Jack Bauer’s two-hour descent into another season of white-knuckle “24” action struck the right chord with viewers.

Last night’s season premiere of “24” averaged 12.5 million viewers (8-10 p.m.), giving the Kiefer Sutherland drama a strong push going into tonight, when Fox airs the second half of the “24” season opener (8-10 p.m.).

Last night’s “24” episode outperformed last November’s “prequel” by 400,000 viewers and finished third in adults 18-49–a strong statement, considering its competition (the Golden Globes on NBC and “Desperate Housewives” on ABC).

If you missed last night’s episode, it’s available on fox.com and hulu.com.