In the entertainment industry, forays into the real-time genre (films or shows where for each second that elapses in real life, exactly one second elapses on screen in the show) have been rare and usually unsuccessful. The most notable example is the 1995 film "Nick of Time" starring Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken and directed by John Badham. Boasting solid performances, the film's performance at the box office was dragged down by a poor ad campaign and lukewarm reviews by the critics. Aside from that, there was also the issue that the movie was not in real time, even though it had been advertised as such. "Nick of Time" went on to gross a paltry eight million dollars at the box office.

It's not surprising, then, that in 2001, when Robert Cochran (writer for the shows "La Femme Nikita" and "JAG") took the idea of a show called "24" to Fox executives, the response was not exactly breathtaking. The show was to take place over the course of a period of 24 hours. Each episode would be shot in real time; hence 24 episodes would be required in order to complete the season. Cochran teamed up with director Stephen Hopkins (director of "Blown Away" and "Predator 2") to create the pilot episode. When it was shown, everybody was amazed that not only had they pulled it off, they had pulled it off well. "24" quickly received approval and critics began boasting of the series' genius even before the first episode had aired. The show eventually went on to receive an Emmy nomination for "Best Drama."

The first season of "24" chronicled one day (beginning at midnight) of the life of Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland, for which he received an Emmy nomination), who works at a fictional government agency called the Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) in California. CTU itself is loaded with enough spy equipment to make any techno-junky happy: Satellite imagine, computer hacking, as well as an assortment of weapons are used during the course of the series. "But how exciting could an hour be?" you might ask. Well, in the first episode we discover that during the course of Jack's day, there will be an assassination attempt on an African-American presidential candidate, David Palmer (played by Dennis Haysbert), an act that could "tear this country apart." Jack has been ordered, at all costs, to stop this from happening. Furthermore, it's very possible that somebody in the agency is involved in the attempt, probably somebody that is close to Jack. Additionally, Jack's daughter, Kim (played by Elisha Cuthbert), has been kidnapped by two college hooligans (are they connected with the plot?) and Jack's wife, Teri (played by Leslie Hope) is driving around the city looking for her. At the end of the episode, Bauer is about to join Teri when he hears news that a 747 has just exploded above the Mojave desert in an act possibly related to the assassination attempt. And we haven't even gotten to hour two yet.

At several points in the episode, a digital clock is seen at the bottom of the screen, ticking away the seconds. This is a major part of the appeal of "24": Not only can you look at your own watch and match up the time, but whenever somebody on screen says "I'll be there in 30 minutes," they'll actually be there in 30 minutes. Each episode has a sense of immediacy that non-real-time shows lack, a sense that everything is happening right now. But the real-time method never seems gimmicky or contrived; rather it is used effectively as a story-telling device to heighten the suspense.

"24" also boasts the use of another filmic technique that has only been used rarely and unsuccessfully in the past: The split-screen (a method that was "pioneered" unsuccessfully in Michael Figgis' terrible film "Time Code"). During many points in an episode, the screen will split up into four or five different separate screens and you can see what each character is going through during that point in the show, since the characters are usually in completely different locations. Not only does this enforce the real-time aspect, as the characters are doing what they're doing simultaneously, but it also helps the viewer to keep track of what is happening to each person. It also looks pretty damn cool.

But even putting aside the real-time aspect and the split-screen, this show has everything.

The characterizations are rich and the relationships complex. Jack and Teri are just rebuilding their marriage and during the course of the series, Jack's co-worker, Nina (played by Sarah Clark), gets caught in the middle of the mess. The relationship between Teri and Kim is also developed and tested. We also discover that David Palmer has a more than complex relationship with his wife, and Palmer's children may have a past that could cost him the presidency. All of the actors portray their characters with depth and with sublime emotion. It is an extremely well-selected cast for which the show received an Emmy nomination for "Best Casting."

Each episode is tightly constructed with enough twists and turns to make any conspiracy theorist happy. Aside from the ongoing plot of the assassination attempt, each episode ends with a "hook" for the next episode. For example, in the final seconds of the first episode, a woman in a black jumpsuit is seen parachuting out of the 747 that exploded. Is this person the assassin? In another episode, one of Kim's friends who is hit by a car is presumed to be dead, yet she seems to be a live just as the camera cuts to black. In this sense, each show of "24" is torture; the fact that you have to wait a week to find out what happens in the next hour is quite excruciating. The show is so suspenseful that many critics have called it "an act of masochism" to watch, so well-done are the mini-cliffhangers at the end of each episode.

So why write a review about "24" after the fact? The first season has been over for some time now. Well, for starters, season one in its entirety, all 24 episodes, is now available for an insanely low price on DVD. If you've longed for a show that makes you wish you could do nothing but watch it until its completion, this is the show for you, and the DVD collection now makes that wish possible.

The second, and far more important reason, is that Fox decided to pick up the show for a second season, which is now unofficially being called "Day 2." The season premier is on Tuesday, the eve of October 29th, and will be presented on Fox without commercial interruption. This is a rare act for any network and obviously demonstrates Fox's faith in how the show will perform. If after the first episode you aren't hooked for the next 23 hours, make sure to check your pulse.