FOX today announced the return date for Jack Bauer, revealing 24: Live Another Day will debut on Monday, May 5th with a two-hour premiere at 8pm. The following week, it will take its normal timeslot at Mondays at 9pm.

Kiefer Sutherland of course returns as Jack Bauer, alongside series alums Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Chloe O'Brian"), Kim Raver ("Audrey Raines") and William Devane ("James Heller").

It was also revealed today that Chuck and Dexter’s Yvonne Strahovski will be a part of the cast of the new 24, which is a 12-episode limited series. Also part of the cast are Giles Matthey (“Jobs”), Gbenga Akinnagbe (“The Wire”), Michael Wincott (“The Crow”) and Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Judy Davis (“Life with Judy Garland”).

Speaking about the series today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour, the producers noted that while they are only doing 12 episodes, the season will still take place over the course of 24 hours – and each episode will still take place within one hour. The main thing they can do this time that they couldn’t before is jump ahead a couple of hours in-between episodes to a different environment, if they wish.

Executive Producer Howard Gordon admitted there were a lot of advantages to only doing 12 episodes, describing doing 24 episodes previously as a “marathon”. They now simply have more time and, “You can see the horizon. Here we’re able to imagine the other side.”

For a long time after 24 ended, we heard about a potential film version. Sutherland said that this season was not telling the story the movie would have, noting, “The script for the film is very, very different,” and adding, “The film is an ongoing thing – there’s still an opportunity to do it.”

When it came to Live Another Day, “Howard came up with the idea – a fantastic idea and something we’re really excited about doing. If this ended up rebooting the show or causing a film to be made, so be it, but right now, we’re really, really excited about doing these episodes.”

Sutherland said that he liked that the time away gave them “a great opportunity for us to create something new. We’ve done that with a lot of new characters.” He added that all the other elements, including the political issues, are “very fresh.”

As for Jack and Chloe, things have changed considerably for the old friends and allies. Noted Sutherland, “At the very beginning of this series, they are actually pitted against each other. It’s also something that’s going to evolve over the course of the show. A past loyalty that is potentially going to be betrayed, that’s a lot of meat, so it’s a great opportunity for us now. A lot of the dynamics of the characters that are coming back have been changed.”

Gordon elaborated that Chloe was, “Not just his trusty sidekick and most trusted friend, but someone who has been quite damaged. She has now joined the free information movement.”

Manny Coto gave details about Yvonne Strahovski’s character, revealing, “We pick up four years later and Jack is still a fugitive. He has disappeared and he is still hunted. Yvonne Strahovski is aCIA agent who has been on the hunt for Jack Bauer. In their minds, Jack is not quite Osama bin Laden, but he is a fugitive of high order. When Jack enters the story on his own terms, we will learn he has a mission.” Coto said it remained to be seen if this was a “good” or “dark” mission. He added, “Chloe will enter the picture and we will learn she has been damaged over these four years and does not work for CTU. She’s a more radical, Snowden-like character.”

24: Live Another Day begins filming in a couple of weeks in London and Sutherland said he was excited to shoot there, but knew it would be logistically tough, remarking, “I’m sure we’ll be hated by a large portion of London.” The producers noted that while the US president, now Devane’s character James Heller, will still play a role in the story, this season will also prominently feature the UK Prime Minster as well.

The producers laughed about how many twists and turns 24 took, which often had them asking if they’d killed a character or not. In fact, when they first were talking about whether the US president could be a pre-existing character, Coto recalled, “We dismissed Heller because we thought he was dead.” They joked that there were many times they had to check Wikipedia to see where someone last was left off.

Sutherland said it was scary returning to 24, noting that in the show’s original run, “There was always something we all wished was better, but we were very proud of this show. To open it up again and to not make the best 12 episodes we’ve ever made is frightening. I won’t lie to you. To not give them the best that we have to offer would be very disappointing. Until we start shooting, everything is intangible.”

Live Another Day is designed to be accessible to old and new viewers, with Gordon saying, “It’s our task to make the narrative abundantly clear” to newcomers or those who may not have seen Season 8 of 24. Sutherland said the fact that the characters have been apart helps though, noting, “The four years need to be explained. The exposition, as you put it won’t come off as exposition, but a justifiable moment between characters catching up.”

Once 24: Live Another Day was announced, many fans were quickly asking if Rajskub would be involved, which she said was quite flattering. She joked that she called Sutherland after she heard the news and he said, “Mary Lynn who?” The producers said they’d always hoped to include her but once they found “the ah ha moment” of how she’d figure into the story, she became integral once again.

Rajskub revealed she’d just finished reading the script to the second episode, remarking, “It left me on the edge of my seat and wanting more.”