As Jack Bauer's latest adventures have kicked off, it's been assumed in many quarters that the current eighth season will bring the television adventures of Kiefer Sutherland's indestructible superhero to an end. Sutherland's deal runs out after season eight, and you'd have to generously say that the show peaked with season five, and has been running downhill since.

Maybe that'll all turn around with season eight, which has got off to a decent start, but the problem is that when your show relies so heavily on twists and turns, the audience gets to the point where it knows its conventions inside out. As such, the biggest twist that 24 could pull right now would be to play it straight for a year, and to have everyone be who they appear to be. Whichever way it goes, there's a bit of a feeling that 24 has run its course, and at the very least, it could use a bit of a break.

However, there's been talk of a Jack Bauer movie at some point (which we all wittily assume will be called ‘2'), but it seems that there may yet be a ninth season of the show in the offing. The producers have been talking up the possibility, with discussions over the future of the show set for the next month or so. And Sutherland himself clearly isn't resistant. On the press tour to promote season 8, he said, ""It's something that is absolutely open ... As long as people are still interested in watching it, I would be interested in making it."

Executive producer Howard Gordon has also admitted that the writing team are intrigued by the possibility of another run, and we're getting a distinct vibe that a new series may yet be commissioned. Particularly so in the light of the ratings for season 8 thus far.

With Fox cancelling underperforming shows aplenty over the past year or two, 24 is one of the few solid scripted hits it's got. We'd imagine that as much blood is, therefore, going to be beaten out of the stone as possible.

Expect an announcement on 24 season 9 in the next month or two...