"24" is a TV thriller presented in "real time" with each minute of airtime that corresponds to a minute in the lives of the characters. "24" employs fast-paced and complex stories, and often contains unexpected plot twists. Though each day's events typically revolve around thwarting an impending terrorist attack, each season is made up of various interwoven story threads. These may run for just one hour, but more usually run over several hours. These typically involve investigations of leads on terrorists, tracking suspects, and averting attacks. The exact objective of the day evolves over the course of the season as the antagonists adapt, contingencies arise, and larger scale operations unfold.
The first season's storyline starts at 12:00 a.m. on the day of the California presidential primary.
Four years after the events of Day 8, Jack Bauer remains a federal fugitive. Meanwhile, amid growing concerns over the use of US military drones in combat, President James Heller pays a historic visit to London to negotiate a treaty to continue their basing on British soil. Having heard rumors of an imminent attack against Heller, Bauer resurfaces in the city, where he is apprehended by the CIA and forcibly recruited into joining their investigation, with the promise of amnesty in return for his co-operation. As forces within the White House conspire against him, Bauer realizes that the complexity of the plot extends beyond a presidential assassination, and that the consequences of a successful attack will alter the course of history. With the help of a disgraced CIA agent and a hacker collective preaching free information, he must confront an unseen enemy whose personal vendetta threatens to push the world to the brink of war.