Three things I like about the new series of 'Spooks'

[altariel]

1. It has scenes in which people are deep in conversation on Primrose Hill. All the best spy dramas have people deep in conversation on Primrose Hill.

2. Tim McInnerny's character is wonderfully, unctuously evil. Better than that, it's like we're seeing his character from A Very British Coup twenty years older and twenty years further up the greasy pole.

3. Jan Chappell was in it the other night (I think that's the episode that will be on BBC 1 tonight).

Comments

[dberry.livejournal.com]

*cringe*

I hate "Spooks". It's painful to watch.

"Hustle", on the other hand, is awesome (if only for the presence of Jaime Murray) . . .

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, what do you hate about Spooks? I like it because I think it's secretly sending itself and its genre up, I love all the shots of London, and loads of character actors pop up in it.

I didn't see any of Hustle, although the trailers were super-stylish.

[dberry.livejournal.com]

I think it's secretly sending itself and its genre up.

It's the same with "James Bond" -- why hide behind your own genre? Is it because the series isn't going to be good enough as it is? Toung-in-cheek TV often gets on my nerves.

It's also really predictable. The last three TV shows I watched were "Little Britain", "Panorama", and "Creature Comforts" -- and none of them went as I expected. That's essential, to keep things interesting. Watch the first ten minutes of "Spooks" and you can predict it all.

I only watched the first series -- I'll watch next week's episode, and let you know what I think?

I didn't see any of Hustle, although the trailers were super-stylish.

It was excellent. Bizarre, skewed, funny, sexy, and sleek. And Jaime Murray.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It's the same with "James Bond" -- why hide behind your own genre? Is it because the series isn't going to be good enough as it is?

Quite possibly: I think Spooks knows it's a bit cheesy, and just revels in its cheesiness. I don't think it sets out to be anything spectacular or ground-breaking, just enjoyable. (There was a great episode last season with Alexander Siddig in it which was edgy and dramatically very tense.)


And Jaime Murray.

:-D That reminds me of the character in Peter's Friends who, when asked if he likes Top Gun for a variety of reasons, finishes the other person's list with: "...and Kelly McGillis!"

[dberry.livejournal.com]

There was a great episode last season with Alexander Siddig in it which was edgy and dramatically very tense.

That one caused a lot of controversy in the Muslim community I think -- I watched a BBC3 repeat of it, and Siddig's part was the only redeeming thing.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I thought that was one of the most effective individual episodes of Spooks, so you're probably not going to enjoy this new season either, I suspect.