As far as revivals go,24: Legacyfalls somewhere between inevitable and a shock.

Hell, my emotions were so twisted; I wanted Jack to return in some form too.

But part of me wanted them to pull the trigger.

Essentially I got what I was asking for afterLAD: A refreshed24.

Thats nice when you go to work.

Its a huge vote of confidence.

Its also a safe bet that the24brand will deliver the results the Fox suits want.

Fox was not clamoring for us to do this, says Coto.

They thought it was an interesting idea.

We had this idea for the pilot and we thought it was make a great real-time series.

Its not like were restarting the Kiefer story.

Thats where a lot of franchises over stay their welcome.

Were starting a new story.

I think Jack Bauer was already a hardened, seasoned veteran, Hawkins says.

Were going to go on this journey with this young man with his family and watch it evolve.

Were going to watch him make moral decisions, thats the difference.

Hawkins says its not a total departure from Bauer, however.

I think he does [have similar traits to Jack Bauer], Hawkins says.

You sort of have to.

Hes a hero, an American hero, a soldier.

He exemplifies the best of that.

Because hes a soldier, the rules are different on the homefront.

Over the course of the season, you see him adjust from being a soldier to civilian life.

I have members of my family who are in the military.

I have friends who are in the military.

Classmates who served in the military.

I value their service and I value telling this story and doing justice to it, Hawkins says.

Returning to normalcy after military service is a constant battle for soldiers.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sends ripple affects through veterans lives and the lives of their families.

Its not just Eric.

Carter, like Bauer, will work with CTU, which is undergoing major changes as well.

The show reflects the fact that the face of terrorism has changed, says Otto.

That was one of the things that drew me into the script.

I felt it was a real representation of what is actually happening at this moment.

Adds Hawkins: In 2001, terrorism was fought in a completely different way.

We didnt have the technology we have now for surveillance, for counter-terrorism.

CTU in turn looks very different than it looked back then.

The Clock Is Still Ticking

Visual and energetic continuity are the connective threads from24to its spinoff.

Real time, multiple boxes, and the clock ticking.

All of that visualization really engaged fans on so many levels.

Its not really a reboot, its a reinvigoration, and an expansion of this particular universe.

Despite it being a new story, it was easier for Otto to step into a seasoned production.

Its more pressure to be on a show that doesnt know what it is.

Thats always a really chaotic period on shows, Otto says.

It feels like youre going into a well-run ship already.

Then its just a matter of creating these new characters.

The best way they put it: The series is theCSIto theCSI: Miamifor the24universe.