Emmy Nominated First Couple Returns to '24'

Zap2It.com | November 9, 2006

Gregory Itzin, '24'

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Itzin and Smart will have recurring roles

Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin, key players in last season's Emmy-winning run of "24," will be back this season.

Although rumors of Smart and Itzin's return in some capacity had been swirling for months, FOX officially announced on Thursday (Nov. 9) that the two actors will play recurring roles this season.

Both Smart and Itzin earned acclaim and supporting actor Emmy nominations last season. Itzin, who also appeared in the show's fourth season, played President Charles Logan, who went from spineless pawn to nefarious political mastermind over the course of a day. Smart played First Lady Martha Logan, a paranoid pill-popper who proved to be the only person capable of stopping her hubby.

As last season ended, Charles was arrested after Martha revealed that she taped a sensitive conversation. It's well-established that the new season begins with DB Woodside's Wayne Palmer in place as the relatively new president, so where the Logan-based plot can go is unclear. Wherever it goes, expect the whole thing to frustrate Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer enough that he opts to torture everybody in sight.

New additions to this season's "24" cast include Jayne Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, James Cromwell, Kal Penn, Marisol Nichols, Alexander Siddig, Harry Lennix, Chad Lowe, Powers Boothe and David Hunt.

The series will have its two-night, four-hour premiere on Sunday, Jan. 14 and Monday, Jan. 15.