24: The Official Companion – Season 5

"24: The Official Companion – Season 5" is out in bookstores now, and I had the pleasure of interviewing author Tara DiLullo Bennett about the creation of the book. Enjoy the interview, and be sure and pick up your copy of the season 5 companion guide today!

Were you a fan of 24 before you began writing the companion books? If so, do you watch more critically now? And if not, are you glad you found it?
Yes, I was definitely a fan of the series before I started writing the books. BeforeI transitioned to writing full time five years ago, I was a television producer on the East Coast for almost a decade. I've always looked at TV from a critical perspective because you have to when you are making it. I think one of the big reasons I was able to successfully transition into writing about film and television is that I speak the filmmakers language. It helps me interpret their work in layman's terms and also let's me get into the nitty gritty of their world because I know what it takes to bring a show to life.

Season 4 by many respects held a bit of a creative downturn but season 5 really turned a corner and was one of the best seasons. Did you get a sense of that while you were compiling the season 5 companion?
I think season four was pretty solid, and even some of the writers consider it very strong overall, but yes, I did get a sense that Day 5 was something special. Luckily, I started compiling interviews and doing set visits for Day 5 of '24' in January 2006 the week it premiered. I was able to follow the successes and the swell of fan and critical support for the year as it happened. I was able to talk to all of the cast and crew so their enthusiasm was captured while it was all happening, which adds to the energy of the book overall. Plus, this Companion Guide breaks format for the first time and I was able to include brand new long-form interviews with all the Emmy winners, Greg Itzin and Jean Smart, as well as all of the characters of note that died.

Do you tend to gravitate towards a specific character?
Well Jack Bauer is the center of the '24' universe so we always keep him central. I really adored Charles and Martha Logan so I was thrilled to be able to give those actors their say about their characters too.

Any tidbit not inside the companion book that you'd like to share?
I think I pretty much put everything I have in the 45,000 words I had to write :) There's always some material that just won't fit, but I think I got everything in there that was most important. If I didn't, please email me and ask! That goes for your readers too!

How much outside research goes into compiling the books?
My research comes from the source, being on set and doing hundreds of interviews with everyone on the cast and crew. I do reference interviews and articles in other publications about the show, but I use them to clarify my questions with my interview subjects to expand upon their answers or to get the deeper story.

How many times do you have to watch each episode?
I watch each episode once and take detailed notes and break down the episodes for the guides. I also do the Timeline screen shots so I have to scroll frame by frame to find the perfect images.

Do you get a sense that the writers and producers really appreciate the fan base that the show has?
Oh yeah. The entire '24' family does the show FOR the fans. They are tickled when fans stop and talk to them or the crew members are recognized from their DVD featurette appearances or 24 Magazine articles. I was with the writing team at last July's first ever '24' panel at San Diego Comic Con and before they got into the room, they were terrified no one would show up! We all got into the room and not only was it packed but there was a line of people outside that still wanted to come in. That really made them happy and was one of the rare times they got to come out of their writer's room caves and production sets to connect with the fans and they appreciated every question and comment, good and bad!

Have any thoughts on the delayed season?
Season seven has by far been their toughest launch yet. Howard Gordon told me it's been exhausting but they are proud of the story they came up with and they think it will be fresh for fans and critics that complained loudly about season six. I think time is a rarity in TV and I think it's great they took the time they needed to get the story right, even if it meant delaying production by two months (and my season six companion guide too!) I'm looking forward to knowing what I know come to life onscreen :)

Have any thoughts on the creative dryspell that was season 6? Will the fact that it was probably the worst season of the series hinder the process of putting together a guide?
The Season Six companion guide was very hard to write. Fans and critics really disliked the year so that was disheartening to not only tackle a season that many felt was lacking, but also to have to bring up those issues with the writers and creative team. There was a lot they really liked about the year, so I had to address issues fans wanted to know about while making sure I got the writer's perspective too. Also, season seven being delayed severely impacted my ability to get interviews done for the season six companion book so our end of August deadline had to be extended to the end of October! But I really feel like the book answers A LOT of questions that fans wanted explained truthfully, so even if you hate that season, at
least you get first-hand answers! Plus, the '24 Season Six' book comes with an exclusive DVD!

What has your fan feedback been so far on the companion guides you've done for the show in the past?
So far all the feedback has been very positive, for which I am very grateful. I write the books for fans and try to address everything, both good and bad, about the series so it's really an exhaustive account of the making of each season. It's funny that some of my reviews will pick on disparities with what I write and what the web says about something in the show, but I get all my information straight from the creators. They forget somethings over the years or details may blur, but I talk to every writer and get all of their remembrances and details to make the most accurate book possible. Hopefully, that is a big reason the reviews have been so positive because readers know I am telling the shows story in its own words, not mine. I'm so proud to be '24's' behind the scenes storyteller!

Thanks so much for your time and interest, Jennifer! I really appreciate it!

Update: My copy came in the mail and it is really nice! I haven't had a chance to read it yet (who knew that the writers could be on strike and I STILL can't catch up on TV?!) but what I was able to thumb through looked really nice and informative. Would make a great Christmas present to yourself or any other 24 uberfan in your family.