It's been confirmed that Fox are currently working on a prequel series that focuses on Jack Bauer's early days as a secret agent with the original writers of the show now working on a script.

The report from THR, however, doesn't mention whether or not Keifer Sutherland will be involved in the series and considering that it's a prequel, it seems kind of likely that he won't. Fox are keen to get the prequel series up and running, what with the Disney-Fox merger taking place, as they'll need something to draw in audience for New Fox - the broadcast television station they're keeping as part of the merger.

A '24' prequel has been teased and talked about for several years now pretty much since the original series went off the air, however the two miniseries that followed - 'Live Another Day' and 'Legacy' - were closed-ended. THR's sources, meanwhile, are claiming that the prequel series will be an open-ended one, meaning it could potentially run for as many seasons as the original.

The question now is, who could play a young Jack Bauer? Suggestions in the comments!