Spooks (TV series)
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''Spooks'' (known as ''MI-5'' in some countries) is a
British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...
spy drama series that originally aired on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
from 13 May 2002 to 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular
colloquialism Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversa ...
for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid. It is notable for various stylistic touches, and its use of popular guest actors. In the United States, the show is broadcast under the title ''MI-5''. In Canada, the programme originally aired as ''MI-5'' but later aired on BBC Canada as ''Spooks''. The series continued with a film, '' Spooks: The Greater Good'', which was released on 8 May 2015.


Series synopses

The show consists of 86 episodes, beginning in May 2002 and ending in October 2011. Most episodes end with the final scene freezing and changing to a black-and-white negative image that then compresses with a distinctive sound effect into a flat white line against a black screen.


Series 1

Starring
Matthew Macfadyen David Matthew Macfadyen (; born 17 October 1974) is an English actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained prominence for his role as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright's ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005). He currently stars as Tom Wambsgan ...
,
Keeley Hawes Claire Julia Hawes (born 10 February 1976), known professionally as Keeley Hawes, is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and ''Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Haw ...
,
David Oyelowo David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( ; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, ...
, Jenny Agutter, and Peter Firth, the initial series of six one-hour episodes premiered 13 May 2002. Due to its combination of stylistic photography with fast-paced action/adventure and spy intrigue storylines the series was a critical and popular success, averaging 7.5 million viewers over its six episodes. The second episode gained notoriety for the violent killing of character Helen Flynn (
Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an actress, presenter and celebrity chef. Early life Faulkner was born in Merton, London, to David Faulkner and Julie (née Day). She lived in Esher and was educated at Tiffin Girls' School in ...
), which drew the largest number of complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Commission in 2002. During an undercover operation Helen and Tom were captured by race riot instigator Robert Osborne, played by Kevin McNally, who tortured Helen with a deep fryer in an attempt to make Tom reveal classified information. He refused and she was killed. This provoked an angry reaction from many viewers who jammed BBC phone switchboards with complaints, despite the show airing after the 9 pm watershed.


Series 2

With the success of the first series, a second, longer series of ten episodes was commissioned and subsequently aired in 2003. New regular characters
Sam Buxton ''Spooks'' (known as ''MI-5'' in some countries) is a British television spy drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 to 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, and the s ...
( Shauna Macdonald) and Ruth Evershed ( Nicola Walker), were introduced in the first and second episodes respectively, while the series finale ended with a dramatic cliffhanger. The series averaged 7.1 million viewers.


Series 3

A third series of ten episodes was transmitted on BBC One in the autumn of 2004 and concluded on 13 December. The first episode features Rupert Penry-Jones as
Adam Carter Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones. The character ...
, who was drafted in from MI6 to help investigate Tom's disappearance. He later takes over Tom's position as Section Chief after the latter jeopardised an important operation. In episode six, Zoe is taken to court for misconduct during an operation and is forced to leave MI5 and assume a new identity in Chile. She is replaced by Adam's wife,
Fiona Fiona is a feminine given name. The name is associated with the Gaelic traditions of Ireland and Scotland (through the poetry of James Macpherson), but has also become popular in England.. It can be considered either a Latinised form of the Gae ...
(
Olga Sosnovska Olga Sosnovska (born 21 May 1972) is a Polish-born U.K./U.S.-based actress. Life and career Sosnovska was born in Wieluń, Poland. Her family emigrated to England when she was eleven. Sosnovska is perhaps best known in the United States for ...
). In the series finale, Danny is killed while he and Fiona are being held hostage. Audience figures dropped to a series average of 5.8 million viewers.


Series 4

The fourth series of ''Spooks'' began airing on Monday 12 September 2005 on BBC One at 9 pm with the first installment of a two-part story. The next day (Tuesday 13 September) the second episode was shown. The following week ''Spooks'' began airing in the Thursday 9 pm slot, a change from the Monday 9 pm slot that the previous three series had occupied. Once again, the series ran for ten episodes. It averaged 6.05 million viewers per episode, notably more than the previous series. The opening two-part episode introduces two new characters to the series, Zafar Younis (
Raza Jaffrey Raza Jaffrey (born 28 May 1973) is a British actor and singer, who starred as Neal Hudson on the CBS TV medical drama '' Code Black''. He is best known for playing Zafar Younis on the BBC One spy drama series '' Spooks''. In 2014, he played P ...
, whose character had first appeared in the final episode of series three), and Juliet Shaw (
Anna Chancellor Anna Theodora Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress who has received nominations for BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Background and early life Chancellor was born in Richmond, England to barrister John Paget Chancellor, eldest son of ...
). The storyline involves a terrorist bombing in central London, something that, in reality, took place on
7 July Events Pre-1600 *1124 – The city of Tyre falls to the Venetian Crusade after a siege of nineteen weeks. *1456 – A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her execution. *1520 – Spanish ''conquistadores ...
, two months before the episode was due to air, but after it had already been filmed. According to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' newspaper, the day the first episode aired, "The similarities were sufficient to cause head of drama, Jane Tranter and new BBC One controller Peter Fincham to agonise over whether to drop the episodes." The episodes were eventually aired unedited, although before both instalments of the two-parter the BBC One
continuity announcer In broadcasting, continuity or presentation (or station break in the U.S. and Canada) is announcements, messages and graphics played by the broadcaster between specific programmes. It typically includes programme schedules, announcement of the ...
warned viewers that they featured scenes of terrorist bombing in London which some viewers might find disturbing. In episode seven, the character Fiona Carter gets killed because the actress portraying her,
Olga Sosnovska Olga Sosnovska (born 21 May 1972) is a Polish-born U.K./U.S.-based actress. Life and career Sosnovska was born in Wieluń, Poland. Her family emigrated to England when she was eleven. Sosnovska is perhaps best known in the United States for ...
, was pregnant during filming and chose to leave the programme. In that story arc, Fiona attempts to kill her deranged ex-husband, who she thought had been hanged several years earlier. However, her ex-husband ultimately abducts her and later shoots her dead in Adam's presence during her attempted escape. Fiona Carter is replaced at MI5 by Jo Portman (played by Miranda Raison), a character who had been recruited by Adam Carter in a previous episode.


Series 5

The fifth (ten-part) series of ''Spooks'' aired its first episode in two parts, the first appearing on 17 September 2006. In it, elements within the British Government, MI6 and the UK press conspire in an attempt to overthrow the Parliament and the Prime Minister. These elements agree that for Britain to survive the threats posed by modern-day terrorism, democracy had to be replaced with rule by committee. The second part followed the next day (18 September), marking ''Spooks's'' return to BBC One's Monday night schedule. These episodes introduced Ros Myers ( Hermione Norris). This series's storylines include a fake home-grown
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
cell that plans an attack on London; the British government selling nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia; and the US administration selling arms to African dictators. The ratings for this series remained consistent with those of the previous series, averaging six million viewers.


Series 6

The sixth series was commissioned by Jane Tranter, Head of Drama Commissioning at the BBC, by the time series 5 was announced. The series returned on 16 October 2007 at 9 pm on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, and concluded on 18 December.Spooks
BBC One
The series averaged 5.68 million viewers (the lowest to date) The sixth series was different in certain respects from the previous five because it had a dominant storyline running through the entire season and the show contained end credits for the first time. There was also a less frequent use of the soundtrack composed by Jennie Muskett. The primary storyline of Series 6 follows Iran seeking the ability to manufacture its own nuclear weapons and searching for sellers of nuclear armaments components. The governments of several nations (principally the United States and its CIA, Russia's FSB, and a shadowy third organisation composed of disenfranchised members of other agencies, including MI5) are woven throughout the plot.
Simon Abkarian Simon Abkarian (Armenian: Սիմոն Աբկարյան, born March 5, 1962) is a French-Armenian actor. Life and career Born in Gonesse, Val d'Oise, of Armenian descent, Abkarian spent his childhood in Lebanon. He moved to Los Angeles, wher ...
plays the Iranian Special Consul liaising with the various governments. Agni Scott as his wife, Matthew Marsh as the CIA station chief, and Robert Glenister as the British Home Secretary, all have recurring roles throughout the series. A new website called "Spooks Interactive" was created to coincide with the launch of the series. In April 2008, the ''Spooks'' production team won the BAFTA Award for Interactivity for their work on Spooks Interactive.


Series 7

Series seven of ''Spooks'' began airing on 27 October 2008 for an eight-episode run. Peter Firth returns as Harry Pearce, along with
Alex Lanipekun Alex Lanipekun (born 7 April 1981) is a British actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but left early to join the cast of the BBC drama '' Spooks'' as journalist-cum-spy Ben Kaplan, the role for which he is best known. Earl ...
as Ben Kaplan, Hugh Simon as Malcolm Wynn-Jones, Miranda Raison as
Jo Portman Joanna Portman (1979–2010) was a fictional Field Operative in the Counter-Terrorism department at MI5, featured in the British television series, '' Spooks'', also known as MI5 in the United States. She was played by Miranda Raison. A former a ...
and Gemma Jones as
Connie James The main recurring characters in the TV series '' Spooks'' include (principals shown in bold): Final Series Leads Main characters for Series 10: * Sir Harry Pearce KBE (Peter Firth) (2002-2011) - Head of Counter-Terrorism Department, MI5. * Dimit ...
. In the first episode, central character
Adam Carter Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones. The character ...
(portrayed by Rupert Penry-Jones) dies in a car explosion set by terrorists, and the character
Ros Myers Rosalind Sarah Myers is a fictional character from the BBC television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Hermione Norris. The character was a fo ...
(played by Hermione Norris) returns to the show as a deep-cover agent in Moscow. Richard Armitage joins the cast as Lucas North, an agent who has been held in a Russian prison for the past eight years and released as part of a spy exchange. Following Adam's death, Ros is made the section leader and Lucas assumes Ros’s previous position as senior case officer. The series eight recommission press release announced that there would be a twist in the final episode of series 7. In that episode, a nuclear bomb is set to explode, triggered by a Russian sleeper agent who is part of Operation Tiresias. As Parliament and the Royal Family are evacuated, the nuclear threat to London is eliminated when Ros and Lucas are able to turn
Connie James The main recurring characters in the TV series '' Spooks'' include (principals shown in bold): Final Series Leads Main characters for Series 10: * Sir Harry Pearce KBE (Peter Firth) (2002-2011) - Head of Counter-Terrorism Department, MI5. * Dimit ...
and elude an FSB kill squad. While defusing the bomb, Connie is killed by its conventional explosives. Seconds before the bomb explodes, Connie reveals it had not been Harry who sold Lucas North out to the Russians as Lucas had always believed but, rather, herself. The episode concludes with Harry, conscious but with his mouth taped shut, in the boot of a car being zipped up in a body bag by Viktor Sarkisian, head of the FSB's London station.


Series 8

In December 2008, the BBC announced that series 8 would start filming in March 2009 and air in late 2009, And that both Hermione Norris ( Ros) and Richard Armitage ( Lucas) would be returning. Series 8 started on Wednesday 4 November 2009, at 9 pm on BBC One, with episode 2 broadcast on Friday 6 November at 9 pm on BBC Three. The opening episode of series 8 drew 6 million viewers, a 25% share of audience numbers between 9 pm and 10 pm. The first episode of the series picks up the story from where it left off in a cliffhanger at the end of series 7, with Harry Pearce being held captive by the Russians. During this episode, Ruth Evershed is reintroduced, having spent her time since series 5 in Cyprus. The only character other than Harry who has been in the programme since its inception, Malcolm Wynn-Jones, departs, stating simply that he is "too old". His replacement comes in the form of much a younger technician,
Tariq Masood Tariq Masood (commonly known as Mufti Tariq Masood, ur, ; born 4 March 1975) is a Pakistani Deobandi author and Islamic scholar, who teaches at the Jamia Tur Rasheed seminary in Karachi. He has authored books Including ''Aik se Za'id Shadiy ...
(
Shazad Latif Shazad Latif (born Iqbal Amin; 8 July 1988) is a British actor, who starred as Tariq Masood in the BBC TV series '' Spooks'', Clem Fandango on '' Toast of London'', and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in ''Penny Dreadful''. In 2017, he was cast as Chi ...
). The series again revolves around one major plot arc, focused on a mysterious organisation known only as "Nightingale". Over the course of the series, Lucas North's loyalty is continually called into question, for the most part because of his ongoing relationship with CIA agent Sarah Caulfield, who is connected to Nightingale.
Jo Portman Joanna Portman (1979–2010) was a fictional Field Operative in the Counter-Terrorism department at MI5, featured in the British television series, '' Spooks'', also known as MI5 in the United States. She was played by Miranda Raison. A former a ...
also briefly returns, but is killed by Ros in a dramatic act of martyrdom after being captured by a terrorist. Ros is haunted by the memory of this event for the remainder of this series. At the end of the series, Section D does not appear to have made much progress in tackling Nightingale, and
Ros Myers Rosalind Sarah Myers is a fictional character from the BBC television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Hermione Norris. The character was a fo ...
is killed in an explosion, along with the new Home Secretary, Andrew Lawrence.


Series 9

''Spooks'' returned for a ninth series on Monday 20 September 2010 for an eight-episode run. New cast members in this series include
Sophia Myles Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), Darcy in '' Transformers: Age of Extinctio ...
and Max Brown as MI5 officers and
Simon Russell Beale Sir Simon Russell Beale (born 12 January 1961) is an English actor. He is known for his appearances in film, television and theatre, and work on radio, on audiobooks and as a narrator. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Elizabe ...
as the Home Secretary. Iain Glen and
Laila Rouass Laila Rouass (née Abdesselam) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayals of Amber Gates in ''Footballers' Wives'' (2004–2006) and Sahira Shah in ''Holby City'' (2011–2012, 2021). She has also starred in '' Primeval'' and ...
also joined the series, playing Vaughn Edwards and Maya Lahan – figures from Lucas's mysterious past. The series ends with the death of Lucas's lover Maya Lahan, following the death of Lucas's blackmailer, Vaughn, at the climactic end of the penultimate episode. Lucas had kidnapped Ruth, binding and gagging her, and was attempting to get a top-secret computer file for the Chinese. The climactic scene is a showdown between Harry and Lucas on top of a tower block in London. After Harry reveals that the file never actually worked, and that Lucas had apparently betrayed his MI5 colleagues and stolen another man's identity, "Lucas" (whose "real" name is apparently John Bateman) orders Harry to turn around. Harry anticipates execution, but no shots come. Hearing a car alarm and screams from the ground many seconds later, Harry turns around to find Lucas no longer on the roof. Forty-eight hours later, the Home Secretary calls Harry to inform him that a full investigation will be made into his actions at MI5 and to "prepare for life after MI5". The series ends with Harry looking out over the London skyline at night. A caption reveals that a 10th series is planned for 2011.


Series 10

Production on the six-episode series reportedly began during March 2011, with Lara Pulver joining the series as an "ambitious, hungry" new spook "determined to make her mark". Also joining the series were Geoffrey Streatfeild, Alice Krige and Jonathan Hyde, while Peter Firth, Nicola Walker, Max Brown, Shazad Latif and Simon Russell Beale reprised their roles, as did
Matthew Macfadyen David Matthew Macfadyen (; born 17 October 1974) is an English actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained prominence for his role as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright's ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005). He currently stars as Tom Wambsgan ...
in a cameo appearance in the final episode.
Sophia Myles Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), Darcy in '' Transformers: Age of Extinctio ...
did not return as Beth Bailey. This series concludes with the revelation of a plot to force Britain and Russia into war. Harry manages to thwart the plot and decides to leave the service to live a normal life with Ruth Evershed. But when a vengeful Sasha Gavrik attempts to take revenge on him, Ruth takes the blow for Harry and dying in his arms. Harry then decides to return to MI5, since the prospect of a normal life, whatever that would mean without Ruth, no longer appeals to him. Kudos and the BBC announced in a joint statement in August 2011 that Series 10 would be the last series. It began airing on BBC One on Sunday 18 September 2011 at 9:00 pm, moving from its former weekday evening slot, with the final episode airing on 23 October 2011.


''Spooks: The Greater Good''

A feature-length film, ''Spooks: The Greater Good'', known in the US as ''MI-5'', was released in May 2015. Peter Firth reprises his role as Harry Pearce. Also returning from the TV series are Tim McInnerny as Oliver Mace, Lara Pulver as
Erin Watts Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating from the Irish word ''"Éirinn"''. "Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland, "Éire", genitive "Éireann", the dative being used in prepositional phrases such as ''"go h ...
, Hugh Simon as Malcolm Wynn-Jones, and Geoffrey Streatfeild as Calum Reed. Kit Harington and Jennifer Ehle star as new characters in leading roles.


Characters


Main


The Grid (surviving)

* Sir Harry Pearce KBE ( Peter Firth; 2002–2011) Head of Counter-Terrorism Department ("Section D") MI5. * Tom Quinn (
Matthew Macfadyen David Matthew Macfadyen (; born 17 October 1974) is an English actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained prominence for his role as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright's ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005). He currently stars as Tom Wambsgan ...
; 2002–2004; 2011) Chief of Section and Senior Case Officer, Section D. Decommissioned after jeopardising a key mission and took early retirement. Became a private contractor after leaving MI5. In the final episode of the series, Quinn is hired by Harry as an 'outside source' to kill a double agent for both MI5 and the FSB. *Tessa Phillips ( Jenny Agutter; 2002–2003) Senior Case Officer, Section K. Left the Grid after being discovered by Harry running "ghost" agents. Fled the country after sabotaging an operation. *Dimitri Levendis ( Max Brown; 2010–2011) Piracy and Terrorism Case Officer, Section D. Also ex- Special Boat Service. * Zoe Reynolds (
Keeley Hawes Claire Julia Hawes (born 10 February 1976), known professionally as Keeley Hawes, is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and ''Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Haw ...
; 2002–2004) Junior Case Officer, Section D. Hidden "off-the-books" in Chile after she was caught making a mistake on an undercover mission in Series 3, Episode 6. *
Beth Bailey Beth Bailey is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles. Beth Bailey was introduce ...
(
Sophia Myles Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), Darcy in '' Transformers: Age of Extinctio ...
; 2010) Junior Case Officer, Section D. Decommissioned by Erin Watts in the time between series 9 and 10. * Sam Buxton ( Shauna Macdonald; 2003–2004) Administrative Officer, Section D. Reassigned to GCHQ following Danny's demise. * Malcolm Wynn-Jones ( Hugh Simon; 2002–2009; 2010) Technician and Data Analyst, Section D. Retired.


The Grid (status unknown)

*
Jed Kelley The main recurring characters in the TV series '' Spooks'' include (principals shown in bold): Final Series Leads Main characters for Series 10: * Sir Harry Pearce KBE (Peter Firth) (2002-2011) - Head of Counter-Terrorism Department, MI5. * Dimit ...
(Graeme Mearns; 2002) Administrative Officer, Section D. Status unknown.


The Grid (deceased)

Arranged in approximate order of seniority and, among equals, most recent last. *
Adam Carter Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones. The character ...
( Rupert Penry-Jones; 2004–2008) Chief of Section and Senior Case Officer, Section D. Killed by a car bomb in Series 7, Episode 1. *
Ros Myers Rosalind Sarah Myers is a fictional character from the BBC television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Hermione Norris. The character was a fo ...
( Hermione Norris; 2006–2009) Chief of Section and Senior Case Officer, Section D. Killed in an explosion while attempting to rescue the Home Secretary in Series 8, Episode 8. * Lucas North/John Bateman ( Richard Armitage; 2008–2010) Chief of Section and Senior Case Officer, Section D. Jumped from a rooftop to his death after a showdown with Harry Pearce in Series 9, Episode 8. *Erin Watts ( Lara Pulver; 2011) Section Chief, Section D; former acting Head of Counter-Terrorism Department, MI5. Killed herself after being captured by a terrorist cell in '' Spooks: The Greater Good''. *
Fiona Carter ''Spooks'' (known as ''MI-5'' in some countries) is a British television spy drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 to 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, and the s ...
(
Olga Sosnovska Olga Sosnovska (born 21 May 1972) is a Polish-born U.K./U.S.-based actress. Life and career Sosnovska was born in Wieluń, Poland. Her family emigrated to England when she was eleven. Sosnovska is perhaps best known in the United States for ...
; 2004–2005) MI6 Officer, Section D. Shot by Syrian ex-husband during an operation in Series 4, Episode 7. * Danny Hunter (
David Oyelowo David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( ; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, ...
; 2002–2004) Junior Case Officer, Section D. Executed during a terrorist hostage situation in Series 3, Episode 10. *Zafar Younis (
Raza Jaffrey Raza Jaffrey (born 28 May 1973) is a British actor and singer, who starred as Neal Hudson on the CBS TV medical drama '' Code Black''. He is best known for playing Zafar Younis on the BBC One spy drama series '' Spooks''. In 2014, he played P ...
; 2004–2007) Junior Case Officer, Section D. Tortured and killed by a rogue cell called The Redbacks sometime after being abducted in Series 6, Episode 1. * Ben Kaplan DSO (
Alex Lanipekun Alex Lanipekun (born 7 April 1981) is a British actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but left early to join the cast of the BBC drama '' Spooks'' as journalist-cum-spy Ben Kaplan, the role for which he is best known. Earl ...
; 2007–2008) Junior Case Officer, Section D. Throat cut by FSB mole Connie James in Series 7, Episode 7. *
Jo Portman Joanna Portman (1979–2010) was a fictional Field Operative in the Counter-Terrorism department at MI5, featured in the British television series, '' Spooks'', also known as MI5 in the United States. She was played by Miranda Raison. A former a ...
( Miranda Raison; 2005–2009) Junior Case Officer Section D. Shot by Ros Myers while restraining a terrorist during a hostage situation in Series 8, Episode 3. * Calum Reed ( Geoffrey Streatfeild; 2011) Junior Case Officer, Section D. Killed by the terrorist Qasim during the takeover of the Grid in '' Spooks: The Greater Good''. * Ruth Evershed ( Nicola Walker; 2003–2006 and 2009–2011) Former Senior Intelligence Analyst, Section D, later Security Advisor to Home Secretary William Towers. Stabbed by Sasha Gavrik, Series 10, Episode 6. * Connie James ( Gemma Jones; 2007–2008) Former Senior Analyst Section D. Arrested as an FSB mole. Killed while defusing a nuclear bomb in Series 7, Episode 8. *
Helen Flynn "Looking After Our Own" is the second episode of the British espionage television series '' Spooks''. It first aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2002. The episode was written by series creator David Wolstencroft, and directed by ...
(
Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an actress, presenter and celebrity chef. Early life Faulkner was born in Merton, London, to David Faulkner and Julie (née Day). She lived in Esher and was educated at Tiffin Girls' School in ...
; 2002) Administrative Officer, Section D. Tortured and shot by a right-wing terrorist in Series 1, Episode 2. * Colin Wells (
Rory MacGregor Rory MacGregor (born 2 August 1976) is a British actor, who has played a variety of roles on television, generally in the 2000s. MacGregor was born in London, England. He trained at Rose Bruford College Rose Bruford College (formerly ...
; 2002–2006) Technician and Data Analyst, Section D. Hanged by corrupt MI6 officers during their attempted ''coup d'état'' in Series 5, Episode 1. *Tariq Masood (
Shazad Latif Shazad Latif (born Iqbal Amin; 8 July 1988) is a British actor, who starred as Tariq Masood in the BBC TV series '' Spooks'', Clem Fandango on '' Toast of London'', and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in ''Penny Dreadful''. In 2017, he was cast as Chi ...
; 2009–2011) Technician and Data Analyst, Section D Assassinated with a
hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on a ...
-related compound after discovering vital intel at his bugged home in Series 10, Episode 2.


Other (Surviving)

* The Rt Hon William Towers MP (
Simon Russell Beale Sir Simon Russell Beale (born 12 January 1961) is an English actor. He is known for his appearances in film, television and theatre, and work on radio, on audiobooks and as a narrator. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Elizabe ...
; 2010–2011) British
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
, serving as part of a coalition government. * Ilya Gavrik ( Jonathan Hyde; 2011) Russian Minister for International Development former KGB Operative and old adversary of Harry during the cold war. *
Oliver Mace The main recurring characters in the TV series '' Spooks'' include (principals shown in bold): Final Series Leads Main characters for Series 10: * Sir Harry Pearce KBE (Peter Firth) (2002-2011) - Head of Counter-Terrorism Department, MI5. * Dimit ...
( Tim McInnerny; 2004–2006) Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Forced to resign after being exposed as the mastermind behind illegal torture of terror suspects. * Sir Richard Dolby (Robert East; 2008) Director General of MI5. *
Bob Hogan The main recurring characters in the TV series '' Spooks'' include (principals shown in bold): Final Series Leads Main characters for Series 10: * Sir Harry Pearce KBE (Peter Firth) (2002-2011) - Head of Counter-Terrorism Department, MI5. * Dimit ...
( Matthew Marsh; 2007) Former CIA London station chief. Dismissed from CIA for working with mercenaries against MI5. * Dariush Bakhshi (
Simon Abkarian Simon Abkarian (Armenian: Սիմոն Աբկարյան, born March 5, 1962) is a French-Armenian actor. Life and career Born in Gonesse, Val d'Oise, of Armenian descent, Abkarian spent his childhood in Lebanon. He moved to Los Angeles, wher ...
; 2007) Iranian Special Consul. * Jools Siviter ( Hugh Laurie; 2002) MI6 Section Chief. Reassigned out of the country. * Christine Dale ( Megan Dodds; 2002–2004) CIA agent and MI5 liaison officer. Resigned following her involvement in Tom's investigation and apprehension. * Sasha Gavrik (
Tom Weston-Jones Tom Weston-Jones (born 29 June 1987) is an English actor, known for his role in '' Copper'' and for playing Richard Lee in ''Warrior'' (2019). Early life and education Weston-Jones was born in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, and was brought ...
, 2011) FSB officer and son of Elena Gavrik and Ilya Gavrik. * Elisavieta Starkova (
Paloma Baeza Paloma Baeza (born 1 May 1975) is a British actress and director of English and Mexican heritage. Her 2017 film ''Poles Apart'' won the BAFTA for best animated short film in 2018. Biography Baeza was born in London and spent her childhood in Me ...
; 2009) Lucas North's ex-wife and a double agent. Dropped as an asset on Lucas's request. * Wes Carter (James Dicker; 2004–2008) Son of Adam and Fiona. Sent to live with his grandmother after being orphaned following his father's death.


Other (Status unknown)

*Juliet Shaw (
Anna Chancellor Anna Theodora Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress who has received nominations for BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Background and early life Chancellor was born in Richmond, England to barrister John Paget Chancellor, eldest son of ...
; 2005–2007) Former National Security Coordinator, exposed as Head of Yalta. * Alton Beecher ( Colin Salmon; 2010) The head CIA liaison officer stationed in London. *
Bernard Qualtrough Bernard Qualtrough is a fictional British spy appearing in series 7 of the BBC television drama '' Spooks'' (known as ''MI-5'' in the United States). The character was played by Richard Johnson. In series 7, Bernard is in his retirement and is ap ...
( Richard Johnson; 2008) Harry's former mentor and retired SIS officer. Exposed as an FSB mole after the ''Sugarhorse'' incident.


Other (Deceased)

* The Rt Hon
Nicholas Blake Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Irish-born British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Bla ...
MP ( Robert Glenister; 2006–2010) – Former British
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
. Forced to resign after allegations of corruption. Later exposed by Ruth as a senior member of Nightingale who ordered the hotel bombing that killed Home Secretary Andrew Lawrence and Ros Myers. Poisoned by Harry, who had learned from Ruth that Blake was a traitor. * The Rt Hon Andrew Lawrence MP ( Tobias Menzies; 2009) – Former British
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
. Killed in an explosion alongside Ros Myers, though his body was never seen. * Sam Walker ( Brian Protheroe; 2009) – CIA's London station chief. Murdered by Nightingale operative Sarah Caulfield for investigating Nightingale. * Viktor Sarkisian ( Peter Sullivan; (2008–2009) – Former head of the FSB's London station. Murdered early in series 8 episode 1 by the man to whom he had intended to sell a kidnapped Harry Pearce. Viktor's killer was himself killed at the end of the 1st episode by Lucas when he and Ros rescued Harry and Ruth, who had returned from Cyprus. * James 'Jim' Coaver ( William Hope, 2011) CIA Deputy Director and an old friend of Harry Pearce; helped turn Elena Gavrik in the 1980s. Suspected of being behind the attacks on MI5 and Gavrik as well as the death of Tariq Masood, but apparently set-up for Harry to believe this. Beaten and fatally injured by mercenaries posing as CIA agents, died minutes later. * Sarah Caulfield ( Genevieve O'Reilly; 2009) – CIA agent and MI5 liaison officer. Lucas North's lover. Assassinated by a hitman for Nightingale after being captured by MI5 and exposed as a traitor. *Vaughn Edwards ( Iain Glen; 2010) – Lucas North/John Bateman's blackmailer and his apparent employer in relation to the Dakar Bombings. Died from blood loss received from a knife wound after a confrontation with Lucas/John. * Elena Gavrik ( Alice Krige, 2011) Wife of Ilya Gavrik and former asset and lover of Harry Pearce during the cold war. Killed by Ilya Gavrik after being revealed to be a Russian ultra-nationalist double-agent. * Maya Lahan (
Laila Rouass Laila Rouass (née Abdesselam) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayals of Amber Gates in ''Footballers' Wives'' (2004–2006) and Sahira Shah in ''Holby City'' (2011–2012, 2021). She has also starred in '' Primeval'' and ...
; 2010) – Lucas North/John Bateman's ex-girlfriend. Died from gunshot wounds during a shoot out with Alec, Beth and Dimitri while attempting to flee the country with Lucas/John.


Production

The programme was created by writer David Wolstencroft, and produced by Kudos for the BBC. A trademark style, coupled with the series' popularity, attracted a large number of high-profile guest stars. These included Martine McCutcheon, Hugh Laurie,
Haluk Bilginer Nihat Haluk Bilginer (; born 5 June 1954) is a Turkish actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman in the television soap opera '' EastEnders'' ...
,
Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...
, Tim McInnerny, Bruce Payne, Reece Dinsdale,
Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in ' ...
, Ewen Bremner, Jimi Mistry, Andy Serkis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin McNally, Rupert Graves,
Andrew Tiernan Andrew James Tiernan (born 30 November 1965) is a British actor and director. Biography Theatre Tiernan began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre and moved to London in 1984 to study a three-year diploma in acting at the Drama Centre Lo ...
, Anton Lesser, Anupam Kher, Alexander Siddig, and Anthony Head.


Locations

The availability and iconic status of certain London landmarks made them popular locations throughout production. Exterior shots of Thames House, the headquarters of MI5 were used in many episodes to establish the location of scenes. However, due to the security risks involved with filming such a location, London's Freemasons' Hall was used for scenes where actors were entering or leaving the building, and for some internal locations. This same location was later used as Thames House in '' Torchwood: Children of Earth''. Establishing shots of the SIS Building were also used for scenes involving members of the
Secret Intelligence Service The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intellige ...
or MI6. Other landmarks commonly used included the London Underground, and the Millennium Bridge. Many scenes are filmed in and around the Docklands, especially
Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lon ...
,
Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of D ...
,
London Bridge Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It re ...
and Greenwich (including The Old Royal Naval College) area as well as the
More London More London, part of an area known as London Bridge City, is a development on the south bank of the River Thames, immediately south-west of Tower Bridge in London. It is owned by the Kuwaiti sovereign wealth fund. It includes the City Hall, a ...
development. Some of the army barracks were filmed at
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Small things grow in harmony , established = , closed = , coordinates = , pushpin_map = , type = Independent day school , religion = Church ...
.


Broadcast and release

The series was filmed on Super 16, rather than the more commonly used digital alternatives. Episodes were originally aired with no credits on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, a choice made to maintain an atmosphere of the anonymity of real-life spies and the drama of each episode. Prior to series nine, the subsequent episode was aired on
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...
one week ahead of its BBC One showing (the first and last episode were only shown on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
). BBC Three airings included a brief credit sequence following the trailer and before the Kudos and BBC logos. The entire 86 episodes were made available free-to-view on the BBC iPlayer in April 2020, during the Coronavirus "stay at home" period.


International broadcast

The series is a popular export, syndicated to more than 26 countries. However, it has struggled for popularity in some areas, notably the United States; two of the three channels to have broadcast ''Spooks'' in the US pulled the show during the fourth series due to low viewing figures. Due to the racist connotations of the term ''Spooks'' in some countries, international broadcasts are often renamed.


Home media

All series of Spooks (most episodes cut down to 50 minutes) are available on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
, with series 7, 8, 9 and 10 becoming available to download one week after original broadcast. Series 1–8 have been released on DVD by Contender Home Entertainment with its successor Entertainment One then taking over; series 9 was released by Universal Playback.


Awards and nominations


Music

The music for series one to four and theme tune was composed by Jennie Muskett. Music for series five to ten was composed by Paul Leonard-Morgan. Four soundtracks have been released for the show, the first includes music from series one and two, the second (currently and perhaps only ever available on iTunes) featuring music from series five and six (Two additional tracks are available on the composer's website). The third and fourth soundtracks (containing tracks from series seven & eight, and nine & ten respectively) were released on iTunes in November 2011. The track listings contain spoilers to the episode content. Broadcast editions of the episodes have been known to feature alternate music to that found on the commercially available DVD releases. In the final episode of Series two, music from the film score '' Spy Game'' was used—composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. The tracks used are "Beirut, a War Zone" and "Operation Dinner Out". Both are available on the official soundtrack release for the film.


Wider universe


''Spooks: Code 9''

Following the success of '' Torchwood'' (the
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...
''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'' spin-off series) the controller of BBC Three, Julian Bellamy, announced in December 2006 a ''Spooks'' spin-off entitled ''Spooks: Code 9'' (working titles: ''Rogue Spooks'' and ''Spooks: Liberty''). The show started filming in
Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
in 2008 and the first and second episodes were broadcast on 10 August 2008. It was not well received by critics, who said "the script is poor and the acting little better" (''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'') and the production "utterly uninspired and stale" (''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
''), "daft and unconvincing" (''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
''), "an utterly cynical venture" that "given its patronising awfulness ... actually damages the Spooks brand" (''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'').


Books

* Sangster, Jim: ''Spooks Confidential: The Official Handbook'' (2003), Contender Books (London) ** Episode guide to the first two series, and background information on MI5 and the making of the series * ''Spooks: The Personnel Files'' (2007), Headling Publishing Group (London) ** Detailed MI5 personnel files of eight of the show's main characters: Adam Carter, Danny Hunter, Zoe Reynolds, Tom Quinn, Ruth Evershed, Harry Pearce, Zafar Younis and Malcolm Wynn-Jones, presented through a compilation of transcripts, reports and forms. * ''Spooks: Behind the Scenes'' (2006), Orion Books (London) ** Background information on British intelligence and episode guides for the first four series * ''Spooks: Harry's Diary: Top Secret'' (2007), Headling Publishing Group (London) ** The untold stories of Spooks, and MI5, as seen from the perspective of Harry Pearce, the Spooks team leader * ''Adam Carter: Revealed'' (2008), Headling Publishing Group (London) ** Revealing the truth about Adam Carter after his death, explaining the true details of his childhood, the extraordinary responsibilities he took on as a teenager, and how he nearly betrayed his country but never betrayed the people he loved.


Video games

Video games based on the show were created by Preloaded for promotional purposes. In 2005, the video game ''The Grid'' (a promotion for ''Spooks'' series 3) was nominated for a
Webby Award The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories includ ...
under the category of Best Game.


Future

In April 2020, David Wolstencroft has said that he supports reviving the show to explore topics like cybercrimes and cyberterrorism while having a racially diverse cast and crew. He also supports the idea of more women in the cast and production crew.


See also

*
The Sandbaggers ''The Sandbaggers'' is a British spy drama television series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, ''The Sandbaggers'' examines the effect of espionag ...


References


External links

*
''Spooks''
Kudos Productions
''Spooks''
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spooks (Tv Series) 2000s British crime drama television series 2010s British crime drama television series 2002 British television series debuts 2011 British television series endings BAFTA winners (television series) BBC television dramas Crime thriller television series English-language television shows Espionage television series MI5 in fiction Serial drama television series Television controversies in the United Kingdom Television series by Endemol Television series produced at Pinewood Studios Television shows set in London Terrorism in television Works about the Serbian Mafia