Spooks was awarded a British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA) for Best Drama Series, and was nominated for two other BAFTAs and three Royal Television Society Awards. Hall felt that Ellie was the character the audience could identify with. With [Spooks] there is nothing like it, no filler material at all. This storyline was based on Mike Baker, whose wife did not know he was a spy for the first six months they were together. David Wolstencroft was credited as the series creator, Simon Crawford Collins as the producer, and Jane Featherstone as the series producer. Cranitch had previously appeared in several other dramas as Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) operators. But as time runs short, personal loyalties will leave one team member dead. Contains some strong language. The scenes leading up to Mary's apprehension in "Thou Shalt Not Kill" were filmed at Borough Market in Southwark. [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. His dialogue tends to be the most chewy," and the actors had to learn them as if they spoke as such on a daily basis. Despite his status as a former Buffy regular, Head still had to earn the role from his audition. Those storylines were intended by Brenton and Wolstencroft to show the audience that the MI5 officers are tempted by money. Directed by Alrick Riley. [11] Kevin McNally appears as Robert Osbourne, the antagonist of the second episode. Click here and start watching the full episode in seconds. Full lists of the names of the cast and crew for Series 4, Episode 1 of BBC ONE drama Spooks. Spooks - Series 1: Episode 5. While that frenetic pace makes for challenging viewing, it might prevent the show from reaching a broader audience." Sue Gibson and Sean Bobbitt served as the directors of photography, with Mark Goddard and Francesco Reidy serving as first assistant directors. Firth would "pepper" the dialogue with quotations from famous classical works, with moral and religious philosophies. [14], The pilot originally underwent 30 rewrites and four separate story ideas before the BBC was satisfied with it. Appearing as recurring characters are CIA Agent, Bob Hogan, and Iranian Special Consul, Dariush Bakhshi, and his wife, Ana. [32] The first series was later repeated on BBC America, alongside the second series starting in June 2007. MI-5 (TV Series 2002–2011) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Stephen Garrett decided on developing a spy drama after coming across John le Carré novels at a Waterstone's bookstore, and came to realise that MI5 or MI6 had not been featured as the setting for shows before. The reviewer also noted that having only six episodes worked as an advantage over American television, stating "while this seems incredibly short, the idea is actually very good. The series won the Best Drama Series category over Clocking Off, Cutting It and Teachers. [23], Each episode took approximately two months to edit, and editing usually began as the episodes were still being shot. [58] Firth and Macfadyen were listed in the "Best Actor" category, being voted twenty-first, and fifth, respectively. "[46] Michael Mackenzie of The Digital Fix rated the series eight out of ten, stating that although Spooks "may not be perfect", "it is an imaginative and intriguing series. Episode guide, trailer, review, preview, cast list and where to stream it on demand, on catch up and download. [4] Oyelowo first became aware of the show when his agent brought him the script, and was quickly intrigued by the project, and wanted a part to play in it. Suddenly you're in a relationship with a complete stranger. Crime, 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. 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. 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). [66] It was later released in Australia (Region 4) on 18 August 2003,[67] and in the United States (Region 1, where it is known as MI-5: Volume 1) on 13 January 2004. She can be quite cold and you don't really know her," and the series sees "flashes of how she can be". Of the series, Millheiser called it a "great show," with "plotlines that are fast-paced and gripping throughout", adding, "It lacks the slick, candy-coated escapism and romanticism of Alias, or the white-knuckled, thrill-a-minute intensity of 24. ", See the ratings on the episode table above. Track Spooks season 1 episodes. 51m 2002 United Kingdom Available until 30 September 2022. The series eight premiere is the first episode in the eighth series of the British espionage television series Spooks, and the 65th episode in total.It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 4 November 2009. Since there have been a lot of episodes–too many to list on one page–the episodes have been sorted by series and arranged byepisode number. [15] In the finale, Irish actor Lorcan Cranitch plays Irish splinter group terrorist Patrick McCann. Rory MacGregor appears in two episodes as Colin Wells, an MI5 technical officer. "[42] Fellow Guardian reviewer Gareth McLean stated that Spooks is "so good it makes you want to be a spy. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Meanwhile, the head of an Irish splinter group, Patrick McCann (, This page was last edited on 9 January 2021, at 20:55. Throughout production, the producers were advised by former intelligence officers from the Security Service, KGB and Central Intelligence Agency. [4] Creator David Wolstencroft found Tom to be the most fun, yet hardest character to write for due to him being the main character. British TV, It was nominated for three British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA) awards, two of which were Craft nominations. Spooks follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Service (MI5). Out of the 10,000-plus applications per week to MI5's website, more than 2,500 people applied following the end of a Spooks episode, while before the episodes broadcast, only a handful of new applications were entered. Certain cast members, including Oyelowo, handled firearms at some point in the series. The same episode made use of Covent Garden. Hawes was attracted to the parallels between acting and spying. In the meantime, Wolstencroft, who wrote Psychos, was also developing a spy drama, albeit as a film. The editors would work on two episodes simultaneously. "[44] Dennis Landmann of MovieFreak rated the series eight out of ten, calling it "thrilling, dramatic, and fast", while "much more concise" than many American series. 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." The complete guide by MSN. Drama. Spooks (known as MI-5 in certain countries) is a British spy drama television series, created by David Wolstencroft.It debuted on BBC One on 13 May 2002. Howard Brenton wrote the last three episodes, co-writing the finale with Wolstencroft. Anti-capitalist demonstrations intensify as President … The executive producers of the first series were Kudos director Stephen Garrett and Head of Independent Drama Commissioning for the BBC, Gareth Neame. Espionage, Ruth Evershed [ 2003 - 2006; 2009 - 2011 ]. Tom recruits MI5 secretary, Helen, to … [4] Shooting took place almost entirely in London, with many rural scenes filmed around South East England. As the team buries their dead colleague, a bomb goes off in a nearby market. "[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." Harry Pearce finds himself in front of a tribunal over his willingness to trade the Albany file to save Ruth Evershed but he is temporarily reinstated at the request of the Home Secretary. 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". [27] The episodes include split screen sequences. [11] The scenes where Tom reveals he is a spy to Ellie in "Traitor's Gate" were filmed using hand-held cameras, the first time they were used in the series. The episode was written by Ben Richards and directed by Alrick Riley. [21], Throughout the writing, and also the filming stages of the series, the writers were advised by ex-MI5 officers who gave insight into how the characters operate and how their personal lives would be affected by it. Kudos later pitched the show to all the major British television networks; however none of them were as enthusiastic as Kudos, as they did not see the potential of a post-Cold War spy series. It's the ultimate betrayal. [12] Between 40 and 50 cuts were made in the first 10 minutes of the pilot episode to quickly introduce the main characters. [n 1] After two episodes aired, the BBC began considering renewing the show for a longer second series as it had proved popular among the key demographics of viewers aged 16 to 34 years. The sixth series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 16 October 2007 before ending on 18 December 2007. The second series of the British spy drama television series Spooks (known as MI-5 in the United States) began broadcasting on 2 June 2003 on BBC One, ending on 11 August 2003.It consists of ten episodes. "[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. 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… [20], The producers chose the exterior and some interior of Freemasons' Hall in Holborn as the stand-in for Thames House, the real-life headquarters of MI5, as they felt both buildings shared a similar architecture. [54], The first series was well received by fans. [53] In the Craft awards, Julian Slater, Nigel Heath, Michael Fentum and Dan Morgan were nominated in Best Sound in Drama. Country of origin United Kingdom Production Broadcast Original network Script error: No such module "list". Colin Green and Soren B. Ebbe were the series editors, while David Crozier and Andrew Sissions served as sound recordists. Of if it were, we'd all be queueing up to talk in clipped and meaningful tones while striding down official-looking corridors. Episode guide, trailer, review, preview, cast list and where to stream it on demand, on catch up and download. [12] After four episodes were written, the September 11 attacks took place, resulting in three thousand deaths in the United States. Meanwhile, a scene in which Tom and Patrick strip naked to ensure they are not bugged came from the producers' sources. Season 1 guide for Spooks TV series - see the episodes list with schedule and episode summary. 42 on BBC Two, and was down to seven million. [4] Meanwhile, also in episode four, Anthony Head, best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the time, played Peter Salter. The producers felt the actor was suitable for the role, as was the case with Debra Stephenson, who played his wife Claire. He felt the benefit of a spy show is that rather than in a crime drama where the protagonists take their work home with them, spies are given the added dimension that they cannot reveal their work even to their loved ones. [19] Mirren wrote "One Last Dance", which he felt was difficult to write as he had to tie two main storylines together. [23] The sources also advised the producers how to tail targets without being spotted. "[45], Matthew Millheiser of DVD Talk agreed. [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. [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. [17] His chosen writing style was a mixture of the "grittyness" of le Carré's works and James Bond-like fantasies. [16], The producers from Kudos spent up to three months meeting several potential directors to work on the show, but none shared their views about the show's style until Bharat Nalluri. Each episode has its own audio commentary track. 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. Chronology Related shows Spooks: Code 9 [51] Colin Green was nominated for his editing work, and Jennie Muskett for Original Television Music in the Craft awards, but lost to Daniel Deronda and The Forsyte Saga respectively. [4] The producers hired Brenton for his "radical" and "provocative" style. Watch Spooks - Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode 1: An abortion doctor and her daughter are killed by a bomb placed by Mary Kane, an American "pro-life" terrorist. [26][27] Following the completion of the episodes, Muskett added the score for them. Directed by Bharat Nalluri. [6] David Oyelowo plays fellow junior case officer Danny Hunter. [15][23] In the series finale, the exterior of Sizewell nuclear power stations in Suffolk was used as a double for the fictional Sefton B power station. Although the sequences were presented in a similar vein to the American action series 24, the split screen idea did not come from the show itself; Nalluri thought of it independently after visiting a pub one night after filming wrapped up. Find out when Spooks is on TV, including Series 1-Episode 3: One Last Dance. A lot goes on in each episode, and it's detrimental for a show like this to keep the action and tension going as fast as possible." The CIA is involved since Shining Dawn has primarily directed its wrath at the US and … [1] American actress Megan Dodds appears in the first episode as CIA liaison Christine Dale. He downplayed his enthusiasm to get the part. This is one of those dramas where colleagues never make small talk but instead launch straight into an urgent purposive shorthand. [61] Agutter, Faulkner and Hawes were also respectively voted the thirtieth, sixteenth and second "most fanciable females". This became the basis for creating Jools Siviter. [59] Macfadyen was also voted the sixth "hunkiest male". [4] Each episode took approximately 12[25] to 14 days to shoot, although they do not follow on the order of the script; the production crew would film all scenes set at a certain location first, and then move on to the rest. Created by David Wolstencroft. 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. Episode 2 of 6 Race riots are becoming a national problem; MI5 are sure that businessman Robert Osbourne is responsible. Series 1: Episode 4. Spooks centres on the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Services (MI5). As a result, the episodes were rewritten to take account of the events to assure the audience that the show is about fighting terrorism. Firth was interested in the series after hearing of Brenton's involvement in the project, and thought Spooks was "special" and "different" from British television at the time. [4], Kudos began to develop the show after producing the Channel 4 medical drama series Psychos in 1999. 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". Starring Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Jenny Agutter and Peter Firth, the initial series of six one-hour episodes premiered in the spring of 2002. [11] "One Last Dance" had scenes filmed in Roehampton and New Zealand House. According to Oyelowo, Wolstencroft's scripts included more spy terms, stating "we curse David Wolstencroft often. This page is a full, ordered list of every episode of Spooks, which has (to date) run for more than 80 episodes over nine series from 13 May 2002 to the present day. [17] However, the series instead broadcast on Mondays. [11] Sometime after filming concluded for the first series, the building was demolished. [4] When including terrorists, the BBC often has the responsibility to portray people with as much balance as possible for both sides. [52] The first series was also nominated for three Royal Television Society Awards, including Drama Series, although it lost out to Clocking Off. She realised that although Tessa would start off as a peripheral character, her role would build as the series continued. At the end of 2002, the BBC released a "Best of" viewer polls on its website. [41], The first series received generally favourable reviews. 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. Wolstencroft wrote the first two episodes and finale of series one. 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. 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. [9] Jenny Agutter plays Tessa Philips, senior case officer for Section K.[4] The actress described Tessa as "hard edged" and "not a nice person", but straightforward and not initially expected to be corrupt. The box set includes an array of special features. Ellie Simm (Esther Hall) is a restaurant chef, who starts dating Tom Quinn at the beginning of Spook's first series.Ellie is a single mother of her daughter Maisie, 8, after being abandoned by the father. According to Wolstencroft, Nalluri "directs as I see. However, the producers did not know how to fill in episode two, so the death was moved up. [23] Several other locales around London were used as filming locations. [20], Esther Hall describing the Tom/Ellie relationship from Ellie's point of view. 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. [13] Laurie based his performance on Barry Foster's portrayal of the head of MI6 in Sweeney!. Watch Spooks season 1 episode 1 online. Tense drama series about the different challenges faced by the British Security Service. With Peter Firth, Nicola Walker, Max Brown, Lara Pulver. Find out when Spooks is on TV, including Series 1-Episode 1: Thou Shalt Not Kill. [11] Hugh Simon plays technical officer Malcolm Wynn-Jones, and Greame Mearns plays MI5 officer Jed Kelley. [39] The renewal was officially announced by the BBC's Head of Drama Commissioning Jane Tranter in December 2002. 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". [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. Ten main cast members are listed in the first series. [18] While writing the series, the writer introduced a set of "MI5 terminology", terms used by the main characters in the series. 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. [57] However, Spooks was also voted the third worst drama. [38] With consolidated figures factored in, the first series was seen by an average of 7.49 million viewers. Find out when Spooks is on TV, including Series 10-Episode 4. Ruth Evershed left after episode 5; the actor playing the part, Nicola Walker was expecting her first child. [37] The different timeslot for episode four meant that it dipped below six million;[29] however, ratings recovered to over seven million by the series finale. However, each episode had approximately ten minutes edited out to accommodate for advert breaks. [10] Tessa's story was described by a BBC press release as being about "the dangers of corruption from within". To maintain gun safety, two weapons experts were on hand to train the actors during rehearsal. Alexander Siddig - Series 2, Episode 2; Series 3. If someone's lied that much, how can there ever be any trust in your relationship again? When portraying the character, Macfadyen did what he was told to do; he did not want to create a backstory for the character as he did not find merit in doing so. Filming took place from November 2001 to March 2002. However, Byun thought the first series was a "solid, gripping entertainment that pulls few punches. With Jenny Agutter, Shane Attwooll, Heather Cave, Daniel Chenery. There are also deleted scenes, image galleries, an explained list of MI5 terms, series credits (Spooks is a programme that does not include credits in its episodes), and scripts of the episodes, the latter of which are found on DVD-ROM. [15][20] The series made use of real firearms that were decommissioned from service. [48][49] Following the complaints, the BBC admitted that the scene "clearly disturbed" several viewers, but defended it as it was showing the audience "the kind of threat which might be faced by agents engaged in the fight against terrorism." [12][14] A principle story arc is Tom dealing with the complexities of his relationship with Ellie, who at first does not know he is a spy. Find out when Spooks is on TV, including Series 10-Episode 6. Also voted the third worst drama at first hated using the cameras '. To accommodate for advert breaks leave one team member dead Section D, counter-terrorism. Colin Wells, an MI5 technical officer Malcolm Wynn-Jones, and was down to seven million a spy different and. Byun thought the first two episodes and finale of series one entirely in London, with rural! Thought the first series over three discs and 1.78:1 Anamorphic PAL widescreen format Firth and were! Series 1-Episode 3: one Last Dance score for them and spooks series 1 episode 1 cast ''... 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