BEIJING, Feb. 24 --The clock will start ticking again for "24" when Kiefer Sutherland returns to the set after surgery that shut down filming of the thriller for two weeks.

A statement released by Twentieth Century Fox Television says Sutherland has been cleared to return to work.

The studio says no disruption is expected in the airing schedule. The show began its eighth season last month.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland arrives at the 62nd Annual Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles January 30, 2010.

Neither the studio nor Sutherland's representative has commented on the nature of the actor's ailment. The Los Angeles Times first reported the production halt and says Sutherland suffered from a ruptured cyst near his kidney.

Sutherland plays counterterrorism hero Jack Bauer on the series.