"24" sticks Sutherland in the vortex of suspenseful intrigues involving an assassination plot, kidnapping, murder, countless looks askance, um...oh, yeah, and the in-flight demolition of a jumbo jet. Set in 24 hours of real time where a minute in the series is a minute on the screen, this 16 hour (approx with the deficit going to commercial advertising time) linear story heaps suspense upon suspense filling huge, gaping plotholes with it for a riveting edge-of-the-seat small screen experience. All but the most analytical cynics will get caught up in this well crafted thriller which squeezes 10 pounds of dramaction into a 5 pound bag magically making room for the excess with hi-tech gadgetry. Good stuff for t.v. junkies. (B)