Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that answer the question.
Query: When did the first series of Spooks begin?
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, before ending on 17 June 2002. It consists of six episodes. Spooks follows the actions of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of the British Security Services (MI5). Among the storylines, main character Tom Quinn faces 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 monetary gain. Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner, Esther Hall, Heather Cave, Hugh Simon and Greame Mearns are listed as the main cast.
Actor David Oyelowo had previously played an MI5 officer, Danny Hunter, in the BBC drama series "Spooks". He told the "Radio Times" when he signed on for "Complicit" that he did not want to do a "film version of "Spooks"", and that he considered "Complicit" to be a far more realistic depiction of an intelligence officer's work than his previous role, which he described as "James Bond for the telly".
The decision to relate the new project to the original "Spooks" was controversial, with actor Georgia Moffett saying "it's slightly misleading in terms of the word Spooks." and producer Chris Fry saying "this is a completely new show. There are no crossover characters or storylines and, most importantly, it is set in a completely new world." After the first series ended relatively unsuccessfully (with an audience of 245,000 for the series finale) executive producer Karen Wilson claimed that many of the existing cast members were "contracted for another year" and outlined themes "we'd like to explore if we get a second series." However, due to low ratings and damning reviews, a second series was never commissioned.
After the broadcast of the first episode, "Spooks" received overnight viewing figures of 4.62 million with a 17 per cent audience share. It lost out to "Downton Abbey" which received almost twice the viewers, with nine million and a 34.6 per cent share. Overnight ratings for the series ten premiere was down from the 5.58 million that tuned in for the series nine premiere episode. By the second week, overnight figures for "Spooks" went down nearly half a million to 4.15 million, as "Downton" ratings increased. However, despite being trounced by "Downton Abbey", "Spooks" saw a gradual increase in viewership over the subsequent weeks, leading up to a boost of up to 5.13 million viewers for the final episode on 23 October 2011. With consolidated ratings factored in, the last series of "Spooks" was given a per-episode average of 5.41 million viewers.
The Zara Spook was first developed by the Heddon company as a wooden lure named the Zaragossa 6500 series lures. In 1939 The plastic version was introduced and following the naming of other plastic lures Heddon added spook to the name to classify it as a plastic lure. The Zara Spook 9260 Series lures contained different types of hardware throughout their production. Heddon two piece hardware were the first hardware on the 1939 catalogued Zara Spook. Later lures through the 1940s and 1950s had surface hardware. Later models contained bell hardware and moulded hangers through the 1970s. In the mid-1990s, a 4-inch long model with three hooks was introduced, and a smaller 2-inch model has also been developed for light tackle fishing. The Zara spook and spin off models are one of a few lures still marketed under the Heddon brand name by EBSCO.
They also felt that writing the final episodes of a popular programme was "an exciting responsibility, a daunting honour." They also did not want to end it on a cliffhanger, as doing so wouldn't be right or fair to the fans. The writers also concluded the Ruth/Harry arc in the series. They were concerned that there were fans of the show "who will be immensely cheesed off if they get anything less than Ruth riding in on a unicorn to marry Harry in a white suit," but noted there were "plenty of viewers who love the uncompromising toughness of Spooks. And both viewpoints were always well represented around the table." When it came to writing the final scenes, both writers went through "countless" ideas, some of which were pondered for weeks before making their final decision. In an interview, both writers admitted that the finale "can't please everyone," but that they tried to create an ending that was faithful to the spirit of "Spooks". When filming concluded, cast and crew members were "bagsying" items from the Grid set, including a large "Regnum Defende" insignia.
Two main characters from the ninth series did not return for the tenth. Richard Armitage did not return as Lucas North. Firth has stated that Lucas "was always going to die" at the end of the ninth series. At the time the series was produced, Armitage was filming for "The Hobbit" film project. Also, Sophia Myles did not return as Beth Bailey as the character was decommissioned between the ninth and tenth series. Myles left the series as she wanted to pursue other projects in America. Matthew Macfadyen, who starred in the first two series as protagonist Tom Quinn, returned for a cameo appearance in the series finale.
Following the success of Torchwood (the BBC Three Doctor Who 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).[57][58] The show started filming in Bradford in 2008 and the first[59] 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)[60] and the production "utterly uninspired and stale" (Digital Spy),[61] "daft and unconvincing" (The Telegraph),[62] "an utterly cynical venture" that "given its patronising awfulness ... actually damages the Spooks brand" (The Guardian).[63]
Vicky Frost of "The Guardian" thought the introduction was "a relatively tame start to proceedings", and that the episode was "tightly plotted, deft and exciting", and the final twist was "marvellous", but believed that there were "one too many plots for an hour of "Spooks"", and that the backstory of Lucas "all seemed rather a missed opportunity." Robert McLaughlin of "Den of Geek" noted that Lucas "spends a lot of this episode in a state of undress", and that while it was "a more personal episode, there are some huge implications set up and executed for the rest of the series, and while it might seem a waste of momentum to re-tread the imprisonment of Lucas from the beginning of last season, all the flashbacks, dabs of information and the entire setup are all relevant", concluding by stating that "Spooks continues to be one of the best shows the Beeb currently offers."
Hustle was largely born from the same production team that created and popularised the early series of Spooks, a similarly-styled drama series first broadcast in 2002.[5] Bharat Nalluri, that series' Executive Director, conceived the idea in early 2002 while filming for the first Spooks series was ongoing.[6] Nalluri pitched the concept to Jane Featherstone, managing director of Kudos Film & Television which was the production company behind Spooks, in the back of a taxi while returning from a day's filming.[6][7] Intrigued by the idea, Featherstone recruited Tony Jordan, the lead scriptwriter of the soap opera EastEnders,[8] to develop it into a workable proposal.[9]
The first series of Spooks saw various storylines involving the main characters. 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. Those storylines were intended by Brenton and Wolstencroft to show the audience that the MI5 officers are tempted by money.[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. This storyline was based on Mike Baker, whose wife did not know he was a spy for the first six months they were together.[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. The same episode also introduced the sexual tension between Danny and Zoe.[15]
Before the sixth series finale aired in December 2007, it was announced that Rupert Penry-Jones would leave the series sometime in series seven. Penry-Jones wanted to leave the series as he felt the character had run its course, as well as wanting to explore other venues. He also stated that working in "Spooks" was "great," but felt he was "getting to the point where I needed to move on." Before the seventh series aired, Penry-Jones revealed his character would leave in what he believed was "one of the best" "Spooks" exits. He found that his last days on "Spooks" was generally upsetting and "welled up" on his final day. Penry-Jones did not envisage lasting as long as he did, because he believed the series would not last as long as it has.
Sangster, Jim: Spooks Confidential: The Official Handbook (2003), Contender Books (London) ISBN1-84357-069-6 Episode guide of the first two seasons, and background information on MI5 and the making of the series Spooks: The Personnel Files (2007), Headling Publishing Group (London) ISBN978-0-7553-3397-4 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) ISBN0-7528-7610-4 Background information on British intelligence and episode guides for the first four series Spooks: Harry's Diary: Top Secret (2007), Headling Publishing Group (London) ISBN978-0-7553-3398-1 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) ISBN978-0-7553-3401-8 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.
A new website called "Spooks Interactive" was created to coincide with the launch of the series.[16] In April 2008, the Spooks production team won the BAFTA Award for Interactivity for their work on Spooks Interactive.[19]
Production on the six-episode[26] series reportedly began during March 2011,[27] 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 well as Matthew Macfadyen in a cameo role in the final episode. Sophia Myles did not return as Beth Bailey.[28]
The sixth series of the BBC espionage television series "Spooks" began broadcasting on 16 October 2007 before ending on 18 December 2007. The series, consisting of ten episodes, is the first where there is a story line throughout the episodes. Appearing as recurring characters are CIA Agent, Bob Hogan, and Iranian Special Consul, Dariush Bakhshi, and his wife, Ana.
Though Macfadyen enjoyed working in the series, he began to feel "very sluggish and fed up" with playing the same character for two years. When the producers knew Macfadyen planned to leave, they did not know whether or not he would appear in the beginning of the third series. Howard Brenton, who wrote the series two finale, originally killed Tom off by drowning him while trying to escape onto the North Sea, while labouring under the impression that he was not to return. The producers would have continued the third series without Tom, however when they heard the actor would be prepared to return for the first two episodes of the third series, they were rewritten to include his character Tom. Brenton had to "unkill him." After a seven-year absence, in October 2011, it was announced that Macfadyen was to make a "fleeting" cameo appearance in the final episode of the series. A "Spooks" insider stated that his scene "will bring back all the memories of Tom and what the character endured in those first few series."
The fourth series of Spooks began transmission on Monday 12 September 2005 on BBC One at 9pm with the first of a two-part story. The next day (13 September) the second episode was shown. The following week Spooks assumed a 9pm Thursday slot, a break from the Monday 9pm slot the previous series had traditionally occupied. Once again, the series ran for ten episodes and averaged 6.05million viewers, a notable increase on the previous series.[12]
Tom Quinn is a fictional character in the BBC espionage television series "Spooks" (called MI-5 in the United States), which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Matthew Macfadyen. In the first two series, Tom is the chief of Section D. The character was in the first and second episode of the third series but was decommissioned as a result of sabotaging an operation.
Tom's exit allowed the writers to pull the focus on the other characters, namely Danny and Zoe, to give the show more of an ensemble feel. Overall, the producers made the third series more character driven. Raymond Khoury felt that because the length of a "Spooks" episode is one and half times longer than the average American television episode, the writers could use the extra time to flesh out the characters. Khoury also noted another difference between "Spooks" and American television is that most American seasons usually consists of 22 episodes, much of those episodes are more plot driven, while "Spooks" series three only had 10 and hence all of them contain some character development. The main character developments include Zoe's relationship with Will, which Danny did not like because he was in love with her. The writers initially wanted to expand on the potential Danny and Sam Buxton relationship which began in the second series, but the idea was dropped in favour of his affection towards Zoe, as the producers believed that was delivering more. Harry was given more depth by introducing his estranged daughter in "Who Guards the Guards?". Through the daughter's introduction, Harry would appear more human as opposed to the boss who "barks orders" to his officers. When Hawes announced she wanted to leave, Richards decided to write a "big episode" to give Zoe a decent send off. Richards did not want to kill off the character, as he deemed it predictable. Oyelowo eventually decided to leave the series as well between filming episodes four and five; by then the finale was not yet written. The actor wanted Danny to be killed off, reasoning that since Tom and Zoe left as disgraced officers, having Danny leave a disgraced officer also would be "one time too many" for a series that is meant to second guess the audience. In addition, Oyelowo did not want the "lingering thought" of a possible return. The producers wanted to use Danny's death as a powerful end to the series.
The tenth series of "Spooks" was first released on DVD on 28 November 2011 in the United Kingdom (Region 2), and was later released in the United States (Region 1) on 6 March 2012. It will be released in Australia (Region 4) on 4 April 2012. The box set includes all six episodes of the final series on three discs, with two of the episodes containing optional audio commentaries from the show's writers and directors. Other special features include two featurettes; "Spooks' Top 10 Moments", which comprises cast and crew members picking their favourite "Spooks" scenes, and "Harry's Game", which features interviews concerning the story arc of the tenth series. It was released with a "15" British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) certificate (unsuitable for viewers under the age of 15 years).
The third series of "Spooks" was produced by Kudos Film and Television for the BBC. Much of the production crew from the first two series returned. New crew members were brought in with the requirement that they were fans of the series and have ambition, so that they can understand "Spooks". Andrew Woodhead was the series producer, with Jane Featherstone, Simon Crawford Collins and Gareth Neame as executive producers. Collins, who was the producer for the first two series, had to step back to executive producer, as he was overcommitted producing Kudos crime series "Hustle". Woodhead replaced him as he was accustomed to the show, but also added more vitality to the show. Christopher Aird was the assistant producer. The third series included five writers. Howard Brenton wrote the first, second and eighth episodes. Rupert Walters wrote the third and ninth episodes. Ben Richards wrote the fourth, sixth and tenth episodes. Richards previously wrote the ninth episode of series two, and accepted the offer to return. His script in the second series was his first script for television; he found writing easier as time went by. Raymond Khoury wrote the seventh episode. Series creator David Wolstencroft wrote the fifth episode. Wolstencroft was poised to write the next episode, but found himself committed to other projects.
Spooks: Code 9 (working titles – Rogue Spooks and Spooks: Liberty) is a counter-intelligence drama series broadcast on BBC Three in 2008.
Series creator David Wolstencroft believed that writing Tom was the most fun, yet hardest to work on. During the second series, the producers were unsure whether Macfadyen would return for the third; because of this, Tom was originally killed in the second series finale. However, when Macfadyen decided to appear in the first two episodes of the third series, series writer Howard Brenton had to "unkill him." Reaction towards the character by fans were positive, though critics were mixed about Macfadyen's portrayal. Tom Quinn would later appear again as a cameo on the final episode of "Spooks"; his brief return was met with generally positive reactions.
Tom enters the Ord with the other members of the emissary and they are met by a number of demons. Music begins and the mercenaries sit down and begin eating a feast, their captain previously having been at odds with the Spook regarding how effective fasting is when it comes to fighting the dark. The demons attack the mercenaries, gorging themselves on blood.