Robert Cochran

"I'm one of those people who didn't believe we could sustain this concept for more than one season. Making all of the puzzle pieces fit (each) week when the smallest thing in a given episode affects everything else was an enormous challenge from the start -- and it still is."

— Robert Cochran on making 24 be up to par with the formula he co-created.

Robert Cochran is the co-creator of 24 (with Joel Surnow), as well as an executive producer and writer for the show.

Biography

Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow started working together in 1981 in the show Falcon Crest. Surnow was a writer, while Cochran was a story editor. In 1991, Cochran and Surnow served as writers and producers of The Commish. During the show they worked with Brad Turner, and Stephen Kronish; all of which would later collaborate on 24.

In 1997, Cochran and Surnow created La Femme Nikita. The first episode of the show was directed by Jon Cassar, who would go on to direct 14 episodes in total. Brad Turner also worked on the show, along with writer Michael Loceff. Cochran also wrote for JAG, where he met and worked with Evan Katz, who also joined the 24 writing staff.

Cochran worked on a show with David Ehrman called Company Man (with Annie Wersching and directed by Cassar) and another show called The Call (with David Hemington) for FOX. Cochran was an executive producer on both of these shows, but neither was picked up.

Role on 24

Bob celebrating the success of Day 4 with Joel Surnow, Jon Cassar, Howard Gordon, Nestor Serrano, Gregory Itzin and Sean Callery.

Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow developed 24 in 2001. During the first six seasons, they worked on the show as writers and executive producers.

Surnow and Cochran worked as executive consultants in later seasons, and are also credited as writers on 24's Indian version. Cochran returned to write three episodes for the event series 24: Live Another Day (2014) and will also produce and write for 24: Legacy (2017-). Both he and Surnow are credited as creators for all episodes.

24 credits

Creator

All with Joel Surnow.

• 24 (all episodes)
• 24: Live Another Day (all episodes)
• 24 (Indian) (all episodes, "Based on the U.S. series '24' created by")

Producer

• Season 1 – Season 6: Executive Producer
• Season 7
  • "8:00am-9:00am" – "8:00pm-9:00pm": Executive Producer
  • 24: Redemption, "9:00pm-10:00pm" – "7:00am-8:00am": Executive Consultant
• Season 8: Executive Consultant
• Live Another Day: Executive Producer
• Legacy: Executive Producer

Writer

• Season 1
  • "Day 1: 12:00am-1:00am" (with Joel Surnow)
  • "Day 1: 3:00am-4:00am"
  • "Day 1: 10:00am-11:00am"
  • "Day 1: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 1: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 1: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 1: 11:00pm-12:00am" (story, with Howard Gordon)
• Season 2
  • "Day 2: 10:00pm-11:00pm"
  • "Day 2: 4:00am-5:00am" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am" (story, with Howard Gordon)
• Season 3
  • "Day 3: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 3: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 3: 9:00pm-10:00pm" (story, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 3: 12:00am-1:00am" (teleplay, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 3: 1:00am-2:00am" (story, with Stephen Kronish)
  • "Day 3: 3:00am-4:00am" (teleplay, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 3: 5:00am-6:00am" (with Stephen Kronish)
  • "Day 3: 10:00am-11:00am" (story, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 3: 11:00am-12:00pm" (teleplay, with Howard Gordon)
• Season 4
  • "Day 4: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (story)
  • "Day 4: 6:00am-7:00am" (with Howard Gordon)
• Season 5
  • "Day 5: 2:00pm-3:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 5: 6:00am-7:00am"
• Season 6
  • "Day 6: 9:00am-10:00am"
  • "Day 6: 9:00pm-10:00pm" (with Evan Katz)
  • "Day 6: 5:00am-6:00am" (with Manny Coto & David Fury)
• Season 7
  • "Day 7: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (teleplay, with Evan Katz)
• Live Another Day
  • "Day 9: 12:00pm-1:00pm" (with David Fury)
  • "Day 9: 6:00pm-7:00pm"
  • "Day 9: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (story, with Manny Coto & Evan Katz)
  • "Day 9: 9:00pm-10:00pm" (with David Fury)
• Legacy
  • "Day 10: 4:00pm-5:00pm" (with Leigh Dana Jackson)
• 24 (Indian)
  • "Day 1: 12:00am-1:00am" (with Joel Surnow)
  • "Day 1: 3:00am-4:00am"
  • "Day 1: 10:00am-11:00am"
  • "Day 1: 3:00pm-4:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 1: 7:00pm-8:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 1: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 1: 11:00pm-12:00am" (story, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 4:00pm-5:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 5:00pm-6:00pm" (with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 6:00pm-7:00pm" (story, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 9:00pm-10:00pm" (teleplay, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (story, with Stephen Kronish)
  • "Day 2: 12:00am-1:00am" (teleplay, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 2:00am-3:00am" (with Stephen Kronish)
  • "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am" (story, with Howard Gordon)
  • "Day 2: 8:00am-9:00am" (teleplay, with Howard Gordon)

24-related apperances

• 24 Heaven
• 24: Access All Areas
• "24: The Postmortem"
• Cochran recorded audio commentary for the following episodes:
  • "Day 2: 10:00pm-11:00pm" (with Xander Berkeley)
  • "Day 3: 5:00am-6:00am" (with Reiko Aylesworth and Carlos Bernard)
  • "Day 4: 6:00am-7:00am" (with Scott Powell)
  • "Day 5: 6:00am-7:00am" (with Gregory Itzin)
• "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

External links

• Robert Cochran at the Internet Movie Database