It took 24 star Kiefer Sutherland only 30 seconds to make a comedic impact on Corner Gas last night.

The cameo appearance by the famous Canadian actor was the highlight of the fifth-season finale of Corner Gas, which aired on CTV. The voice of Sutherland's mom, actress Shirley Douglas, also was featured in the episode.

It was set up this way:

Wanda (Nancy Robertson) was planning a fireworks display for midnight, when Brent (series creator Brent Butt) was going to turn 40. But local policeman Davis (Lorne Cardinal) thought the display would be a fire hazzard and wanted to stop it.

After being thwarted in his attempts to mobilize a field team (i.e., the local field hockey team and the local football team), a frustrated Davis blurted to the mayor, "Fine, if you won't help me, I'll find someone else who will."

Davis slammed down the phone, then picked it up and dialed another number.

 

Cut to Kiefer, who since 2001 has played Jack Bauer on the groundbreaking action series 24. In this instance, Kiefer was dressed in a bathrobe, seated in a dimly lit room, staring intently at a computer.

Kiefer: "Hello."

Davis: "We have a problem. We need to set up a perimeter."

Kiefer: "Who is this?"

Davis: "Isn't this the coach of the baseball team?"

Kiefer: "No, you have the wrong number. This is Shirley Douglas' residence."

Davis: "Really?"

Kiefer: (slightly impatient): "Yes, I should know, she's my mother."

Davis (mocking): "Your mother? You still live with your mother? How old are ya?"

Kiefer: "I'm hanging up now."

At which point, the light in Kiefer's room changed as a door opened.

Douglas' voice: "Kiefer, who was that?"

Kiefer (exploding in anger): "Dammit, Mom, I told you to knock before you come in!"

The whole exchange took less than half a minute.

There probably was a practical reason why Douglas was not shown on-camera last night. Back in the third season of Corner Gas, Douglas had an acting role in the show, playing a woman who was attracted to Oscar (Eric Peterson).

Douglas, of course, is the daughter of former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas, the father of universal healthcare in Canada, and is the former wife of Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, Kiefer's dad.

Other Corner Gas guest stars since the series hit the airwaves in 2004 have included Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Paul Martin, former governor general Adrienne Clarkson, the Tragically Hip, Jann Arden, Duane (Dog) Chapman of Dog The Bounty Hunter, many past and present NHLers, and the judges from Canadian Idol.

Earlier this month, Butt announced that the sixth season of Corner Gas, which begins taping next month in Saskatchewan, will be the last for the show.