'24' and Holding: Sutherland's Sweet Deal

Mr. "The Only Reason That You're Conscious Right Now Is Because I Don't Want to Carry You." Mr. "When I'm Finished With You, You're Gonna Wish You Felt This Good Again."

And yet, in this season's really lousy day, macho Jack so far has been unable to thwart the assassination of President of the United States David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), or the deaths of Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi), Walt Cummings (John Allen Nelson), Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth) and, last and least, Lynn McGill (Sean Astin).

Not that the days chronicled in Seasons 1, 2, 3 or 4 went much better for our hero.

Is it any wonder Jack shouts "Damn it!" so often each episode (as in "Damn it, Chloe!")?

Hence the popular drinking game.

In yesterday's announcement, 20th Century Fox TV President Dana Walden called Sutherland "fiercely intelligent," while 20th Century Fox TV's other president, Gary Newman, said he bet Sutherland "could become every bit as accomplished a producer as he is a performer."

And Sutherland said he was "thrilled" to "extend my commitment to all my friend and colleagues at '24.' "

A pool of colleagues that, what with so many of the show's old-timers getting killed off this season, has shrunk considerably. Which, in one of those happy coincidences that make covering the TV industry so satisfying, has probably helped keep the talent costs down, freeing up some coin to pay Sutherland his hefty salary increase.

In its fifth season, the audience for "24" is up noticeably, to more than 14 million from last year's season-to-date average of 12.3 million.