'24' Spin-Offs Are On The Backburner, But Fox Still Wants To Bring The Series Back [TCA 2019]

Last summer, previous Fox network presidents Dana Walden and Gary Newman said that two 24 spinoffs were in the works. Walden and Newman knew that they would not necessarily remain at the network after the Disney/Fox merger goes through and as the final merger looms, Charlie Collier has taken over as Fox CEO. Today, he told the Television Critics Association that no iteration of 24 is currently in the works."You talk about what is the right time to jump on a moving train," Collier said during his executive session with the TCA. "You realize franchises like 24 and others I get asked about a lot. Not only are they a blessing to have in our legacy. I also think it's a responsibility to bring them back such that the creators, network and studio feel good when they do. We're not announcing anything about 24 today but have such admiration for Howard [Gordon] and all the people involved in 24. When we announce it, it's something we'll take very seriously."The two series in development last summer included a Jack Bauer prequel and a legal drama using the same real time concept. /Film followed up with Collier after the panel to see if those ideas were in fact dead."I'm not going to comment on any specific version of 24 or the others except to say that these creators, the studio, obviously the network, we love these franchises," Collier said. "What we want to do is honor them in ways that all those three parties and the fans who ask us so much about it, we want to honor it. So we will bring it back when everyone feels like it's the best version of that franchise. What you don't want to do is bring it back just to do it. You want to bring it back with class. When we're ready, we'll do that."Both of the proposals for new 24 shows sounded like the creators were taking it in the right new directions. The show certainly got into a rut maintaining the real time formula in the Kiefer Sutherland seasons – even 24: Legacy fell into the same grooves. A legal drama could re-energize the format. A Jack Bauer prequel could be more of the same, but would at least feature a character who hadn't honed his enhanced interrogation craft over nine seasons.If those were going to be more of the same, it could be a good thing that Collier is taking a pause and working to make sure any new 24 has something new to add to the franchise.Last year also saw the X-Files revival effectively end when Gillian Anderson said she no longer wants to play Scully. We asked Collier if he is looking for ways to keep The X-Files going, but his answer was the same."I've been here a few weeks," Collier said. "You get there and you have the amazing legacy of X-Files, 24 and 90210 and Melrose Place and on and on and on. One at a time we'll talk to the creators and see if they have a vision that we can share with the studios. If we do and we can make the economics work, we'd look at them all. Nothing to share today but what I love is the enthusiasm. I get more questions about these franchises. It really is meaningful and it is a great place to start."A 90210 reboot is in the works, but is shopping around to multiple networks. Collier confirmed that Fox has had a look."When 90210 is in the market, Fox is going to see that pitch," he said.