24 Reasons I Love '24'

24. Robin Williams is a fan. My favorite funny man barely watches any TV but told me he does make time for this adrenaline pumping show.

23. Jennifer Aniston AND Ben Stiller were clamoring to get on the show but the Executive Producers apparently told them they could not appear because they were too recognizable. Ever hear of a wig and special effects makeup?

22. Shohreh Aghdashloo. This Iranian born beauty is by far one of the best, most watchable actresses around today. Her turn as the cold-hearted Dina Araz, wife of a terrorist, was by far the best thing in Day 3. I almost stopped watching when they killed her off. Almost.

21. The clock. What would the show be without this time ticking device letting us know when a commercial is coming or when our hour is up.

20. Chloe O'Brian. She's gone from geek to chic this season with some fancy new clothes and a super sleek haircut but over the past several seasons Chloe 's (Mary Lynn Rajskub) social awkwardness as a co-worker almost competes with "The Office’s" ding-a-ling, Michael Scott. At least Chloe knows how to download complicated surveillance video.

19. The boxes - Now an overused device in TV shows and movies, "24" was the first show to show us multiple scenes.

18. David Palmer. (Dennis Haysbert) The perfect president to lead the show through five seasons. His assassination at the beginning of Day 5 started last year off with a major bang. Though, come to think of it, it kind of made all of Jack's attempts to save him on Day 1 null and void.

17. Greg Sumner - that would be William Devane of "Knots Landing" fame, truly one of the most delicious, smarmy bad guys ever on a primetime soap. He survived his car cliff dive last season and will be back later on this year as Secretary of Defense Senator Heller. They didn't really need him. Isn't Donald Rumsfeld free for an acting gig?

16. Office romances - It's difficult enough to carry them on at a regular place of business but at CTU they never seem to stop. Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler. Kim Bauer and Chase. Jack and Audrey Raines. Day Six finds CTU director Bill Buchanan mixing it up with Karen Hayes while Chloe gives it another go with her ex-husband Morris, now working at CTU. Personally, I think Chloe is secretly in love with Jack Bauer and by Day 9 they will get it on.

15. Casting - The casting directors and producers of this show are so spot on with their villains. Obviously, they know their demographic includes a ton of young men. Enter Kal Penn at the beginning of Day 6 of "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" fame. Don't expect this terrorist next door to be sticking around too long. I hear a "Harold & Kumar" sequel is in the works.

14. Non-stop season - The reason I still like this show, after five seasons, is I have to wait a whole eight months for it to come back. No repeats means I never have time to forget what happened. Does anyone remember what happened last on "Grey's Anatomy" or "Heroes"?

13. Signature lines - My little Jack does need some new material but I've gotten used to him saying "I will kill you!" and "I'm going to do everything we can".
A new line is uttered this year which shows Jack's vulnerability after his Chinese torture sessions, "I can't do this anymore." You'll figure it out.

12. "Prison Break." The perfect lead-in series. Forget being on the edge of my seat. I'm just going to start sitting on the floor. How fun would a cross-over episode be. As Michael Scofield continues to try and get out of the country, he crosses paths with a terrorist chasing Jack Bauer. Nah.

11. The Valley - I call this area of Los Angeles home and it’s also the place where a lot of the private homes Jack invades are located. So, I get to see other neighborhoods while watching my favorite Monday night show.

10. Traitors - What would this show be without these? They fooled us no problem in Day 1 but now we know to suspect everyone, even if they seem on the up and up.

9. Nina Myers. (Sarah Clarke) Of course, she was the original traitor on Day 1. She came back in other days to terrorize CTU but eventually she got her due.

8. Tony Almeida. On the flip side Tony (Carlos Bernard) was the most loyal CTU agent (besides Jack) of all time. He was killed off in Day 5 but personally I think he could have stuck around as long as Jack.

7. Technology - CTU gives James Bond a run for his money. The gadgets they have flying around make my head spin sometimes. Is big brother really able to keep that good of track on us or is this just the musings of a writer with a vivid imagination?

6. Cell phones - I can barely get mine to not drop phone calls when I'm driving home on the 101 freeway. How does Jack send computer data and link up to satellite systems?

5. Suspension of disbelief - Does anyone really believe that David Palmer's brother Wayne (DB Woodside) would be elected to the presidency or that the government would get in bed with a terrorist with a twenty year history of killing innocents? Let's face it the show is pretty far fetched but I'm not complaining. I'm just along for the ride.

4. CTU. Sure it's fictitious but I feel better thinking there is someplace like this in the real world working to protect our citizens.

3. Preview screeners. Ok this one doesn't apply to many people but I'm sure happy that as a member of the TV media I can catch my shows before they air. Plus, it saves me from having to decide between shows on Monday nights.

2. Kiefer Sutherland - Emmy voters finally gave him his due this past September. He's also up for a Golden Globe Award on Monday night for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama. He hasn't won the Globe since 2002 but I'd say he's got this one in the bag. Sorry Dr. McDreamy.

1. Three letters. D-V-D. If you miss a season you can catch up back-to-back-to-back. Many all-nighters I'm sure have been spent on a 24 hour "24" marathon. Actually it's more like 18 hours since you are not subjected to commercials. The first five seasons are now available. So, get your marathon pants on.