The series is a world leader in action-adventure and the character Jack Bauer is now an international, terrorist fighting, icon.

Add to that news that a movie based on 24 might be in the works and you would think that the shows future is secure, right?

Wrong. According to the Fox network, the renewal of 24 is still undecided and there are some rumors that the current eighth season could see the final small screen hour where Jack saves the day. The series has struggled in the ratings this year, hitting a series low of 8.5 million viewers when placed up against the Vancouver Olympics on NBC.

"It's a very tough call, he explained. It's a huge part of our legacy, and there's not a lot of shows that could do a 9 share against the Olympics. Tremendous sales asset for us still; a show we're so very proud of creatively. So it's not an easy call."

Another factor for Fox to consider is the rising production costs as the series aims to deliver an explosive and realistic experience for viewers and whether or not the expenditure on a 24-episode season is justified based on the return.