series series british spy drama television series known united_states began broadcasting bbc ending june consists episodes follows actions counter terrorism division storylines main character faces living double life girlfriend know spy running phantom agents monetary gain heather cave listed main cast television developed releasing channel_4 medical drama company initially faced friction television networks saw potential post cold war spy producers later successfully pitched series bbc networks commissioning teams replaced episodes written september attacks took place scenes rewritten event account audience goal fighting terrorism production producers advised intelligence officers filming took place november march series seen average million received generally favourable reviews critics comparing series american espionage based series second episode attracted controversy scene depicted brutal death main character attracted complaints result series website saw surge number applications organisation viewers awarded bafta best drama series nominated series released dvd june region august region january region episodes cast main cast members listed series plays primary protagonist senior case officer creator found tom fun hardest character write main character portraying character told want create backstory character find merit plays junior case officer attracted parallels acting actress described little number cold don know series sees flashes plays fellow junior case officer aware agent brought script quickly intrigued project wanted play enthusiasm order initially wary playing lead characters actors mid twenties eventually felt earned right series plays head counter terrorism department interested series hearing involvement project thought special different british television time pepper dialogue quotations famous classical works moral religious plays senior case officer actress described hard edged nice person straightforward initially expected corrupt realised start peripheral character role build series continued story described bbc press release dangers corruption portrays support officer plays tom girlfriend restaurant owner plays year old daughter hall felt ellie character audience identify producers created believed children best spies plays technical officer plays officer series sees number recurring characters guest appearances appears episodes technical officer american actress appears episode cia liaison producers impressed performance wished return second series appears antagonist second episode producers felt actor suitable role case played wife claire fourth fifth episodes appears department head organisation depicted old school compared based performance portrayal head episode best known work time played despite status regular head earn role audition episode plays character based richard_nixon episode appeared lover previously appeared series produced finale irish actor plays irish splinter group terrorist previously appeared dramas operators production crew series produced television bbc credited series creator producer series producer executive producers series director head independent drama commissioning bbc series includes writers directors wrote episodes finale series wrote episode wrote episodes writing finale producers hired radical provocative style time hired sixteen years wrote television producers spent months meeting potential directors work shared views style style director inspired bollywood films american television according directs directors chosen working episodes directed episodes directed episodes directed episodes served directors photography serving assistant directors series editors served sound line producer production designer costume designer designer casting director series script editor location managers conception began develop producing channel medical drama series wished explore series ideas saw typical based dramas crime medical decided developing spy drama coming novels came realise featured setting shows felt benefit spy crime drama protagonists work home spies given added dimension reveal work loved ones meantime wrote developing spy drama albeit film contacted agreed work create television series based idea world spies instead showing audience spies work job later pitched major british television networks enthusiastic potential post cold war spy series commissioning teams networks replaced pitched albeit result controller bbc commissioned planning introduce dynamic shows attract younger audience channel writing main writers different styles influences scripts influenced american television episodes chosen writing style mixture works fantasies writing series writer introduced set terminology terms main characters series according scripts included spy terms stating curse dialogue tends actors learn spoke daily basis adopted writing style based early episodes scottish based crime drama writer impressed ability add plot halfway took inspirations novels including tailor soldier spy wrote dance felt difficult write tie main storylines collaborated write lesser timing constraints pitched story writer wrote pages dialogue pilot originally underwent separate story ideas bbc satisfied similarly second episode went episodes written september attacks took place resulting thousand deaths united_states result episodes rewritten account events assure audience fighting terrorism according attacks relevant great sense responsibility writing filming stages series writers advised officers gave insight characters operate personal lives affected advisors worked counter terrorism based officer cia agent including terrorists bbc responsibility portray people balance possible sides series finale heavily researched episode based real life instances terrorists agreed work authorities colombia scene tom patrick strip naked ensure came producers sources sources advised producers tail targets spotted second episode included death main character idea originally going series finale producers know fill episode death moved according inclusion helen death audience message world isn world cavalry arrive reality people risk lives behalf sticky situations genuinely nasty people producers wanted main characters die occasion weekly weekly basis officers jobs properly writers add occasional humour characters according felt anybody works occupation high responsibilities tends humour people jokes seen things basis creating series saw storylines involving main characters obsession money spending credit card database order fool better credit rating discovery running phantom agents pocket money storylines intended audience officers tempted money principle story arc tom dealing relationship ellie know spy storyline based wife know spy months series progressed difficulties relationship wrote tom position character problem episode introduced sexual tension filming series began filming november continued march shooting took place entirely london rural scenes filmed episode took approximately days shoot follow order script production crew film scenes set certain location rest cuts minutes pilot episode quickly introduce main characters filming usually long lens cameras proved difficult crew filming location short space scenes tom reveals spy ellie traitor gate filmed hand held cameras time series time crew filmed series finale hand held cameras cameras allowed intimate filming opposed shoulder operated cameras hand held cameras shoot minutes worth footage film stock addition operators hated cameras episodes series filmed order broadcast traitor gate episode filmed dance fourth filming dance rose bed memoirs left eye cover hide left face camera times actor wore sunglasses series use real firearms decommissioned service certain cast members including handled firearms point series order maintain gun safety weapons experts hand train actors rehearsal producers chose exterior interior stand thames house real life headquarters felt buildings shared similar architecture grid set offices protagonists filmed closed medical school filming concluded series building demolished london filming locations scenes leading mary thou kill filmed episode use garden dance scenes filmed case actors filmed floors wind forced actors raise voices sound unit hear scenes filmed traitor gate scene filmed london bridge rose bed memoirs episodes held scenes filmed high end house owned silk merchant particular opera house bar director general office rural scenes filmed including areas surrey outside kent series finale exterior nuclear power stations suffolk double fictional power station post production episode took approximately months edit editing usually began episodes shot editors work episodes simultaneously following completion episodes added score episodes include split screen sequences sequences presented similar vein american action series split screen idea come thought independently visiting pub night filming wrapped series introduced premise including production credits producers agreed adding credits waste time viewers pay attention saw opportunity spy idea cool anonymous fit spirit series broadcast reception broadcast ratings impact broadcasting began bbc considered airing saturday night timeslot research found potential viewers likely watch television saturdays nights week bbc hoped boost timeslot series instead broadcast series began broadcasting bbc timeslot continued monday night june exception fourth episode viewed tuesday june starting overrun coverage elizabeth_ii golden jubilee episodes repeated digital channel series aired episode approximately minutes edited order accommodate breaks dvd release series america contained uncut episodes series later repeated alongside second series starting june producers hoping ratings pilot achieve million viewers time considered acceptable ratings bbc allow consider future episode ended overnight rating million viewers cent audience share easily winning time slot nearly doubling numbers viewed million slot second episode dropped million seen series timeslot series won timeslot episode dance faced competition bbc seven million different timeslot episode meant million ratings recovered seven million series finale consolidated figures series seen average million viewers episodes aired bbc began considering longer second series proved popular key demographics viewers aged years renewal officially announced bbc head december fortnight launch noted surge number applications organisation result series plus applications week website people applied following end episode episodes broadcast handful new applications entered welcomed impact public despite officers views unrealistic far viewers false impression organisation operates critical reception series received generally favourable reviews times stated bears closer resemblance shaded pleasure opening episode felt end episode established voice telegraph thought series proved thoroughly entertaining praised writing felt confident playful subject especially britain poor relation relationship america radio_times called series tremendous pieces slightly faced knowing kind way manages stay right self parody independent felt different kind spy drama literal description derived sort story imagine told staff social lot naturally dramas colleagues small talk instead launch straight urgent guardian stated series shiny series adding bed dawn pretext sell house tends wear thin banks smith called story slightly unexpected stated appears authenticity moments moment stupid true fellow guardian reviewer stated good makes want spy rated series calling thrilling dramatic fast american series added story complex convincing plus scripts written lot goes episode detrimental like action tension going fast possible reviewer noted having episodes worked advantage american television stating incredibly short idea actually good ensures episode strong content execution american shows tend run episodes season developments occur filler episodes like filler material fact season sees lot development dvd talk agreed series called great fast paced gripping adding lacks slick candy coated alias white thrill minute intensity beast altogether smart thrilling series pulls punches maintains consistent level quality intelligence running time dvd verdict issue storylines stating times takes entire length episode figure precisely going pace makes challenging viewing prevent reaching broader audience thought series solid gripping entertainment pulls punches little reliant suspense mystery trigger happy american action shows fan dagger antics digital fix rated series stating perfect imaginative intriguing series controversy series attracted controversy second episode saw demise main character hand head forced deep scene attracted complaints television highest number complaints television programme following complaints bbc admitted scene clearly disturbed viewers defended showing audience kind threat faced agents engaged fight terrorism stated scene shocking context acceptable important later narrative criticised bbc failing warn viewers violence come scene controversy sparked response comedian guardian column stating moment head forced deep fat viewers formulaic end cutter populist dramas like casualty sat disbelief major bbc drama series actually nerve expectation accolades viewer polls series nominated awards won nominated bafta awards craft nominations series won best drama series category cutting teachers nominated editing work original television music craft awards lost saga respectively series nominated including drama series lost nominated writer award lost work television film flesh blood craft awards nominated best sound drama series received fans end bbc released best viewer polls website voted best drama beaten lesbian period drama starred american action series voted worst drama listed best actor category voted fifth respectively voted sixth male best actress category voted sixth second respectively respectively voted sixteenth second females tom ellie relationship seen viewers fourth best couple television year sixth best villain closing scenes series finale voted second favourite moment reveal mole home video release series available dvd box set released united_kingdom region june later released australia region august united_states region known volume january box set consists episodes series discs pal format box set includes array special features episode audio commentary track addition numerous interviews cast crew members series discussing origins development purpose main characters deleted scenes image galleries explained list terms series credits programme include credits episodes scripts episodes found dvd rom united_kingdom box set released certificate meaning unsuitable viewing age years
Spooks (series 1)