Time-related jokes are running rampant in the Hollywood media – time's up, the clock's winding down, tick tock, and so on. The jokes are obvious, but the subject is serious: Fox may be cancelling 24, Kiefer Sutherland's long-running, real-time serial about Jack Bauer and the many ways he's saved the world.

While studio and network executives are not publicly commenting, behind the scenes parties are saying the decision will be made soon ("Tick, Tock: The Clock's Stopped for '24,'" 9 March 2010). If true, the cancellation isn't terribly surprising; 24's ratings haven't been fantastic, the show is very expensive to produce, and the latest seasons have been knocked by critics and fans alike. Its cancellation – along with the final season of Lost – means that broadcast will lose two of its highest-profile serialized dramas.

Fox on 24

Of the decision to renew or not, Fox's Kevin Reilly recently said: "It's a very tough call. It's a huge part of our legacy, and there's not a lot of shows that could do a 9 share against the Olympics. Tremendous sales asset for us still; a show we're so very proud of creatively. So it's not an easy call" ("Fox's Reilly talks fall pilots, '24,' 'Target,' Cowell," 4 March 2010). In some ways 24 might end up a victim of Fox's success. With Bones and House still going strong, one of broadcast's only legitimate hits this season in Glee, and Fox's strong animated and reality shows, the network has few spots from which to launch new series. And new series are the lifeblood of any network. 24 also follows House, prime network real estate that they may want to use to launch its next generation of hits. That leaves 24 in a tenuous position.

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