24 star Kiefer Sutherland has officially booked his return to primetime television. This evening, ABC has given a straight-to-series order to dramatic thriller Designated Survivor, with Sutherland set to play the lead role. It's unclear what the episode count is.
Designated Survivor centers on a low level United States cabinet member (Sutherland) who is suddenly appointed President after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the presidential line of succession. The series is described as a family drama wrapped around a conspiracy thriller about an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation.
The drama will be written by David Guggenheim, who will executive produce with Sutherland, Simon Kinberg and Susan Bymel. The Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios, Genre Films and eOne will produce.
