Creatively, what was the toughest obstacle you've had to face?

We already did the attempt on Palmer's life, so the biggest obstacle was how to continue to keep the heat on the show, even though that seems to have culminated. And we did keep the heat.

Kiefer Sutherland nabbed a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Jack Bauer. What did you see in his prior performances that made you think he could pull off the role?

First of all, I didn't know if he could pull off Bauer. We loved him as an actor. What he has is a lot of anger. He sort of reminds me of Gene Hackman in a way: He's kind of a tough, angry guy. You channel that and turn him into a hero, you got a really volatile, potent character.

What I didn't know that he could pull off was being the father and stepping into full manhood, which he has. Some people age into really good parts and I think he will be one of those people.

According to the trades, Dennis Hopper is close to signing on as the mastermind behind Senator Palmer's assassination. Can you confirm this little tidbit?

Yeah, I think the deal's done. That's all I'll say.

Before "24" even hit the air, Fox hyped it to the hilt and critics gave it glowing reviews. Did you ever fear the show wouldn't live up to the high expectations set for it?

No, I knew the show would live up to it. However, it's like introducing a comedian with, "Ladies and gentleman, the funniest man on the planet!" What helped us on the pilot is that there were no expectations. We were under the radar and we surprised everybody. I think the show has lived up to the hype, but I think people are kind of turned off by overhype anyway.

How did film director Stephen Hopkins get involved in the project?

We actually had hired this director Jamie Foley. He had done "Glengarry Glen Ross" and other wonderful films. He had a family tragedy and had to leave the show and we were a week from prep -- maybe we were even in prep on the pilot -- and we needed a director. I had heard of the movies he [Stephen Hopkins] had done, but I had never met him and didn't really know much about him. We met him and clicked instantly. It's just one of those lucky accidents for us. He's a tour-de-force director, second to nobody in terms of episode directing.

"24" makes effective use of the split-screen technique to up the tension factor. Did you always envision using this device or was this a conceit of Stephen Hopkins?

It was Hopkins and David Thompson, our editor, who started using it in the pilot because we had a lot of phone calls. Then it grew from there.

How much research did you do with real counterterrorist organizations? Was the government cooperative?

The government has been very cooperative since we never called them once to ask them for anything. They just take taxes out of our paychecks; that's how we cooperate with them.

The premiere of "24" (featuring an airplane bombing) was delayed in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. At any point, did you ever think the show might never make it to air because of the sensitive subject matter? Was it uncomfortable to watch that first show so shortly after the attacks?

No, but we did cut out the plane explosion. That was uncomfortable.

"24" is one of three espionage-themed shows to premiere this season. What attracted you to this particular genre in the first place?

Well, [Robert Cochran] and I did "La Femme Nikita," so international espionage is an area we know and have done successfully. We felt that it was a good area for this format.

Give us some insight into your working relationship with Cochran. How do you divide the duties between yourselves? What's a typical day like while producing a weekly series?

I come up with all the ideas and he writes them down.

Do you think if he were here, he'd say the same thing?

[Laughs] I don't know. I have him locked up in a cage. No, we do everything together. What we really bring to the table more than anything else is we can sit in a room and crank out story after story. We did 96 episodes of "Nikita" together, 44 of "The Commish," 22 of "Falcon Crest." We've done hundreds of hours of story breaking together, which is the hardest part of our job.

Many people think "La Femme Nikita" was terminated before its time. What was the biggest challenge translating Luc Besson's film to the small screen? Are you surprised by the program's continued cult following?

No, it was a really cool show and in some ways, every bit as groundbreaking as this one in terms or how far and deep it went and how intense it got. The biggest challenge was making Nikita a likable character. In the movie she wasn't, so we made some changes to make her more heroic.

As a die-hard "Prisoner" fanatic, I loved your show "Nowhere Man" and was pretty pissed when UPN yanked it. Many critics explained the cancellation by saying the series was too intelligent and "out there" for the average viewer. Do you agree? Without biting the hands that feed you, what do you think of the majority of TV audiences out there?

Hey, listen, I was told at the very beginning of my career that there are as many people out there watching with I.Q.s over 100 as under 100. I think it's a big country, there's a lot of different people; there's enough for everybody. There're "dumb guy" shows, and "smart guy" shows and "old lady" shows and "young lady" shows. "The West Wing" and "The Sopranos": These are very intelligent shows and they're very successful. So I don't ever buy the fact that the audience isn't smart.

Assuming "24" gets renewed for another season, do you already have definitive ideas as to how you'd like the show to evolve?

Yeah, I'd like it to get better ratings.

Which shows currently on TV do you most admire? Are there any you watch regularly?

Well, I used to watch "ER" all the time the first couple seasons; I admire that show a lot. "The Sopranos" I watched the first season; I thought it was great.

In your professional opinion, what do I have a better chance of getting -- a staff writing position on "24" ... or Sarah Clarke's phone number?

Um ... they're both available for a price.

We'll negotiate later.

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