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Spooks

Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Spooks
  • Posted at 5:10pm
  • 04 December 2008
  • by AlisonGraham-RT
  • 19 comments

Phew! Spooks, eh? Blimey. Wasn't episode seven (Monday 1 December, BBC1) a corker? In fact, hasn't this been the best ever series? I've always been a fan, but suddenly Spooks seems to have grown up into a beautifully polished, clever, adult drama that's just so flipping exciting.

We're not terribly good at TV thrillers here, a genre that's historically been the province of the Americans. I feel this is due to British TV's tiresome pursuit of "characterisation" at the expense of story and plot.

We always have to have a "message" too - just look at this year's offerings, the dismal The Last Enemy and Burn Up, two damp supposed thrillers centred on, respectively, surveillance technology and climate change. They were yawnsomely dull and tediously worthy and failed to note that the one essential ingredient of a thriller is thrills. Forget trying to teach me to switch off my lights, just give me a few good, heart-pumping chases and lots of peril.

This is where Spooks comes into its own, as it has the greatest of all dramatic imperatives - imminent danger. The series has intelligently exploited the terrorist threat without scaring the hell out of its audience. And it's also had some good, strong, prescient stories about the resurgent Russian threat and global financial meltdown.

I've read comments elsewhere about Spooks turning into 24, but that's rubbish. 24 is overrated nonsense, whereas Spooks is very much its own creature, beholden to no-one. It's also a rarity, a show that is bigger than its stars. Right from the first series, when an agent met an unfortunate and shocking end by being thrust headfirst into a deep fat fryer, it's never been afraid to send in the Grim Reaper to mow down major characters.

At the end of the first episode of the current series, smooth spy Adam (Rupert Penry-Jones) was killed in a bomb explosion. His absence, in other, lesser dramas, could have spelt disaster. Yet Spooks glides on, with Richard Armitage fitting in seamlessly as Lucas, Adam's replacement.

This series has also provided an audacious twist, with a mole in the secret agents' midst, the clever, kind, genteel but steely Connie (Gemma Jones, who's been wonderful. It's terrific to see a great actress of a certain age being allowed to get her teeth into a smashing role). Her outing as a traitor was a nail-biter.

As is the final episode, a good, old-fashioned spy thriller featuring a chase, on foot, through London's network of disused Underground lines. It's tense, exciting and exhausting - in a good way.

**

Alison Graham is TV editor of Radio Times - read her column in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale now.

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Comments

  • Posted on 20 May 2009
  • at 10:18am
  • by Sarah

Spooks works for so many reasons. The storylines are real. The characters (regardless of who they are) are real and whether the dichtomy of the emotional struggles we see are overt or covert, it is there. If it weren't, we wouldn't watch it because we wouldn't be able to identify with it. RA is a fine example of an actor being able to achieve that, as is Hermione Norris. Miranda Raison (Jo) is a bit too "emotional" for a spook and as such lacks the edge that the others have…but her character is needed, to showcase the others. Great work Kudos productions PLEASE keep it up!

  • Posted on 06 May 2009
  • at 2:41pm
  • by hells bells

i have watched all 7 series of spooks.The best is getting better.Whenever a long serving character has been killed off ive always thought spooks would lose its appeal but the most fantastic actors join and icant wait for series 8,9,10,11..........PLEASE

  • Posted on 21 March 2009
  • at 11:44pm
  • by B4U

Spooks is the best drama on TV, and Harry is the best charater in the show. Can't wait for series 8!

  • Posted on 10 March 2009
  • at 12:57pm
  • by XIAN

I HATE SPOOKS

  • Posted on 28 December 2008
  • at 2:05pm
  • by Jane

We've really enjoyed the current series of SPOOKS,and though we were sorry to see Adam's 'demise', we were especially delighted with the arrival of Richard Armitage. Looking forward to getting the dvd of the series in 2009, so we can relive it all again…

  • Posted on 26 December 2008
  • at 11:37am
  • by Martin

All of the above praise-heaping is so well deserved. It feels so very credible - and having lived in London for 20yrs+, the London location shots make it even more so (my sympathies to all non-London-centrics who do't get that). Can't wait until the next series. BTW: isn't Ros a nice shape?!

  • Posted on 12 December 2008
  • at 2:12pm
  • by Saus

I love Richard Armitage in the new series - I just hope he won't be killed off quickly, he needs to be in it for much longer. I watch the current week, next week's on BBC3 and the repeat on Sunday night, so each episode 3 times a week! I love it!

  • Posted on 12 December 2008
  • at 1:26pm
  • by Dave

Wonderful series. We enjoyed every episode. Looking forward to Spooks 8!

  • Posted on 12 December 2008
  • at 12:03am
  • by Holly

I came late to "Spooks", pitching in with Series 6, which was excellent. This series has been stupendous, with its astonishing storylines and cleverly drawn characters. It's been a joy and a terrific ride. Richard Armitage was an inspired addition. He's gorgeous! I love him as Lucas, though I doubt I shall ever warm to Ros. It's a terrible life, though! Must they all die young and painfully? I hope what remains of Section D, (and Lucas especially), lives to enjoy a long life and early retirement but I suspect we'll see a grim and precarious return to a Russian prison hell in order to spring Harry. Great stuff! I can't wait for the next series.

  • Posted on 10 December 2008
  • at 2:20pm
  • by Rosemary

Actually, I find it's the plots and the character development together that make Spooks such an excellent series. And the quality of the acting, of course. None of the characters are caricatures, and each is very subtly drawn - witness Ros Myers. She could be written off as an unfeeling, one-dimensional robot, were it not for Hermione Norris's extraordinary ability to convey her ambiguous feelings about some aspects of her job merely by blinking, swallowing, or glancing away for a split second. And Gemma Jones's performance throughout was absolutely spellbinding. I will be intrigued to see who else might join the cast next year. They have some big shoes to step into!

  • Posted on 10 December 2008
  • at 7:54am
  • by Grace

Living in Italy, It's not that easy to be a Spooks fan! Satellite pay tv broadcast season 3 and 4 last summer but I missed several episodes being on holiday. So I bought and collected all the DVDs come out so far. Now I'm reading everything I find about the new season and eagerly waiting for the new Dvd coming out in February! Thanks for you help.

  • Posted on 09 December 2008
  • at 3:49pm
  • by Broscombe

I'm sorry but I kept drifting off last night, I just cannot get into it at all. I stopped and watched Apparitions on replay, now there was a geniunely POWERFUL drama. Shame we are unlikely to see a second series, in fact with the current loathing of all things Christian, I'm surprised this got made. Perhaps it was thought the atheist author would be kicking the boot in, but an excellent drama of the fight betweeen good and evil,

  • Posted on 09 December 2008
  • at 1:29pm
  • by Orpheus2000

I think Spooks started well, with the first series, and kept getting better. Now it's ended, though, might as well throw a dust-sheet over the telly, because I can't see anything else that grabs the attention.

  • Posted on 09 December 2008
  • at 9:03am
  • by Angela

Loved Spooks for a long time, it manages to stay fresh by not being afraid to kill off main characters, but I hope RA hangs around for a while, he has been wonderful as Lucas North, I missed Adam, but Lucas/RA has become a part of the Spooks team and made the role his own.

  • Posted on 08 December 2008
  • at 4:18pm
  • by Nell

I think Hermione Norris is a terrific actress who saves the character of Ros and Peter Firth is of course, always good. I absolutely agree about Gemma Jones who did everything from sensible elder stateswoman to hissing villainess with wonderful aplomb. I'd like to see Jo doing more as the potential is there but I'm afraid Richard Armitage has made no impression on me at all. I keep thinking what the Adam character would do and it always turns out more interesting!

  • Posted on 06 December 2008
  • at 11:10pm
  • by FMB

To all who are not in Scotland can I tell you that Saturday nights have been great here recently as we have had Spooks at about 10pm. Saturday really needed some decent adult drama - I love Merlin but it is on early. Tv really needs some decent programmes about 9 or 10pm on a Saturday and Spooks was perfect in this spot. The last episode is a corker - enjoy on Monday!

  • Posted on 06 December 2008
  • at 7:12pm
  • by Jean

Great review, thank you. I've been a spooks fan for years and really like its character unpredictability. Characters don't have time to become stagnant, and although some can be missed by fans when gone (Adam), the series goes right on without missing a beat. I love Richard Armitage as Lucas North. He is a marvelous addition to this series, he is such a fabulous actor I can't wait to see what else he will bring into series 8 as his character is further explored.

  • Posted on 05 December 2008
  • at 7:17pm
  • by Amanda

I was spurred to watch this by the presence of the delicious Mr A as Lucas; and have adored sitting at the edge of my seat for every thrilling episode.

  • Posted on 05 December 2008
  • at 2:29pm
  • by Dragonfly

I rejoice in your enthusiasm for 'Spooks'. My husband & I have enjoyed every episode. It's totally absorbing & often very moving. Shame about Connie but as we know - Anything is possible.

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