To celebrate the return of 24 with its eighth season on Sunday 24th January 2010 on Sky1, we bring you four great (totally spoiler-free) drinking games…

> Buy the Complete Seasons 1-8 DVD boxset on Amazon.

 

The 24 Drinking Game

Drink once whenever…
– Jack repeats a line that he’s just said, but this time SHOUTS IT VERY LOUDLY.
– A mobile phone is out of battery or signal range.
– Someone is held at gunpoint.
– Something blows up (drink again if it’s a person).
– A TV showing the news appears (drink again if it’s a channel other than Fox News).
– Chloe scowls, rolls her eyes or says something sarcastic.

Drink twice whenever…
– A regular or main character dies – drink double if it’s between 57 and 59 minutes past the hour.
– A tender moment is interrupted by a phone ringing.
– Jack asks to speak to the President.
– Jack and his field partner share a moment of homoerotic tension.
– A member of CTU staff is seen in daylight.
– A member of CTU staff uses the phone to speak to somebody in the same office (drink again if they’re close enough to see each other).
– Jack has somehow driven across rush-hour Los Angeles in the space of an ad break.
– You realise that an early plot strand is going to be completely forgotten about.
– A character is killed moments before revealing essential information.

Down your drink whenever…
– A good character is revealed to actually be a bad guy or mole (or visa versa).
– The sun has set or risen completely between episodes.
– A former regular character returns unexpectedly.
– A major mid-season plot twist renders everything that Jack has done so far completely pointless.

 

Ticking Clock Drinking Game

– Drink once whenever time is displayed on screen.
– Drink twice when the clock ticks either side of an ad break.
– Down your drink if there’s a silent clock at the end of the episode after someone has died.

 

Catchphrase Drinking Game

– Drink once whenever you hear any of the following: “dammit”, “son of a bitch”, “Division”, “I repeat…”, “schematic”, “protocol”, “do you copy?”, “patch me over…”, “right now it’s the only lead / hope we’ve got”, “it’s not safe for you here”, “with all due respect, sir”, “within the hour”, “drop your weapon”, “I don’t have time to explain”, “I give you my word”.

 

“Dammit” Drinking Game

– Drink once whenever Jack says “dammit”.
– Drink twice whenever anyone else says “dammit”.

 

This drinking game is meant for entertainment only and is not expected to be played. Always drink responsibly.

> Follow us on Twitter to get the latest TV news and reviews first.