Spooks returned for a ninth series on Monday 20 September 2010 for an eight episode run.[22]

eries 1
Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Quinn and David Oyelowo as Danny Hunter in Series One.

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.

The series was a critical and popular success, averaging 7.5 million viewers over its six episodes,[1] due to its combination of glossy high production values with fast-paced action/adventure and spy intrigue storylines.[2]

The second episode gained notoriety for the violent killing of character Helen Flynn (Lisa Faulkner), which drew the largest number of complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Commission in 2002.[3] 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 her superior 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.[4]
[edit] Series 2

With the success of the first series, a second, longer series of ten episodes was commissioned and subsequently aired in 2003. A new regular character, Ruth Evershed (Nicola Walker), was introduced in the second episode, while the series finale ended with a dramatic cliffhanger.[5] The series averaged 7.1 million viewers.[6]
[edit] 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, 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 jeopardized an important operation.[7]

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 (Olga Sosnovska). 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.[8]
[edit] Series 4

The fourth series of Spooks began transmission on Monday 12 September 2005 on BBC One at 9 pm with the first of a two-part story. The next day (13 September) the second episode was shown. The following week Spooks assumed a 9 pm Thursday slot, a break from the Monday 9 pm slot the previous series had traditionally occupied. Once again the series ran for 10 episodes and averaged 6.05 million viewers, a notable increase on the previous series.[9]

The opening two part episode introduces two new characters to the series, Zafar Younis (Raza Jaffrey, whose character had debuted in the final episode of series three), and Juliet Shaw (Anna Chancellor). The storyline involves a terrorist bombing central London, something that, in reality, took place on 7 July, two months prior to the airing but already after the filming was complete.

According to The Guardian 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."[10] The episodes eventually aired unedited, although before both installments of the two-parter the BBC One continuity announcer warned viewers that they featured scenes of terrorist bombing in London which some viewers might find disturbing.

In episode seven, Fiona Carter leaves the show because the actress portraying her, Olga Sosnovska, was pregnant during filming and chose to leave the programme. In that story arc, Adam attempts to kill Fiona's deranged ex-husband, who she thought was hanged several years prior. However, her ex-husband ultimately abducts her and later shoots her dead in Adam's presence during her attempted escape. Her character is replaced by Jo Portman (played by Miranda Raison), a new arrival at MI5 who was recruited by Adam in a previous episode.
[edit] Series 5

The fifth (10-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' return to BBC One's Monday night schedule.[11]

This series' storylines include a fake home-grown Al-Qaeda 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 6 million viewers.[12]
[edit] 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, and concluded on 18 December.[13][14] The series averaged 5.68 million viewers (the lowest to date)[15] The sixth series was different in certain respects from the previous five because it had one storyline running right the way through it, for the first time, the show contained end credits. There was also a less frequent use of the soundtrack composed by Jennie Muskett.[16]

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 organization composed of disenfranchised members of other agencies, including MI-5 agents) are woven throughout the plot. Simon Abkarian plays the Iranian Special Counsel 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.[13] In April 2008, the Spooks production team won the BAFTA Award for Interactivity for their work on Spooks Interactive.[17]
[edit] Series 7

Series 7 of Spooks began airing on 27 October 2008 for an eight episode run.[18] Peter Firth returns as Harry Pearce, along with Alex Lanipekun as Ben Kaplan, Hugh Simon as Malcolm Wynn-Jones, Miranda Raison as Jo Portman and Gemma Jones as Connie James.

In the first episode, central character Adam Carter (portrayed by Rupert Penry Jones) dies in a car explosion set by terrorists, and the character Ros Myers (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 replaces her as a Senior Case officer.

The series 8 recommission press release stated there would be a twist in the final episode of series 7.[19] In this 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 and elude an FSB kill squad. Connie is killed defusing the bomb by its conventional explosives. Seconds before the bomb exploded, Connie revealed that 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.
[edit] Series 8

In December 2008, the BBC announced that series 8 would start filming in March 2009 and air late 2009,[19] with both Hermione Norris (Ros) and Richard Armitage (Lucas) returning for series 8. Series 8 started on Wednesday 4 November 2009, at 9pm on BBC One,[20] with episode 2 broadcast on Friday 6 November at 9pm on BBC Three.[21] The opening episode of series 8 drew in 6 million viewers a 25% share of audience numbers between 9pm and 10pm.[citation needed]

The first episode of the series continues from the 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 younger technician Tariq Masood (Shazad Latif).

The series again revolves around one major plot-arc which is a mysterious organisation known only as "Nightingale." During 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. At the end of the series, Section D does not appear to have made much progress in tackling Nightingale, and Ros Myers is killed in an explosion with the new Home Secretary Andrew Lawrence.
[edit] Series 9

Spooks returned for a ninth series on Monday 20 September 2010 for an eight episode run.[22]

New cast members in this series included Sophia Myles and Max Brown as agents and Simon Russell Beale as the Home Secretary. Iain Glen and Laila Rouass also joined the series, playing Vaughn Edwards and Maya Lahan - figures from Lucas's mysterious past.[23] The season ended with the deaths of Lucas' lover Maya Lahan, following the death of Lucas' blackmailer, Vaughn, in the penultimate episode. The climactic scene was a showdown between Harry and Lucas on top of a tower block in London. After Harry revealed that Lucas had betrayed his MI5 colleagues, Lucas ordered him to turn around. Harry anticipated execution, but no shots were fired. Hearing a car alarm and screams from the ground, Harry turned to find Lucas no longer on the roof. 48 hours later, the Home Secretary called Harry to inform him that a full investigation would be made into his actions at MI5 and to "prepare for life after MI5". The series ended with Harry looking out over a London skyline at night.
[edit] Series 10

At the end of Series 9, a teaser screen announced that the programme would return for a tenth series in 2011.[24]
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