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Jack Bauer meets the revenge play

Something rather bizarre occurred on Sky One last night. Mrs W had lined up the latest episode of 24 and it became obvious very early on that we had a cable feed designed for blind or partially sighted people. There was a commentary that ran alongside the dialogue, explaining where the actors were going, the faces they were pulling etc. What made it even more peculiar and incongruous was the fact that the voiceover - which sounded like stage directions from a play - was delivered by someone with a cut-glass English accent. Typical stuff proceeded along the following lines:

"Jack turns his back on Chloe as she picks up the phone. The caller is an unknown man with a grey beard. 2.37. End of part two."

My favourite bit was when one of the actors was described as having "the air of a plotter in a Jacobean tragedy". What a vivid picture that must have painted to the audience of literary academics who had tuned in.

Officers of CTU, here's the duke's signet, your firm warrant,
Brings the command of present death along with it
Unto our brother, Jack Bauer's son; we are sorry

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