audience to see every episode and a conscious decision to loosen up that restriction in the future. It sounds like the award nominations kept them from abandoning the format completely as was discussed at the time. The question that rests in my mind is if the writing will be "loose" like the bad episodes from last season or if they'll try again to stick to the format. My guess, unfortunately, is that the powers of average will win out, since average is what brings in ratings. But as I said, I'll give it the chance before I condemn it. They started off so strong last year. If they can run at that level for a whole season, I think it could be damn good.

das

At this point last year, people thought the hype would make it a huge hit. It wasn't, and I don't see what that would change this year. IMO, 24 is a cult show and will always be a cult show.

I don't think of it as a cult show so much as I consider it demanding on the audience (the hallmark of most cult shows). The typical idiot viewer can't just randomly tune in 3 or 4 times during the season and find much enjoyment from it. With all the promotion sunk into this thing and the awards it received, I imagine it grabs a more mainstream audience than the typical cult show.

das

I didn't watch season one, but the following article from today's USA Today seems to give me enough of the major plot lines from Season 1.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...nty-four_x.htm