Gerard O'Donovan of The Telegraph thought that the series "proved thoroughly entertaining", and praised Wolstencroft's writing, which O'Donovan felt was "confident enough to be playful with its subject – especially regarding Britain's poor-relation relationship with America." Spooks (TV series) 250px 'Spooks title sequence Television show information Genre Espionage/Action/Mystery Created by David Wolstencroft Starring Script error: No such module "list". The executive producers of the first series were Kudos director Stephen Garrett and Head of Independent Drama Commissioning for the BBC, Gareth Neame. Despite his status as a former Buffy regular, Head still had to earn the role from his audition. Simon Mirren wrote the third episode. Episode guide, trailer, review, preview, cast list and where to stream it on demand, on catch up and download. [68] The box set consists of all six episodes of the first series over three discs and 1.78:1 Anamorphic PAL widescreen format. As the team buries their dead colleague, a bomb goes off in a nearby market. Tom and Helen go undercover to get close to the well-protected head of the conspirators. [17] His chosen writing style was a mixture of the "grittyness" of le Carré's works and James Bond-like fantasies. [Spooks] is its own beast altogether: a smart, thrilling series that pulls no punches and maintains a consistent level of quality and intelligence throughout its running time. [4] When including terrorists, the BBC often has the responsibility to portray people with as much balance as possible for both sides. However the Grid set, the offices of the protagonists, was filmed in a closed medical school in Kensington. [60] Meanwhile, in the "Best Actress" category, Agutter and Hawes were voted twenty-sixth and second, respectively. Find out when Spooks is on TV, including Series 1-Episode 3: One Last Dance. Joe Joseph of The Times stated that it "bears a closer resemblance [to] 24," which "shaded the pleasure of this opening episode", but felt that by the end of the episode, Spooks had "established a voice of its own." Series 1: Episode 5. Hawes was attracted to the parallels between acting and spying. Look up the top 30 weekly programmes from weeks ending 19 May to 24 June 2002 from the, Looking After Our Own § Broadcast, reception and controversy, "Weekly Top 30 Programmes (See weeks ending May 19 to 23 Jun 2002)", "ITV hopes goes West as Spooks steals in", "MI5 drama doubles numbers applying to be real-life spooks", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Best Drama No.3: Spooks", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Best Drama No.2: Tipping the Velvet", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Best Drama No.1: 24", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Hunkiest Male", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Best Actress", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Most Fanciable Female", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Best Villain", "BBC Drama – Best of 2002 – Favourite Moment", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spooks_(series_1)&oldid=999369985, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Zoe is sent on a standard bugging operation at the Turkish, Tom upgrades the security systems in his home to keep Ellie and Maisie safe from potential harm. Among these were Danny's obsession with money and spending, by hacking into a credit card database to fool it to give him a better credit rating, and the discovery that Tessa is running phantom agents to pocket their money. Spooks follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). In the meantime, Wolstencroft, who wrote Psychos, was also developing a spy drama, albeit as a film. However, each episode had approximately ten minutes edited out to accommodate for advert breaks. Spooks. [58] Firth and Macfadyen were listed in the "Best Actor" category, being voted twenty-first, and fifth, respectively. He downplayed his enthusiasm to get the part. Episode guide, trailer, review, preview, cast list and where to stream it on demand, on catch up and download. The first series of the British spy drama television series Spooks (known as MI-5 in the United States) began broadcasting on 13 May 2002 on BBC One, and ended on 17 June 2002. The scenes leading up to Mary's apprehension in "Thou Shalt Not Kill" were filmed at Borough Market in Southwark. [4] The producers created Maisie because they believed that children are often "the best spies of all". Racial tensions in Britain continue to rise and the team pieces together an organized attempt to stir up problems for political gain. [4] Creator David Wolstencroft found Tom to be the most fun, yet hardest character to write for due to him being the main character. [4] Meanwhile, also in episode four, Anthony Head, best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the time, played Peter Salter. She realised that although Tessa would start off as a peripheral character, her role would build as the series continued. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules! In the United Kingdom, the box set was released with a "15" British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) certificate (meaning it is unsuitable for viewing by those under the age of 15 years). [33], The Spooks producers were hoping the ratings for the pilot would achieve at least six million viewers; at the time this was considered acceptable ratings by the BBC, as it would allow them to further consider Spooks' future. [11] Hugh Simon plays technical officer Malcolm Wynn-Jones, and Greame Mearns plays MI5 officer Jed Kelley. [32] The first series was later repeated on BBC America, alongside the second series starting in June 2007. Alison Graham of the Radio Times called the first series "a tremendous pieces of hokum, which is only slightly po-faced (but in a knowing kind of way) and which manages to stay just on the right side of self-parody." According to Wolstencroft, he felt that anybody who works in such an occupation with high responsibilities tends to have humour around, and that those people make jokes even though they have seen "heinous things". [14], The pilot originally underwent 30 rewrites and four separate story ideas before the BBC was satisfied with it. With Peter Firth, Nicola Walker, Max Brown, Lara Pulver. The cameras allowed for more intimate filming as opposed to shoulder-operated cameras. [57] However, Spooks was also voted the third worst drama. The images should not contain any sexually explicit content, race hatred material or other offensive symbols or images. S1 E1: Episode 1 51m Set behind the scenes of the modern British Security Service (MI5), SPOOKS shows what it's like to be a spy, through the eyes of the spies themselves. [21] The first series finale was heavily researched, as the episode was based on real life instances in which terrorists agreed to work with the authorities in Colombia. Thrillers, The last two episodes held several scenes filmed at a high-end house in Highgate owned by a silk merchant, in particular the opera house and bar Jools frequents,[15] and the DG's (Director General of MI5) office. The fifth series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 17 September 2006 before ending on 13 November 2006. [4] As the series progressed, there were more difficulties with the relationship; Brenton wrote Tom's position as if the character did not see the problem. Spooks. Ten main cast members are listed in the first series. But as time runs short, personal loyalties will leave one team member dead. [65], The series was first released on DVD in the United Kingdom (Region 2) on 16 June 2003. [62] The Tom and Ellie relationship was seen by viewers as the fourth best couple in television for the year,[63] and Patrick McCann as the sixth best villain. The complete guide by MSN. [15] In the finale, Irish actor Lorcan Cranitch plays Irish splinter group terrorist Patrick McCann. [13] Laurie based his performance on Barry Foster's portrayal of the head of MI6 in Sweeney!. [40], Within the fortnight of the show's launch, MI5 noted a surge in a number of applications to the organisation as a result of the series. David Wolstencroft was credited as the series creator, Simon Crawford Collins as the producer, and Jane Featherstone as the series producer. [39] The renewal was officially announced by the BBC's Head of Drama Commissioning Jane Tranter in December 2002. Spooks - Series 1: Episode 5. Those storylines were intended by Brenton and Wolstencroft to show the audience that the MI5 officers are tempted by money. Find out when Spooks is on TV, including Series 1-Episode 1: Thou Shalt Not Kill. M. Play. Thomas Sudcliff of The Independent felt it was a "different kind of spy drama" with "a literal description, derived from the sort of rueful story you could imagine being told at an MI5 staff social", and "a lot of bullshit too, naturally. The CIA is involved since Shining Dawn has primarily directed its wrath at the US and … Four episodes were being written when the September 11 attacks took place, and the some scenes were rewritten to take the event into account to show the audience Spooks's goal of fighting terrorism. Season 1, Episode 1 Thou Shalt Not Kill First Aired: October 8, 2004 Twenty bombs go astray between Ireland and the UK and a car is bombed in a possible act of pro-life terrorism. The series began broadcasting on 13 May 2002 on BBC One during the 9 to 10 pm timeslot, and continued on every Monday night until 17 June 2002, with the exception of the fourth episode, which was viewed on Tuesday 4 June starting at 10 pm, due to an overrun of the coverage of Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. Tom recruits MI5 secretary, Helen, to … [16], The two main writers, Brenton and Wolstencroft, had different styles and influences in their scripts. This ensures that each episode is strong in content and execution. However, Byun thought the first series was a "solid, gripping entertainment that pulls few punches. "[43], Nancy Banks-Smith of The Guardian stated the series is "one of those shiny and insubstantial series," adding that "all that leaping out of bed at dawn on the pretext that you have to go and sell a house tends to wear thin." Rory MacGregor appears in two episodes as Colin Wells, an MI5 technical officer. "[47], The first series attracted controversy for its second episode, which saw the demise of a main character after her hand and head were forced into a deep fryer. When Kudos contacted him, they agreed they should work together to create a television series based on his idea, which was not to glamourise the world of spies, instead showing the audience that spies work in a "shitty job". ", "This new series looks like it's going to be great fun, but it's presumably not meant to be taken too seriously, because surely life in MI5 can't be this exciting? Among the storylines, main character Tom Quinnfaces dilemmas living a double life with his girlfriend, who at first does not know he is really a spy, and Tessa Phillips is running phantom agents for monetar… Tim Pigott-Smith - (1#5) Series 2. Of if it were, we'd all be queueing up to talk in clipped and meaningful tones while striding down official-looking corridors. MI5 welcomed the show's impact on the public, despite the officers' views that Spooks was "unrealistic and far-fetched", and could give viewers a false impression of how the organisation operates. Watch Spooks - Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode 2: Tom and Helen must go undercover and befriend the wife of a suspected hardcore racist in order to prevent a racewar. Episode 2 of 6 Race riots are becoming a national problem; MI5 are sure that businessman Robert Osbourne is responsible. [34] The first episode ended up with an overnight rating of 9.2 million viewers, with a 41 per cent audience share, easily winning its time slot, and nearly doubling the numbers of ITV1's Helen West, which was viewed by 4.8 million at the same slot. [13], The first series of Spooks saw various storylines involving the main characters. British TV, The series includes three screenwriters, and three directors. The Broadcasting Standards Commission stated the scene was shocking, but "in the context was acceptable and important for the later narrative". The box set includes an array of special features. [15], The first series began filming in November 2001,[11] and continued until March 2002. The producers also wanted main characters to die on occasion rather than on a weekly or bi-weekly basis; otherwise it would show MI5 officers as not doing their jobs properly. "[50], The first series of Spooks was nominated for six awards, one of which it won. While it's a little talkier and more reliant on suspense and mystery than trigger-happy American action shows, [Spooks] should please any fan of cloak-and-dagger antics. Anton … [49] The controversy sparked a response from comedian Charlie Brooker in his Guardian column, stating: "The moment her head was forced into the deep-fat-fryer, viewers reared on the formulaic, it'll-be-alright-in-the-end blandness of cookie-cutter populist dramas like Casualty and Merseybeat sat up and blinked in disbelief: here was a major BBC drama series that actually had the nerve to confound expectation. In addition, the operators at first hated using the cameras. The series consists of ten episodes. [14] Brenton, meanwhile, adopted the same writing style based on early episodes of Taggart, a Scottish-based crime drama; the writer was impressed by the show's ability to add more to the plot halfway through. Spooks follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). According to Wolstencroft, Nalluri "directs as I see. Country of origin United Kingdom Production Broadcast Original network Script error: No such module "list". The series, consisting of ten episodes, was serialised - a first for the programme. Do not upload anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload. The group, Shining Dawn, demands the release of their leader Michael Monroe or they will detonate another bomb in 10 hours. [7] Macfadyen, Hawes and Oyelowo were initially wary of playing the lead characters even though the actors were in their mid-twenties, but eventually felt that they earned the right to be in the series. [20] Brenton and Wolstencroft collaborated to write "Lesser of Two Evils" due to timing constraints. "[45], Matthew Millheiser of DVD Talk agreed. "[32] Bryan Byun of DVD Verdict had an issue with the storylines, stating, "At times it takes the entire length of an episode to figure out precisely what's going on. 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