Jack Bauer and Anil Jhakass Kapoor: The fireworks begin

I'm not a 24 loyalist, but you don't need to be as you can dive straight into any season -- I've seen and enjoyed seasons 1, 2 and (in a bit of a guilty pleasure way) 5 with great, summer-blockbuster glee -- and the show makes sure it throws you into the deep-end.

For those unaware of the undeniably brilliant (and undeniably gimmicky) format, each season consists of 24 episodes, each based in realtime, therefore the show's action annually taking place in one pretty intense day's work.

Season 8 begins from 4pm, and while we see Keifer Sutherland's Jack Bauer now enjoying life as a grandfather -- one who never, ever takes off his leather jacket -- there are high-stakes peace talks afoot as American President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones, doing a good Hillary) squares off with the President of Kamistan, Omar Hassan (played by our very own Anil Kapoor).

Kapoor plays the part with an easy charm, his character being a disarming head of state who started as a salesman. Kapoor's natural earnestness sees him through, and he brings an appropriate amount of polish -- even when undercut by a heavy 'middle-eastern' inflection -- to the part. His character seems rather grateful toward America, but his commitment to his fictional country aside, there seems to be significant intrigue in the way he liasons with a pretty blonde reporter (the pretty Jennifer Westfeldt from Kissing Jessica Stein).

Jack, of course, is retiring. He wants to move with daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) to LA, but his suitcase-stuffing is interrupted by a bleeding informant who has news on an attempt to assassinate President Hassan, 'today.'

Jack can't help but be forced into the line of duty, and while he might have aged and the show seems to have gotten schlockier, it's great big-screen masala fun -- especially as the brooding look in Kapoor's eyes constantly suggests there's much more to his character than just being a target-practice figurehead.

It's the start of a potentially explosive new season, and it'll be good to see Sutherland and Kapoor find themselves dynamic, even if -- as a fanboy friend said on Twitter yesterday -- they spend an entire season of 24 proving what we know: that Mr India cannot be killed. Jhakass!