24 first aired 15 years ago, but the Kiefer Sutherland series almost did not make it to FOX. It was a matter of budgets and money that almost blocked the series from airing on the network.

Sandy Grushow, the former chairman of the Fox Television Entertainment Group, spoke about the early days of the series in an interview with The Wrap. He said the following:

“It’s a great example of how fragile these things are and how many twists and turns they take along the way. They could go south a thousand different ways. Gail would send to me a pile of drama and comedy scripts that represented the shows that she thought were worthy of consideration for pilots. Within the pile of dramas was ’24’ — it was a tremendous script. You could tell just by reading it that it was really distinctive and groundbreaking. It was the first time I had ever seen a story told in real time. … with the dramatic ticking clock. The whole economic challenge came down to the hyper-serialized aspect of the series. Since we were going to be on the hook for both network license fee and studio deficit, the whole thing could have been a financial bloodbath, which is why there was any hesitation at all about ordering it.”

Grushow did reveal that the move to California and the casting of Kiefer Sutherland posed financial issues. The events of 9/11 also had an impact on the series once it premiered. However, 24 survived, and a revival is set to air on FOX in February.

Are you a fan of 24? Will you watch 24: Legacy? Tell us what you think.