My wife found this article today on the possible end of the TV series "24" after the next season (season 8). Nothing really earth-shaking here, but it sort of ties in with a thought I’ve had for a while and hadn’t gotten around to blogging, until now.

The thought is, what actor(s) would you want to see play the lead role on "24"? Either as a replacement for Kiefer Sutherland, or perhaps if there were a spinoff or whatever. What actor or actors could fill a Jack Bauer-esque role?

I have a few ideas, mostly dredged from the rosters of other TV shows because bringing in a movie star would, I think, mostly overwhelm the rest of the show. (Of course, that’s what they did with Kiefer, and look how that’s turned out…)

• Christopher Meloni, from "Law & Order: SVU"
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar, from "Saved by the Bell" and "NYPD Blue"
• Mekhi Phifer, from "ER"

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from nominating a female actor for the show, either. After much thought my own picks would be Michelle Forbes (who ironically had a guest starring role on "24" during the second season) and Angela Bassett (based on what I’ve tangentially seen of her on "ER").

But then again, "24" is a big show, so bringing in a big (movie) star might be the way to go after all. I’m not sure I could pick one, though… I keep thinking Keanu Reeves (basically the role he played in "Speed") would be a good pick…