Understandably, I suppose, there were many who were skeptical of yesterday’s report that Tony Almeida was returning to 24.

To be honest, because of previous reports of Tony returning last season turned out to be untrue, I was even a bit nervous about posting yesterday on Tony’s return, but it just seemed so certain this time.

Howard Gordon apparently e-mailed the LA Times this explanation:

We didn’t give him the silent clock because we always wanted to keep alive the possibility for some kind of (admittedly) miraculous resurrection … which we will explain. He’s definitely NOT the Almeida we once knew.

I was very, very pleased to see the official press release myself (it wasn’t posted until way late yesterday on the Fox press site, so I didn’t see it until this morning) and just to prove it’s not my imagination (or the imagination of pretty much every other TV site out there), here’s the full copy of it:

The innovative, addictive, Emmy Award-winning television series 24 resets the clock for Season Seven with a special two-night premiere event Sunday, Jan. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Monday, Jan. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

In keeping with FOX’s commitment to airing original programming year-round, the intense season will unfold in 24’s regular 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT time period beginning Monday, Jan. 14, and will continue to air all originals all season into June.

“Day 7” of 24 will continue the show’s unique and trend-setting format with compelling new elements. With CTU dismantled, the show’s setting moves to Washington, DC, where JACK BAUER (Kiefer Sutherland) faces trial for his actions in the pursuit of justice. Bauer’s day gets off to a shocking start when former colleague TONY ALMEIDA (Carlos Bernard), last seen in “Day 5,” returns after being left for dead by a terrorist conspirator in CTU’s infirmary. [Amy note: That would be Christopher Henderson, himself killed by Jack at the end of that day.]

“Tony’s uncertain fate near the end of “Day 5” left the door open for his return,” said executive producer/show-runner Howard Gordon. “And since there was no silent clock at the conclusion of his last appearance – the 24 tribute to a major character’s demise – we always kept this as a possibility.”

Bernard’s return highlights a list of notable cast members clocking in for Season Seven, including the previously announced Cherry Jones (“The Heiress”) as President ALLISON TAYLOR and Janeane Garofalo (“The Larry Sanders Show”) as FBI Agent JANIS GOLD. Colm Feore (“Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”) will play First Gentleman HENRY TAYLOR and Bob Gunton (“Desperate Housewives”) is White House Chief of Staff ETHAN KANIN.

FBI Agents assigned to the team investigating the crisis befalling Bauer include Garofalo’s Agent Gold in addition to Annie Wersching (“General Hospital”) as Agent RENEE WALKER, Jeffrey Nordling (“Dirt”) as Agent LARRY MOSS and Rhys Coiro (“Entourage”) as Agent SEAN HILLINGER. John Billingsley (PRISON BREAK) portrays security specialist MICHAEL LATHAM. Although CTU is no longer, CHLOE O’BRIAN (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and BILL BUCHANAN (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day of shocking events.

As part of News Corp.’s global commitment to fighting climate change, 24 has pledged significant and innovative changes to its production practices with the goal of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 is a production of Real Time Productions and Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon, Evan Katz, Jon Cassar, Manny Coto, David Fury, Kiefer Sutherland and Brian Grazer are the executive producers.

OK, so now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I have this to say about that:

First, this is really great news because so many of the best characters on 24 have been killed off, sent off, disappeared in some way shape or form. Tony has missed only Season 6 and was such an integral part of the show until that time. He’s gone from the top (head of CTU: Los Angeles) to the bottom (sitting around in the middle of the day drinking beer while living with some cocktail waitress after Michelle dumped him) and helped out Jack all along the way. Sure, he was a jerk in Season 1, but in the end he did the right thing.

Second, for those who say this means the show is jumping the shark: you obviously haven’t been paying attention. The show jumps the shark every single freakin’ season. Then Jack tortures the shark and makes it apologize (last season notwithstanding). Seriously, there hasn’t been a single season yet without some “what the?!?” moments, some more than others. A sampling:
• Kim in Season 2. Basically, every single scene with her (the cougar, most notably, but then she’s captured by a survivalist and held as a hostage in a convenience store robbery? never mind all the wacked out stuff that happened before those incidents?).
• Tony recovering from being shot in the neck in about an hour.
• Jack recovering from heroin addiction in a matter of hours. (Of course, there are some that would say that Jack didn’t have to kick a heroin habit, heroin had to kick a Jack Bauer habit.)
• Season 6 (OK, cheap shot).
• Cutting Chase’s arm off.
• The baby Chloe’s babysitting in Season 3 is actually Chase’s baby because he’s divorced and Kim, his girlfriend, didn’t know that.
• Um, Kim working at CTU?

I could go on, but I won’t.

All these things, however, are part of what makes 24, 24.

Imperfect and occasionally silly as it is, this is part of what we love about this show.

Photos courtesy of Fox.