In January 2009 the wait will be over. 24 is back with its seventh season and to kick-start its return, Sky1 and Sky1 HD are exclusively screening a two-hour real-time prequel to Day 7, 24: REDEMPTION.

In the final hours of Day 6, Jack Bauer (Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Kiefer Sutherland) was a soul in turmoil, and has since been moving from place to place to try and find peace. 24: REDEMPTION picks up with Jack now lying low in the African town of Sangala with soldier-turned-humanitarian Carl Benton (BAFTA winner and Emmy® nominee Robert Carlyle, The Full Monty, Flood). Carl, a former Special Forces operative, has turned his back on his old life to start a school that provides child war victims with a safe haven. However, Jack’s hopes of settling are short lived, as he finds himself caught up in a coup d’état against a powerful African warlord (Tony Todd, Candyman) that spirals out of control.

Back in the United States, it is Inauguration Day for the first female president, Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones, Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Twelve). Taylor is preparing to take over from President Noah Daniels (Emmy® winner Powers Boothe, Sin City, Deadwood) when she hears news of the crisis in Africa from her Chief of Staff, Tom Lennox (Emmy® winner Peter MacNicol, Ally McBeal). Meanwhile, US State Department officer Frank Tramell (Gil Bellows, The Shawshank Redemption, Ally McBeal) teams up with the leader of a private military company, Jonas Hodges (Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner Jon Voight, Deliverance, Ali), to pull the strings and raise the stakes for what will be Jack’s most challenging days yet.

New addition to the cast Robert Carlyle has known Kiefer Sutherland for many years, and commented that he “kept asking me to come and do it. So I had no choice but to say, ‘Okay Jack Bauer’.” Carlyle added that shooting in Africa was “fantastic” and that the prequel serves as a “great beginning” to the new season – “if they can follow this up then they will be doing very well”. For Sutherland, the script was “one of the best [he’s] ever read” and “up there” with his favourite 24 episodes. Executive producer Howard Gordon added, “We’re excited about the prequel because it explores Jack’s complex emotional state and still has all the signature excitement and suspense that fans have come to expect from 24. Shooting in South Africa affirms everyone’s commitment to making this season especially memorable.”

24: Redemption promises two hours of high octane and tension-filled action, with every second captured in glorious high definition. Airing in late November (Week 48), exclusively on Sky1 and Sky1 HD.

24 Day 7 begins in early January on Sky1 and Sky1 HD with the return of a vengeful Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) and the introduction of new characters including FBI Agent Janis Gold (Jeneane Garofalo, The West Wing). Jack will be standing trial for war crimes, CTU is no more and Jonas Hodges will be continuing his villainous actions. Prior to the brand new season, Sky2 will be giving viewers a chance to catch up on all the action by screening all episodes of Day 6 back to back.