MI5 (Spooks)

[jeregenest]

This week I’ve been watching the first season of the BBC series MI5, as its known to us Yanks, in Britain it was called Spooks. Some good stuff, their tradecraft tends to be pretty good. They make some notable mistakes (the end of episode 2 is still kind of annoying, they writers basically went to violence when if they had the characters follow common sense the situation would never have developed). Sunday night robotnik came over and we watched three. After he left I watched the 4th, which has Anthony Head in it in a very nicely done performance, reminded me of LeCarre in some very good ways. peaseblossom has caught up, and we will probably go get episdoe 5 and 6 tonight. Rob says he’s got some of season 2 on tivo, so I may take advantage of that.

Its good stuff, not Sandbaggers quality, but probably as good as Spygame, if not better. Much better than 24 or Alias, much, much better. To be honest, while I’m enjoying playing catch the Sandbaggers references, I think it would be difficult for British tv-writers to do a good realistic-spy show that wasn’t LeCarre or Sandbaggers.

Though I just found out that the library got in my request for the dvd of John Le Carre's Tinker tailor soldier spy. So maybe I’ll go get that and watch it tonight (or some of it, its six hours long). Anyone interested in coming over and braving the snow?

Comments

[jeregenest.livejournal.com]

Probably the ebst spy show ever done. It focused on MI6 in the late seventies/early eighties. Focused around the Director of Ops for MI6 and his special team, the Sandbaggers. Very focsed on internal politics. The main characters were DOps and his Sandbaggers (only permanent one was the chief, Willy), C (head of MI6), Assistant Director, and the Permanent Under Secretary of State.

It lasted 3 seasons, and then ended because the writer disappeared in Alaska, and eys he used to be a spy (of sorts).

The best page is http://www.opsroom.org

If you like spy stuff this is one series very worth checking out.