MUMBAI: The Rupert Murdoch owned broadcaster Fox has announced that the action charged 24 will return in January in the US for a fourth season of clock-stopping suspense.

On 3 January back to back episodes will air. The series will move to Monday night. In India the show airs on AXN.

What is unique about the show is that it takes place in real time. In season three, Jack Bauer played by Kiefer Sutherland who was in charge of a special field operations unit of the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), fought to stop a viral terrorism threat before it could kill millions of people.

Season four begins 18 months later with the episode Day 4: 7 am- 8 am. CTU is now headed by Erin Driscoll, a steely government agent who made firing Jack one of her first priorities upon taking over.

After the explosion of a commuter train, Jack, who is now working for Secretary of Defense James Heller and also is romantically involved with his married daughter, Audrey suddenly finds himself heading back to CTU for a meeting with Driscoll on Heller's behalf.