24: Legacy creators apologise for using footage of real terrorist attack
“We apologise for any pain caused to the victims and their families and are deeply sorry,” the producers said after including footage of a terrorist attack in Kenya in the drama series
The makers of action thriller 24: Legacy have apologised for including footage of a real-life terrorist incident in one of their episodes.
In the episode in question, which has yet to air in the UK, footage from the 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya was viewed by characters on a screen to represent a fictional terrorist attack within the series’ plotline. The use of real footage caused outrage among viewers – 67 people died during the terrorist attack in Nairobi.
“In Episode 4 of 24: Legacy, we regretfully included news footage of an attack in Nairobi,” executive producers Evan Katz and Manny Coto said in a statement (via Deadline).
“It will be removed from all future broadcasts and versions of the show. We apologise for any pain caused to the victims and their families and are deeply sorry.”
A Fox spokesman added, “I can confirm the footage was of the Nairobi attack and the producers very much regret using it to depict a fictional act of terror on the show.”
Sixty-seven people were killed and more than 175 wounded in the Westgate attack on 21st September 2013, with extremist group al-Shabaab later claiming responsibility for the incident. Its inclusion in 24: Legacy sparked the hashtag #SomeoneTellFox in an attempt to call out the US broadcaster for the decision.
24: Legacy airs on Fox in the UK at 9pm on Wednesdays
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
