Spooks

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

Hi, just wondering, as a bond fan would you reccomend the BBC show Spooks? I was gonna watch it last week but missed it. Will I need to watch it to understand the second one?

cosmo · October 2007

Sweepy the Cat wrote:

Hi, just wondering, as a bond fan would you reccomend the BBC show Spooks? I was gonna watch it last week but missed it. Will I need to watch it to understand the second one?

well sweepy, as a spooks fan i'd certainly recommend it.it would be better to watch the 1st episode, but you'll probably get the gist of whats going on even if you don't.however,if you get the chance get a hold of the box sets of the 1st three series,they are absolute class.
unlike wine,tv series dont't normally get better with age.spooks is still good,but nowhere as good as the earlier episodes.

John Drake · October 2007

I really like Spooks. I always prefer to watch TV shows in the order in which they are originally shown, but as Cosmo pointed out you should be able to get the drift of what is happening.

s96024 · October 2007

Definitely worth the watch. I'd watch the first one because you might not understand what's going on. As there is quite a bit of continuity through the series. The other series are excellent as well. Particurlarly the first.

John Drake · October 2007

I noticed while doing my shopping this morning, that the BBC now publish a Spooks magazine. The first episode from series 1 is included. Maybe worth buying if you are unsure Sweepy. That episode wasn't that great to be honest, but it will give you an idea of what the show is like. The second episode is a killer though.

Outstanding TV.

Mailfist · October 2007

Spooks is great. You will probably be able to pick up what happened in the first episode as I am sure they will show bits at the start of the second.

If you can catch reruns of previous series on Sky you should do. Would like to see some of the technology they use in Spooks in the Bond movies - not gadgets in the 'invisible car' sense, but cutting edge technology which is really high tec and you can believe exists.

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

John Drake wrote:

I noticed while doing my shopping this morning, that the BBC now publish a Spooks magazine. The first episode from series 1 is included. Maybe worth buying if you are unsure Sweepy. That episode wasn't that great to be honest, but it will give you an idea of what the show is like. The second episode is a killer though. Outstanding TV.

I'll give it a try! {[]

A7ce · October 2007

In between Bond films, Spooks and 24 are the only things that keep me going - for my fix of spy genre

Spooks Series 1-3 is a must watch. Series 4 and have a completely different team to the original now - a character is always phased out every series and a new one introduced - but cracking stuff none the less.

s96024 · October 2007

I'd add prison break to that.

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

I watch prison break but I never got into 24

emtiem · October 2007

Excellent stuff; although I hear this series has a much stronger story arc than in previous years, so it may be best to try and watch all of the episodes this year.

And this week it even had Dimitrios from Casino Royale in it!

A7ce · October 2007

s96024 wrote:

I'd add prison break to that.

Yep, Series one for definite, 2 was good, watched the first episode of S3, it hasn't hooked me so will prob watch it on DVD some time.

Also in the past I did dip into Alias briefly, but never followed it through; what I saw I thought was fairly decent.

By the way if you like Spooks, I beleive the same behind the scenes / creative team also created Hustle - both series are about teamwork.

And to finish off spy TV, from where it all began, I am currently enjoying Mission Impossible series 1 and 2 from 1966 /67 in the UK on Channel 5 US; Peter Graves and the Team - absolute cracking

s96024 · October 2007

Prison break sort of took over from 24 for me. The last 24 didn't have me hooked as much as prison break. Hustle is also great but again they started of better. It was like the Jonathon creek series. The first episodes were great when you could actually work it out for yourself, then it became so ridiculous it wasn't fun anymore.

Dan Same · October 2007

I can't stand 24.

I enjoyed the first season, but after the show became torture inc. I stopped watching. I think it's a really bad show.

s96024 · October 2007

If you've got half an hour to find out where a nuclear bomb is and some terrorist ain't talking which obviously he is't just going to tell you. You torture him in whatever way you can at the time. The torture is just the realism of what would be done in the situation, or atleast I hope would be done.

Dan Same · October 2007

s96024 wrote:

If you've got half an hour to find out where a nuclear bomb is and some terrorist ain't talking which obviously he is't just going to tell you. You torture him in whatever way you can at the time. The torture is just the realism of what would be done in the situation,

That 's nonsence. Firstly, a scenario like that is extraordinarily unrealistic. But more importantly torture rarely works.

Plus, I would hope that there's something which separates us from the terrorists which is our respect of human right. If we torture, we can't very well condemn them for their treatment of prisoners. If we believe in certain values then these values should not be forgotten simply because it's too tough to keep them. Values and rights are easy to keep in the good times; it's when life gets tough and these values/rights are tested that we show whether we truly believe in them. I certainly do.

Furthermore, 24 does it all the time. It is ridiculous how many times they do it. I'm not surprised considering that Fox screens the show. Anway, IMO Jack should be in prison.

s96024 wrote:

or atleast I hope would be done.

Considering some of your previous comments, that doesn't really surprise me.

Dan Same · October 2007

Back onto topic, two shows that I very much enjoy are The Unit, which was created by the great David Mamet, and the sadly now defunct The Agency, which was about the CIA. I really loved that show.

s96024 · October 2007

Of course 24 involves situations which don't come up all the time. What would be the point in a show where nothing happened. I can't understand how people can criticise a tv program like that for going over the top.

Your telling me that if there was a situation where a bomb was going to kill thousands you wouldn't shoot a terrorists son in the leg or something to get him to speak.

I'm glad we have people who have got the balls to do things like that. Because if everyone was like you we're f*$*ed!

Dan Same · October 2007

s96024 wrote:

Of course 24 involves situations which don't come up all the time. What would be the point in a show where nothing happened. I can't understand how people can criticise a tv program like that for going over the top.

The problem is that the same situation happens all the time and Jack, surprise surprise, does the same thing every single time.

s96024 wrote:

Your telling me that if there was a situation where a bomb was going to kill thousands you wouldn't shoot a terrorists son in the leg or something to get him to speak.

No, I wouldn't and I think that the fact that you would is disgusting. Shooting a child? That is repulsive. I am not like that at all; and if you are, well, then we have different views on morality. You know, it's one thing to debate torture (which even then horrifies me) but to contemplate torturing a family member takes repulsiveness to a whole new level. I guess you won't have a problem with terrorists/enemy forces doing the same thing?

s96024 wrote:

Of I'm glad we have people who have got the balls to do things like that.

Give me a break. 8-) If you think it takes balls to torture, then you're truly deluded. You have no idea what real courage is if you think that torture is courageous. The people who have real courage and have got 'balls' (a horrible expression if you ask me) are those who would not shoot a terrorist's son in the leg. The people who shoot a terrorist's son in the leg are criminals.

s96024 wrote:

Because if everyone was like you we're f*$*ed!

Right. 8-) I wish that more people were like me, then we wouldn't have gone into Iraq. You know what, you can think what you like, but I would hope that most people are not like you and do not think that torture takes courage. Otherwise, to use your expression, we're f***ed.

Dan Same · October 2007

I did not come onto this thread to discuss politics. Now back onto topic; I think that Spooks is a very good show however I have not been able to catch all the episodes.

I loved what I saw though.

John Drake · October 2007

Dan Same wrote:

I can't stand 24. I enjoyed the first season, but after the show became torture inc. I stopped watching. I think it's a really bad show.

It only became a really bad show in Season 6, when it seriously jumped the shark. People always raise the issue of torture on 24 and use that to imply that it is furthering a right-wing political agenda. But I find that argument facile. What 24 tries to do is put its characters in situations where there are no easy solutions. In many TV shows there is always a way out in which nobody gets hurt and everything is fine. 24 doesn't do this.

Spooks does something similar for UK audiences. Like 24 the real villains are usually men in suits, with lots of power and money, while those in the front line doing the the dirty work are often placed into situations that compromise them, or force them to to cross the line. In Series 3 there was an entire episode dedicated to Adam Carter torturing and breaking down a prisoner. If you are making a show like this in the present political climate, then you have to represent what is going on. Spooks has received some criticism for the way it takes real-life events and incorporates them into their storylines. But I think that makes for great, if sometimes uncomfortable drama.

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

Arrgh, I missed it last night too! X-( I only caught the first 5 mins but my mum wanted to watch this thing about kids learning to read on Channel 4! Do you jnow when and where it will be repeated anybody?

I never miss · October 2007

I highly recommend Spooks series 1 and 2 (2002-03) when Matthew MacFadyen was the main character. He is an excellent leading man, slightly reminiscent of Daniel Craig actually. After his character, Tom Quinn, was written out, the show was never as good IMHO. Rupert Penry-Jones is a likeable lead, but hasn't got the same no-nonsense approach.
Good show all the same though, and it's improved in the last couple of years. Series 3 was its lowest point, when Tom, Danny and Zoe all left.

I tried 24 Series 1, and I just couldn't get into it. I know Jack's daughter is attractive, but watching her being chased around a city is like watching paint dry. I'm sure I'm missing out, but you're welcome to 24. I haven't tried Prison Break or Lost. Life is just too short to be watching that much TV.

Asp9mm · October 2007

In the Spooks series two finale episode, McFadyen actually entered a telephone number into the phone on the old womans cottage, which was clearly visable. A friend picked up on this and thinking it was part of a competition/internet tie in thing based on observation which they ran during the series, decided to ring it. It was answered by none other than McFadyen, who had entered his own mobile number, he wasn't impressed. He kept the same number for two years, but it is now not in use. Probably due to a couple of silly buggers proving the story is true every two months and ringing him ;%

Solaris · October 2007

I seriously recomend spooks. I started watching it religously in series 3, after catching the odd episode of series 1 and 2 therefore I don't thinl series 3 was all the bad. Also seeing as I picked it up in series three I also prefer rupert Penry Jones as Adam Carter to McFadyen as Tom Quinn but I see them both as very likeable leads and also, dare I say it, good Bond Candidates. if Penry Jones dyed his hair.

If you like Spooks I also reccomend the first 2 series of ITVs Ulitmate force. which was about the SAS. after series 2 they lost Chris Ryan as a military advisor and they mucked about with how the show was structured and made it less like the real SAS, for example they introduce a female trooper. All 4 series are enertaining but the first two are the best.

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

Huge fan of Ultimate Force {[]

emtiem · October 2007

Asp9mm wrote:

In the Spooks series two finale episode, McFadyen actually entered a telephone number into the phone on the old womans cottage, which was clearly visable. A friend picked up on this and thinking it was part of a competition/internet tie in thing based on observation which they ran during the series, decided to ring it. It was answered by none other than McFadyen, who had entered his own mobile number, he wasn't impressed. He kept the same number for two years, but it is now not in use. Probably due to a couple of silly buggers proving the story is true every two months and ringing him ;%

Is that true? That's hilarious!

Sweepy the Cat wrote:

Arrgh, I missed it last night too! X-( I only caught the first 5 mins but my mum wanted to watch this thing about kids learning to read on Channel 4! Do you jnow when and where it will be repeated anybody?

Me too- I'm often out on Tuesdays and I like to record the excellent Flight of The Conchords which is on at the same time, so I've been using the BBC iPlayer to download the episodes after transmission- it's been working pretty well, but it's still beta so might be hard to sign up to if you want to do it that way.

John Drake · October 2007

emtiem wrote:

Me too- I'm often out on Tuesdays and I like to record the excellent Flight of The Conchords which is on at the same time,

"What, what is wrong with the world to-day"

) Best show on tv at the moment.

so I've been using the BBC iPlayer to download the episodes after transmission- it's been working pretty well, but it's still beta so might be hard to sign up to if you want to do it that way.

I'm still way behind with Spooks. I missed episode 5:6 and won't watch any new episodes till I've seen that one. How does the BBC iplayer work?

John Drake · November 2007

That's me caught up. I bought the Series 5 DVD and watched the series 6 eps I'd recorded on Skyplus. I'm not sure about the single story arc that looks like it is going to last for the entire season. It's a little too similar to 24's way of doing things. And I do hope

Zaf is brought back

.

Napoleon Plural · November 2007

I think Spooks is more convincing really than the Bond films of late... it's better cast and a sort of The Avengers type thing for a modern-day audience. Every week it's a different threat pretty much, but they keep it credible and authoritative. Great use of London locations, too.

Napoleon Plural · December 2007

I take the above post back!

WTF?

So blonde gal gets offed with an injection of poison, we see her die. Later the pushy US guy demands to see her in her coffin at the funeral. Once he's gone, her ex bends down to kiss her and it's a Snow White moment - she comes to life!

He then explains to her (or us) that he swapped the poison for a less effective one... that gives the impression of death. How many days later is this? Has she been out all that time? Jeez.

Then the Spooks are all around the grave with the pushy US guy, and guess what... one of the young spooks catches a glimpse of blondie leaving the cemetary with a holdall. What a great spy she is! Real undercover... then exchanges glances with her seniors while pushy Yank is standing right next to them... do why was one young spook left out of the loop, while the others knew one of their number wasn't really dead.

Daft.

Spooks

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