Today's Guest: David Fury, writer, producer, "24," "Lost," "Dream On," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Tyrant," "Fringe" Television screenwriter, producer David Fury Pop quiz: name the man who’s been a writer and/or producer for the following TV shows: “The Jackie Thomas Show,” “House of Buggin’,” “Dream On,” “Pinky and the Brain,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Lost,” “24.” Give up? It’s David Fury, and he joins us today via phone from Hollywood. David Fury Twitter • Facebook • IMDB • Wikipedia • Order Dream On on DVD from Amazon.com • Order 24: The Complete Series BOB ANDELMAN/Mr. MEDIA: David, welcome to Mr. Media. DAVID FURY: Thanks very much, Bob. I want to answer that question. I know, I know who that is. Order 'Dream On - Seasons 1 & 2,' available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD above! ANDELMAN: And we will send you a prize, I promise. FURY: Oh, thank you. ANDELMAN: David, does Barack Obama’s presidential campaign send a commission on every dollar it collects to the producers of “24”? FURY: No, not that I know of. How did Barack Obama come into this? ANDELMAN: Well, I look at Barack Obama, and it seems like he’s had a very smooth sail in these first months of his presidential campaign, and it seems to me, and maybe I’m alone, that a lot of it has to do with “24” making it very comfortable for America to have an African-American president, twice even. FURY: Interesting. Interesting premise. Well, I’d like to think that we’ve, as a country we’ve become more comfortable with the idea of bringing in presidential candidates from different walks of life, whether they be black or women or Asian or anything. If “24” has anything to do with it? All the better. I’d love to think that we’ve, to some extent we’ve matured enough that people are open to the idea. ANDELMAN: It’s interesting. I mean, there hasn’t really been a situation in years past where an African-American would play the President and it wouldn’t be like a big deal, but now it’s like…. FURY: Well, there was Deep Impact I remember which had Morgan Freeman as President. My God, I would have voted for him right there if Morgan Freeman had run, such an excellent presidential candidate. Or James Earl Jones years ago in a movie called The Man. ANDELMAN: I remember that. FURY: I remember that, as well, so I don’t think we’re the first, certainly, to do it, but perhaps…. ANDELMAN: No, but it’s very matter of fact in “24.” I think in those previous settings, it was more, you know, “What?” FURY: Well, certainly in The Man, it was very much evident that this was a racial issue and was telling a racial story. Morgan Freeman was handled matter-of-factly, and certainly David Palmer has been on the show. You may be right, you may have something to that. ANDELMAN: Well, I do think you guys should get a commission. I think you should look into that. FURY: All right. ANDELMAN: I hear a lot that Republicans tend to love “24” because of its kind of take-no-shit approach to terrorism, and I wondered if the creative staff has a noticeable political bent. FURY: Well, certainly a couple members of our staff lean very heavily toward the right, as there are a couple members that lean very heavily toward the left. We have a wide diversity of different political viewpoints. I don’t think Republicans, just simply Republicans love the show. I have heard that people as diverse as Barbra Streisand is apparently a big fan of the show. ANDELMAN: I didn’t mean to suggest that only Republicans, by no means, but… FURY: Everybody likes to filter their viewing of “24” through their own viewpoint, and we try to give a very diverse viewpoint on the show. Republicans will certainly embrace some of the more right wing aspects of “24,” the take-no-prisoners approach to terrorism, and there are others who recognize that that doesn’t work all the time. What you really have is somebody like Jack Bauer, who is serving the greater good but who has no particular political bent. I mean,...