TV News: Kiefer Sutherland Returning to FOX in ‘Touch’

CHICAGO – Kiefer Sutherland is returning to the FOX network, but don’t expect him to be wielding guns and saving the world from terrorists in his new show. Sutherland, who made Jack Bauer and ‘24’ a hit for the network, is signed on to the new drama series ‘Touch,’ which FOX ordered 13 new episodes of yesterday morning.

The new series surrounds the relationship between Martin Bohm (Sutherland) and his mute, 11 year-old son Jake. Everything between them changes when Martin finds out through a social worker that Jake is a genius. He is extremely smart and possess the ability to see patterns that connect two seemingly unrelated events. Jake starts communicating with Martin through numbers, and it is Martin’s job to decipher the code and find out who or what Jake sees that is being effected by a situation, person, or event.

Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment at the FOX Broadcasting Company, shared the news of “Touch” in a press release yesterday: “Touch is another ambitious series from Tim Kring that is beautifully executed and has incredibly resonant themes for our times,” said Reilly. “With Kiefer back on the network as the face and force behind this creative new series, I’m confident it will resonate with viewers this spring.”

Sutherland also expressed his excitement about the new project: “Every once in a while, you encounter a piece of material that you just cannot say no to,” Sutherland said. “That, combined with the opportunity to work again with Peter Chernin and the Fox studio and network, makes me thrilled to be a part of this project. I also look forward to working with an extraordinary writer and producer like Tim Kring.”

Touch is set to premiere in the Spring of 2012. The show is produced by Peter Chernin (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) and was created and written by Tim Kring (“Heroes”).

By TIM MARTENS Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com tim@hollywoodchicago.com