Damn It! 24 Cancelled!

A bit behind on this one, but I've been licking my wounds over it, so forgive my tardiness.

Our good friends over at TV By The Numbers broke the news earlier this week that the eigth longest day of Jack Bauer's life will be his last. On TV anyhow. They report:

"In a joint decision made by 24’s star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, executive producer and showrunner Howard Gordon, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Imagine Entertainment and Fox Broadcasting Company, it was determined that the acclaimed series will end its remarkable eight-season run. Jack Bauer’s last day on FOX will conclude when the final two hours of “Day Eight” air Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). As the countdown to the series’ climactic conclusion races on, the final 11 hours will air uninterrupted Mondays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX."

Keifer Sutherland, the man that Jack Bauer plays (that's right) also weighed in this week:

 “This has been the role of a lifetime, and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation to everyone who made it possible. While the end of the series is bittersweet, we always wanted 24 to finish on a high note, so the decision to make the eighth season our last was one we all agreed upon. This feels like the culmination of all our efforts from the writers to the actors to our fantastic crew and everyone at Fox. Looking ahead to the future, Howard Gordon and I are excited about the opportunity to create the feature film version of 24. But when all is said and done, it is the loyal worldwide fan base that made it possible for me to have the experience of playing the role of Jack Bauer, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

On a personal level, I am devestated to see 24 go off the air. This show has been one of my favorites for the past nine years. In my eyes, it is easily the show that defined the decade and made serials such as Lost, Prison Break, and Heroes possible. This show changed television, make no mistake about it. However, with persisitent rumors over the past three years that Jack Bauer will take his rightful place on the big screen when the series ends, I am holding out hope that we have not seen the last of Jack.