Howard Gordon

"What made us want to bring back Jack was the fact that we really missed him. I missed him. Kiefer [Sutherland] missed him. It was really an opportunity to bring back an old friend, and to work with old friends again, and it was really as simple as that."

— Howard Gordon on 24: Live Another Day^[1]

Howard Gordon (born March 31, 1961; age 63) is a script writer, executive producer and showrunner for 24. He started working on the show as a writer on 2001, until becoming executive producer and showrunner in 2006. He served as showrunner until the conclusion of Day 8, but continued to serve as Executive Producer for 24: Live Another Day and 24: Legacy.

Biography and career

Howard Gordon was born in Queens, New York City to a Jewish family. He attended Roslyn High School, and then Princeton, graduating in 1984.

Gordon met Alex Gansa early on, and started working with him soon after graduating. They both worked together on shows like Spenser: For Hire, Beauty and the Beast, and The X-Files as writers and co-producers. During the late 90's, Gordon also worked on hit shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel, on which he worked with David Fury. He also worked with Manny Coto on Strange World from 1999-2002.

In 2011, Gordon, Evan Katz and Alex Gansa developed the series Homeland, starring Diego Klattenhoff and Navid Negahban, for Showtime (which featured composer Sean Callery and producer Michael Klick). Actors who have appeared on Homeland include Omid Abtahi, Nazanin Boniadi, Al Faris, Tim Guinee, Mido Hamada, Jonah Lotan, Dane Northcutt, Nestor Serrano, Sammy Sheik, Maury Sterling, Hrach Titizian, and Herzl H. Tobey. The following year, Howard's new show won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and another for Outstanding Drama Series as well as a 2012 and 2013 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series.

In 2012, Gordon and Katz both wrote and produced the series Awake (starring Cherry Jones), which was subsequently cancelled despite positive remarks from TV critics. In 2014, Gordon worked on two new shows: FX's Tyrant, and TNT's Legends.

Role on 24

Gordon started working on 24 as a writer in 2001. He wrote several episodes of Season 1 and 2, then crafted the entire story arcs for Season 3 and 4. He temporarily left 24 in the middle of Season 4 to work on another Fox series, The Inside. After the cancellation of The Inside, Gordon returned to 24 where, in 2006, he became executive producer and showrunner. He remained as such until the show ended on Season 8, during which he also wrote several episodes.

Gordon's son Cap Gordon portrayed Prescott O'Brian, the son of Morris and Chloe O'Brian on Day 7. He is first seen in Day 7: 4:00pm-5:00pm.

In May 2013, Fox announced 24: Live Another Day, a 24 miniseries based on a story concept from Gordon. He served as executive producer of the show which aired during 2014.

In January 2016, Fox announced 24: Legacy, a 24 spinoff pilot with Gordon as executive producer.

24 credits

Producer

• Season 1: Co-Executive Producer, "1:00am-2:00am" – "11:00pm-12:00am"
• Season 2 – Season 8: Executive Producer
• Live Another Day: Executive Producer
• Legacy: Executive Producer
• 24 (Indian): Executive Producer

Writer

• Season 1
  • "Day 1: 5:00am-6:00am"
  • "Day 1: 11:00am-12:00pm"
  • "Day 1: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 1: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 1: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 1: 11:00pm-12:00am" (story, with Robert Cochran)
• Season 2
  • "Day 2: 10:00am-11:00am"
  • "Day 2: 4:00pm-5:00pm"
  • "Day 2: 11:00pm-12:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 2: 2:00am-3:00am"
  • "Day 2: 4:00am-5:00am" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am" (story, with Robert Cochran)
• Season 3
  • "Day 3: 3:00pm-4:00pm"
  • "Day 3: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 3: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 3: 9:00pm-10:00pm" (story, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 3: 12:00am-1:00am" (teleplay, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 3: 2:00am-3:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 3: 3:00am-4:00am" (teleplay, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 3: 6:00am-7:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 3: 10:00am-11:00am" (story, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 3: 11:00am-12:00pm" (teleplay, with Robert Cochran)
• Season 4
  • "Day 4: 8:00am-9:00am"
  • "Day 4: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 4: 6:00pm-7:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 4: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 4: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (teleplay, with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 4: 1:00am-2:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 4: 6:00am-7:00am" (with Robert Cochran)
• Season 5
  • "Day 5: 7:00am-8:00am"
  • "Day 5: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with David Fury)
  • "Day 5: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (teleplay, with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 5: 12:00am-1:00am"
  • "Day 5: 5:00am-6:00am" (with Evan Katz)
• Season 6
  • "Day 6: 6:00am-7:00am"
  • "Day 6: 12:00pm-1:00pm" (with Manny Coto)
  • "Day 6: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 6: 5:00pm-6:00pm" (story, with David Fury)
  • "Day 6: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (teleplay, with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 6: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (with Manny Coto)
  • "Day 6: 1:00am-2:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 6: 3:00am-4:00am" (with Evan Katz)
• Season 7
  • 24: Redemption
  • "Day 7: 8:00am-9:00am" (with Joel Surnow & Michael Loceff)
  • "Day 7: 9:00am-10:00am" (story, with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 7: 12:00pm-1:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 7: 1:00am-2:00am" (story)
  • "Day 7: 7:00am-8:00am" (teleplay)
• Season 8
  • "Day 8: 4:00pm-5:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 8: 5:00pm-6:00pm" (story)
  • "Day 8: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (story)
  • "Day 8: 4:00am-5:00am" (story)
  • "Day 8: 3:00pm-4:00pm"
  • "Chloe's Arrest"
• The Raid
• Legacy
  • "Day 10: 2:00pm-3:00pm" (with Leigh Dana Jackson)
  • "Day 10: 11:00pm-12:00pm" (with Manny Coto)
• 24 (Indian)
  • "Day 1: 5:00am-6:00am"
  • "Day 1: 11:00am-12:00pm"
  • "Day 1: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 1: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 1: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 1: 11:00pm-12:00am" (story, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
  • "Day 2: 4:00pm-5:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 5:00pm-6:00pm" (with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 6:00pm-7:00pm" (story, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 9:00pm-10:00pm" (teleplay, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 11:00pm-12:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 2: 12:00am-1:00am" (teleplay, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 3:00am-4:00am" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am" (story, with Robert Cochran)
  • "Day 2: 8:00am-9:00am" (teleplay, with Robert Cochran)

24-related appearances

• Gordon recorded audio commentary for the following:
  • "Day 2: 4:00am-5:00am" (with Dennis Haysbert)
  • Season 2 deleted scenes (with Rodney Charters and Jon Cassar)
  • "Day 3: 11:00am-12:00pm" (with Kiefer Sutherland)
  • "Day 3: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (with Sarah Clarke)
  • Season 3 deleted scenes (with Jon Cassar and Michael Loceff)
  • "Day 5: 7:00am-8:00am" (with Kiefer Sutherland and Jon Cassar)
  • "Day 5: 12:00am-1:00am" (with Mary Lynn Rajskub)
  • "Day 6: 6:00am-7:00am" (with Kiefer Sutherland)
  • "Day 7: 1:00am-2:00am" (with Carlos Bernard and Jeffrey Nordling)
  • "Day 7: 7:00am-8:00am" (with Jon Cassar)
  • 24: Redemption (with Jon Cassar and Kiefer Sutherland)
  • "Day 7: 7:00am-8:00am" (with Jon Cassar)
• "24 Season 6: Inside the Writers' Room", Season 6 DVD
• "Changing All the Rules", 24: The Official Companion: Season 6 DVD
• "Keepin' It Real: The Stunts and Special Effects of 24", 24: The Official Companion: Season 6 DVD
• "24 and the War on Terror: Can Truth Learn from Fiction?", 24: The Official Companion: Season 6 DVD
• "24 in 24"
• "24-7: The Untold Story", Season 7 DVD
• "The Ultimate CTU", Season 8 DVD
• "Virtually New York", Season 8 DVD
• "Jack Is Back"

Actor

...as Marcus Holt

Gordon appears uncredited in a photograph as Marcus Holt, an American operative in China, in 24: Day 6 Debrief.

External links

• Howard Gordon at Wikipedia
• Howard Gordon at the Internet Movie Database
• Howard Gordon (@HowardMGordon) on Twitter
• Article on Gordon's role as producer and defining the show's themes