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!

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: "UNDERCOVERS" GUGU MBATHA-RAW

Undercover delight! Gugu Mbatha-Raw as sexy spy/wife Samantha Bloom in UNDERCOVERS. Image: ULIKE.

A love of catering and saving the world may seem like an unusual and possibly lethal combination for most people, but its all in a days work for the lovely ex-agent Samantha Bloom, now re-activated for assignments alongside her newly partnered adoring husband Steven (played by Boris Kodjoe) in the J.J. Abrams romantic action series UNDERCOVERS (finally and exclusively showing on the UK's WARNER BROTHERS CABLE CHANNEL, via VIRGIN TV ON DEMAND, this month).

Clips/behind the scenes: YouTube - NBC Undercovers Primetime Preview HD

The stylish three poster campaign for the series by NBC.

This one season running NBC series, which was a combination of TRUE LIES and ALIAS, with more than an attempt to replicate that hint of charm and repartee seen in past shows like MOONLIGHTING, had all the trademarks elements that writer/creator J.J. Abrams had shown and used within all his other successful film and TV projects, but, despite such talents (alongside a glamorous lead couple, stylish direction, cool action sequences and neat music from LOST's Michael Giacchino), this one didn't quite make the grade and only reached thirteen episodes. Perhaps it may have been a little bit too light and frothy for audience tastes, and made at the wrong time in TV history, in a period where US TV audiences are still used to the frenetic energies of series like 24. Still, despite the series premature end, anything by J.J. Abrams is always worth checking out, and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, better known in the UK as Martha Jone's sister Tish in the modern day David Tennant DOCTOR WHO series, is both bright, gorgeous, talented and very sexy as the series co-lead. She'll surely become a big star very rapidly-look out for her in Tom Hanks upcoming directing/lead movie LARRY CROWNE (also featuring Julia Roberts).