24 is an innovative television drama, where the entire series takes place in one day. Each of the 24 episodes covers one hour, told in real time.

The first episode begins at midnight on the day of the California Presidential Primary. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) heads up the government's Counter-Terrorist Unit. He discovers that there's going to be an assassination attempt on Senator Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), an African-American presidential candidate. Bauer faces a battle against the clock to avert disaster.

The series follows several characters as they live through a day that none of them will forget. For Kimberly (Elisha Cuthbert) a night on the town takes an unexpected turn. Teri (Leslie Hope) sets out to find Kimberly and encounters more danger than she ever imagined possible. Senator Palmer, unaware there's going to be an attempt on his life, faces the threat of a long buried scandal resurfacing. Meanwhile, Jack, with help from his Chief-of-Staff Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke), is charged with the responsibility of stopping the assassination. But who can he trust when it appears a rogue element inside the Agency is in on the hit?

And all the time, the clock keeps ticking...