THE HUMAN CONNECTION. 'TOUCH' ARRIVES IN THE UK.

Paths of life and incident. Kiefer Sutherland unravels the strands in TOUCH. Images: FOX

Not long to go now until the UK series debut of the new Tim Kring created, Kiefer Sutherland starring family drama with a mystery twist- TOUCH- arriving in a positive blaze of publicity on the SKY ONE HD channel from 13th March at 8pm. We've seen the first episode and it was very enjoyable-much better than we anticipated, too, of which hope the series long-term can live up to its format promise. It's a well made piece of modern television and great to see Sutherland in a less dominant role, away from 24's Jack Bauer.

Just from the opener alone, it has charming touches of the old HEROES season one magic of solid characters and a world encompassing dynamic, so I'm hopeful...

Check out our earlier series preview feature here: BEYOND BAUER! KIEFER SUTHERLAND HAS THE "TOUCH" | KOOL TV

Here's a selection of posed/publicity images to get you in the mood for the new series...

Kiefer Sutherland as Martin Bohm and David Mazouz as his gifted son, Jake in TOUCH.

Away from Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland's new role sees him with different responsibilities, as a single parent.

Sutherland and Mazouz with new series star Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Clea Hopkins.

Another fine promotional images of our main cast trio.

Martin discusses his sons abilities with social worker Clea.

Our duo follow the life connections, wherever they may lead...

Trailer: Touch 101 Trailer - YouTube

The cast talk about TOUCH: TOUCH - EPK - GUGU MBATHA-RAW, "Clea Hopkins" - YouTube
TOUCH - EPK - KIEFER SUTHERLAND, "Martin Bohm" - YouTube

Kiefer Sutherland interview: Interview: Kiefer Sutherland Previews His New Show, ‘Touch’
Tim Kring interview: 'Touch' Creator Tim Kring Opens Up About Storytelling Challenges and 'Heroes' Blunders (Q&A) - Hollywood Reporter
Online feature: Kiefer Sutherland in Tim Kring’s ‘Touch’ on Fox - NYTimes.com

BEYOND BAUER! KIEFER SUTHERLAND HAS THE "TOUCH"

A new destiny for Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland) and son Jake (David Mazouz) awaits in the new series TOUCH. Images: FOX.

It looks like 2012 is going to be a great year for fans of Kiefer Sutherland. Not only has the popular actor confirmed that he will be (finally!) returning to play patriot counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer, now outside the States- still working in real-time- and globe-trotting onwards in the spectacular fight against the worst of the worst baddies for the 24 movie, shooting from April, and hopefully for theatrical release at the end of the year or into 2013, but the greenlight was also given at the end of last year by FOX for a full season order of his new family/fantasy TV series vehicle TOUCH, created by popular HEROES/CROSSING JORDAN visionary Tim Kring. 


In a nice change of pace from playing the angry, ballistic missile speeding action hero that is Jack B.-and an attempt by the actor and series creator to bring more emotional resonance to the small screen, TOUCH has Kiefer playing Martin Bohm, a family man who discovers that his 11 year old special needs son, Jake (David Mazouz), has the incredible ability to predict the future before it happens: a condition that will surely bring the best and worse of humanity knocking on their door, and beyond, as father and son have the ability to save lives and right wrongs (possibly before they even happen), alongside all the other potential knock-on effect consequences their actions will involve down the line...


Trailer: Touch - Trailer (HD) starring Kiefer Sutherland - YouTube

TOUCH gives KOOL TV yet another fine opportunity to put up a picture of lovely Brit actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw!

The series, which premieres its pilot episode on January 25th (before its full debut in March), also stars the lovely ex-UNDERCOVERS star Gugu Mbatha-Raw (a series regular) as a social worker who becomes involved in the life and protection of the child, and also Danny Glover, always a fine character acting presence, as a professor who helps guide the Bohm's in their new lives. Plus, appearing in the pilot episode, comes  LOST's cool and dangerous"Smoke Creature" manifestation, Titus Welliver, as a stranger who holds the key to saving a group of lives at a specific time.


Let's hope that this series truly has the touch necessary to deliver a compulsive storyline and engaging characters without bogging the viewing audiences down in too much saccharine and sentimentality. If it can capture the same kind of balance that made the first and best series of Kring's HEROES so landmark, then it'll surely be a major winner!

ALL GUNS AND NO ROSES! JACK BAUER'S "24" TENTH ANNIVERSARY LEGACY CONTINUES...

If you see this man in your Subway station, duck! Jack Bauer is 24! Image: FOX.

Returning to TV anew in 2012 with his new spiritual/sci-fi series TOUCH, created by HEROES Tim Kring, Kiefer Sutherland will also eventually be back as once dedicated protector of America and the world-the defiant, now fugitive, Jack Bauer- for the 24 movie, hopefully in cinemas next year. In the mean-time, in a great celebration of ten years of the show this month, iTunes members can get to see all eight seasons of 24 Jack-attack action and adventure at £14.99 each. And, great for Christmas, the ultimate box set comprising every episode is also now available in special reduced prices on DVD, too!

Season Eight trailer: 24 Season 8 Trailer - 24 Season 8 Boxset Movie Trailer - YouTube

Check out our series retrospective here: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: THE END OF "24" | KOOL TV

ON THE PRECIPICE: "HEROES" SEASON FOUR

HEROES to the end. Images: NBC UNIVERSAL.

They've survived the veritable demise of their normal everyday lives, have faced guilt and loss over the death of their family and friends, been forced to deal with betrayal from foes old and new, and even from parties within their own core distinctive group, overcome terrible hard-ships and life-threatening adversity, and, more recently, escaped from the clutches of persecution as underground fugitives from a mutant-phobic world's political powers and a cold sentence of isolation and control/experimentation on a Guantanamo-esque island, and now our HEROES, from the series created by Tim Kring, face the complex and bizarre new threats, consequences and further challenging actions, for good or bad, emanating outwards from the arrival of a mysterious travelling carnivale and its weird and wonderful inhabitants, led by the mysterious and dangerous Samuel Sullivan (PRISON BREAK/STARGATE SGU's distinctive Robert Knepper) in this, the fourth and final season, of the once acclaimed HEROES, showing exclusively from today (every Monday) in glorious HD on the SYFY CHANNEL.

Leader and disciple: new characters Samuel Sullivan (Robert Knepper) and the lightning fast Edgar (STAR WARS Ray Park) make their mark on our heroes.

It's by no means a perfect ending to the series; its pacing and structure very much all over the place in certain episodes, and key moments of plot development, as well as the appearance and use of the often isolated main characters, seem stretched out over the series run further than they should have been, but you have to hand it to the shows creator and his producing team for bravely, and against much criticism, continuing to develop, experiment and stretch the envelope of the series format and its dramatic presentation as best they can and try to win the hearts and minds of old and new audiences, with a few great and genuine exciting moments still remaining here and there amongst the nineteen episodes comprising the run that strive to remind us all just how good and unique the series first was when it started, and how it never really recovered from the 2007/8 writers strike which hit it in its all-important, and sadly abbreviated, second year. HEROES R.I.P. - your mark in KOOL TV has been made...

Check our our previous blogs on the series.


All four seasons of HEROES are available on DVD and Blu-ray from NBC UNIVERSAL.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, KOOL TV!

New Jack City! Jack Bauer lives on in the final series of 24. Image: FOX

As today is the first anniversary of the KOOL TV site today, we thought we'd celebrate that fact with an image linked to the series and its star that were the subject of our premiere article a year ago-Kiefer Sutherland as the iconic TV action hero Jack Bauer, as he appeared in the eighth and final series of the hit action show, 24. Though the much anticipated feature film version of the series is still in script limbo, this particular season is now in re-runs on the UK's SKY ATLANTIC channel and well worth catching for its final explosive episodes.

Beyond 24, Kiefer will be returning to our TV screens this summer to film the FOX pilot for a possible new series from HEROES creator Tim Kring, and director Charles McDougall. Called TOUCH, Kiefer plays a family man who discovers that his special needs son has the incredible ability to predict the future before it happens, a condition that will surely bring the best and worse of humanity knocking on their door, with all the consequences that come with it...

As we look forward to TOUCH and hope that its a success, KOOL TV would also like to thank all of its readers worldwide for visiting the site and hope that they continue to enjoy what they've read on their favourite series, be they past, present or future. The best is yet to come...

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: "VERONICA MARS"/"HEROES" KRISTEN BELL

Pretty against pink: Kristen Bell. Image: ULIKE.

Literally bringing psychological and physical sparks to the second and third series of HEROES (now showing on the UK's VIRGIN TV CHOICE and the SYFY Channel) as the cute but electricity bolt shooting Elle Bishop, lovely actress Kristen Bell has certainly made an impression since first coming to major TV prominence in the hit Teen detective series VERONICA MARS in 2004. Turning down a major part in LOST's Fourth Season, Bell, whose early acting roles normally showed her as spoilt teen brats with daddy issues, soon turned out to be HEROES most noteworthy gain when she first appeared with her innocent, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth looks which soon displayed a toying, fiery and destructive temper (and which, despite the odd guilty moments as a goodie working alongside her ex-Company man father (Stephen Tobolowsky), eventually saw her her confused soul hanging out with the villainous Sylar (Zachary Quinto) before her characters sad demise). With an advancing and highly mixed bag of movie material (from thriller (David Mamet's excellent SPARTAN) to high comedy (FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL), and especially impressing STAR WARS fans with her appearance in the Kevin Spacey produced comedy drama FANBOYS (and looking great in a Princess Leia slave girl outfit, I might add!)) plus appearances in commercial blockbusters-to-be like SCREAM 4 (alongside fellow HEROES actress Hayden Panettiere), as well as continuing high profile TV work, this is one young actress whose commercial voltage looks set to keep the screen alight for a long while yet.