series episode series premiere episode eighth series british espionage television series episode total originally broadcast bbc november episode written directed continues seventh series finale sir willingly captured episode harry taken indian intelligence officer wants harry reveal location secret shipment knows location order build nuclear weapons episode marks return departed fifth series media coverage return months broadcast episode producers confident die hard fans aware marked appearance episode filmed april partially shot location episode seen million viewers united_kingdom quarter television audience time slot critics praised return reactions overall episode mixed plot following abduction sells harry order start new life outside hold end deal kills team men pose members group supposedly execute later footage execution internet team divided believe genuine believe faked later discovers terrorists said curse word language indian state history particular region team question terrorists furthermore find house execution filmed find traces blood match harry dna indicating alive cyprus living peace husband luke notices men capture family flee london returning grid believes harry kidnapped secret operation officer cia liaison intend iraq war planting weapons grade baghdad later discover harry later pull operation safeguard shipment secret location know kidnapped harry wish acquire create nuclear weapons soon transferred safe house captured brought harry george taken safe house unaware happening save reveals base norfolk reveals searched base longer orders george execution confronts assassinated location safe house finds safe house arrives offering exchange persuaded replacement reilly team follow warehouse arrest witnessing tells man kill able talk prepares kill lucas arrives time kill end wishes retire telling harry dog tired harry allows production writing casting episode marks return departure halfway series actress walker left series raise baby walker asked return took half second yes returning noticed grid set changed initial departure media coverage reporting walker return producers believed shock return hindered somewhat believed die hard fans series aware portrayed episode primary antagonist cast producers impressed highly convincing relaxed acting style felt establish role episode cast producers believed acted like dinosaur bush administration child actor cast impressed intelligence fact strong actor children hard work series case ask production crew questions takes order understand episode performance actor having past experiences wrote episode main focus minutes episode debate harry dead alive producers decided audience showing harry alive apparently executed main title sequence question survived producers wanted reflect characters divide execution real fake development originally included script filming completed time according director richards quickly able write new scenes seamlessly rest episode usually difficult task perform richards added hints script leaving end primary plot episode hard producer noted richards able execute plot episode living happily cyprus quickly drawn world dark grim london conversations automated dialogue replacement following writing walker highly looking forward play scenes filming post production filming took place april began production designer partly reconstructed grid set concrete underground bunker feel television series adopting high definition cameras producers decided continue hand held standard definition ones compact flexible producers felt high definition cameras sacrifice filming style series instance hand held camera allow crew film long following cast members tight spaces like average london flat high definition cameras lose ability days dedicated shooting pre title sequence filmed location helicopter scenes took place inside actual helicopter taking flight cast members board sequence genuine opposed having cast members sitting inside green screen fight sequences men orchestrated performed stunt coordinator stunt team little time train conventional actors director wanted fight sequences performed style films abandoned warehouse hold harry filmed abandoned leather factory near london bridge meetings lucas originally intended shot london eye location producers restrictions filming crew felt follow shot opposite instead scenes set cyprus filmed location coastal village island previously working film location producer chose village felt closest crew mimic hot mediterranean feel cyprus filming abroad tend costly bbc budget producers kept costs possible limited crew local help original script place inside house responsible lighting weather decent filming took place primarily outside natural sunlight filming crew spent days end april shooting responsible editing episode sequence lucas rescues harry near end slow motion producers felt add tension incidental music composed computer graphics episode designed producers ended receptive morgan work ability help interpret story music computers respectively broadcast reception broadcast ratings episode originally broadcast bbc time slot wednesday november later repeated bbc november original broadcast episode received unofficial overnight viewing figures million audience share cent won time slot champions league game attracted million viewers according broadcasters episode received final figures million viewers placing sixth seen programme bbc week aired repeat bbc attracted viewers addition viewed episode internet television service result episode seventeenth best performed broadcast critical reception daily telegraph lamented months passed series seven cliffhanger stated square delivers high class glamorous entertaining adam arts desk felt episode plot mere background noise series artificial encounters characters manufactured dramatic tension involving prevented nick time killing somebody triggering global economic collapse said plot cited episode return development praised stating missed framed sent faked death exile praised performance cast including walker husband executed perfectly attempts comfort small boy danger touching den geek believed equivalent far engaging james_bond movie good seeing introduction old character work new additions reviewing channel_4 family independent stated family values relevant citing rack having husband killed adoptive son threatened series great recently intelligence quality attribute strategies employed episode guardian overly critical episode criticising reunion harry stated wasn romantic occasion liked method convince trained killer shoot overall frost thought episode medium rated ridiculous meter
Series 8, Episode 1 (Spooks)