24 – (2001-2010)
The pop cultural juggernaut of the 2000s, it’s easy to forget how nervous this show’s premiere made executives in 2001. Airing a few short months after 9/11, many were nervous that the show's in-your-face violence might upset a shell-shocked populace. Instead, America found a new hero and a sense of security in the idea that we were protected by men like Jack Bauer. He was Dirty Harry for the age of terror. Bauer and his compatriots at the CTU were of the opinion that there was no rule or law that shouldn’t be broken to protect the safety of the nation. But as the show wore on, and the nation became exposed to scandals such as Abu Ghraib, waterboarding and Guantanamo, the moral weight of “safety at all costs” began to show.
