Kiefer Sutherland's 'Touch': Fox Picks Up New Drama
by Sean Comer
Fox execs appear ready to roll the dice on a drama joining the face of Fox's own long-time smash "24" and the creator of NBC's own bygone action sensation, "Heroes."
The network recently gave the thumbs-up for a 13-episode mid-season run of "Touch," the creation of "Heroes" mastermind Tim Kring that stars Jack Bauer himself, "24" lead and Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland.
It will mark the biggest screen role Sutherland has taken up since the Spring 2010 "24" finale, not counting some voice work and some Broadway appearances.
Sutherland will play Martin Bohm, a widower single father who has trouble bonding with his mute 11-year-old son Jake, played by David Mazouz. When Jake starts struggling in school, a social worker played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw visits father and son, and it's learned that Jake can communicate through numbers foresight and visions he has connecting future events to specific outcomes.
The series also co-stars veteran actor Danny Glover as a university professor who takes a special interest in Jake's gift.
“Every once in a while, you encounter a piece of material that you just cannot say no to,” Sutherland said in a Fox press release. “That, combined with the opportunity to work again with Peter Chernin and the Fox studio and network, makes me thrilled to be a part of this project. I also look forward to working with an extraordinary writer and producer like Tim Kring.”
"Touch" is tentatively set to premiere sometime in Spring 2012.