‘Redemption’ an effort to put ‘24’ back on top

The title to “24: Redemption” suggests that the brain trust behind Fox’s breathless and sometimes silly hit thriller realizes it must redeem itself after its subpar 2006-07 season, which just plain sputtered out —- and that, after winning the Emmy for best drama the previous year.

“Redemption” is set up as a prelude to the upcoming season, which will debut in January after being delayed by last winter’s writers’ strike. We find Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on the lam, eluding a subpoena to appear before the Senate and answer for the sundry acts of torture and numerous thighs he has shot over the course of those six previous hectic days in which he’s saved the country.

He’s in the fictitious country of Sangala, Africa, assisting his friend/mentor Carl (Robert Carlyle), who runs a school for children rescued from forced servitude. Jack has even, uncharacteristically, befriended one of the boys at the shelter, with whom he has a couple of poignant-by-“24”-standards moments. Another bloodthirsty general attacks the compound in search of youthful soldiers to assist in his military coup of Sangala.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., a new president, Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones), is about to be sworn in, while Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight), the sinister CEO of a Blackwater-type mercenary outfit is erasing evidence of his wrongdoing —- and anyone who stands in his way.

“Redemption” is a little slow in getting kick-started, with a lot of exposition to get out of the way, which is not usually a problem with “24;” Jack doesn’t log his first kill until nearly 40 minutes in. But it picks up considerably from there, as Jack makes up for lost time, even breaking a bad guy’s neck with his legs.

Can Jack rescue the boys from the brutal warlord? Is water wet?

Despite the most craven United Nations official in the history of TV, a simperingly opportunistic State Department attache and annoying angelic choir music that has no business anywhere near a “24” soundtrack, “24: Redemption” is a serviceably exciting prelude for the new season of a series that one hopes will get back on the right track come January.

ON TV

“24: Redemption”

8 p.m. Sunday on Fox