When ’24‘ left the airwaves in 2010, Fox lost a major star, Kiefer Sutherland. The network soon realized the loss and has been working hard to get the multiple award winning star back. Their efforts have come to fruition. Sutherland will star in ‘Touch‘, a midseason series from Tim Kring, the creator of ‘Heroes‘.
Instead of trying to save the world in a day, Sutherland will portray a father of an autistic son. His character, Martin Bohn, is a widower who is frustrated because his 11-year-old son, Jake, is basically a stranger to him. Martin does not realize that his mute son is communicating, not with words, but with numbers. With the help of Arthur Dewitt (Danny Glover), a specialist on children who have a talent with numbers, Martin discovers that his son has a gift. Jake can predict events before they occur. Martin must decipher the messages from his son so he can help those involved in his son’s predictions.
‘Touch’ will be a departure from Jack Bauer, which is probably why Sutherland is excited about the role. Yes, Jack Bauer was a great character, but Sutherland has a reputation for wanting challenges and prefers not to repeat the types of roles he plays. I look forward to seeing a more subtle, nuanced performance from Sutherland, who is an excellent choice for the role. No matter which direction the show takes—grounded in science fact or reaching into the superhero sphere—Sutherland will bring realism to the show, making it accessible to a wide audience. ‘Touch‘ is scheduled to premiere this spring on Fox.
