Each DVD in the six DVD set of "24 Season One" starts off with the FBI/INTERPOL warning, then the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Logo, then the "24" animated logo. Fairly soon, we're at the simple main menu, with the theme music running rather dramatically in the background, which presents the four episodes on the disc as a range of time in hourly intervals, and a Subtitles menu.
24 season 1 menu example
The show is presented in 16:9 anamorphic video. The picture is crisp and clear, though some of the darker scenes reveal film grain. Each episode runs about 43 minutes. There are no chapter stops.
The Subtitles menu lets you choose from: English, Spanish, Off.
Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is a counterterrorism agent embroiled in a plot to assassinate a presidential candidate.
This show has some of the most engaging drama I've seen for a TV show lately. The hook is that the plot unfolds in real-time, and the 24 episodes represent 24 hours of time. The characters are very engaging. Nearly every show leads to the death of a major supporting character, so the twists the story takes will often leave you wondering what will happen next, and who is really the good guy and who is the bad guy.
An interesting technique used in the show, is the use of multiple panels to show parallel action. This technique is not overused, so it stays interesting when it happens, mostly during scene transitions, or for phone conversations.
Panels in 24
You'll have to overlook, if you're a techie like me, how technology works. Technology is more of plot devices in the show, than a representation of how things work. For example, how does one derive a password given a phone number?
You'll have to, also, overlook the transition of dusk and dawn, when the directors don't seem to keep tight continuity over how much daylight is left.
I know that if you've seen later seasons, some of the surprise of season one will be lost on you. Don't worry, though. The part that'll really hook you is, not wondering what happened in the end, but what happened in each episode! You'll be asking yourself, "what will each character do next?"
Kiefer Sutherland is agent Jack Bauer
Note that there's an introduction to season one by Kiefer Sutherland on disc six, of all ridiculous places. You'll also find a cheesy alternate ending.
Overall, 24 season 1 is very engaging, and would be a good demo for a home theater.
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