Neil Cross talking about Spooks

[Aria]

Neil Cross talking about his time on Spooks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j2HL_UqQgw

[JHyde]

Wow, he looks nothing like I thought. The reason for him leaving is exactly what I thought though and if Ben Richards has jumped ship, it will probably be for the same.

[A Cousin]

The BBC made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Who could turn down an offer to create your own series from scratch?

I am a bit confused about the distinction of being the lead writer. Does that mean he's the head writer and overall Grand Poo-Bah for the whole of S6 and S7 or that he got to lead off with the first and plot establishing episodes for both S6 and S7? ImDb suggests the latter, but I am not sure.

Does this mean that Ana is his concoction? If so, I have a bone to pick with him! Not to mention that he killed off

Spoiler: show

both Zaf AND Adam!

[JHyde]

Neil Cross wrote some of the episodes I love the most but also a few I detest.

A Cousin, I took the lead writer not to mean a showrunner or exec producer but rather someone who shapes the general story arc of a season. Probably the closest thing they've had since Wollstonecraft left the building. They definitely need a better show runner than they had in season 8 and I'll say it again - Kudos dropped the ball.

[A Cousin]

Gottcha, JHyde. Thanks!

I couldn't tell you what my favorite or least favorite series are yet, but I do know that S6 is near the bottom and S7 is near the top. Maybe Neil Cross should have watched the whole thing in order beginning to end when they sent him the DVDs?

As for Ana, he also created Connie James (devious cow but delicious character), so I guess I can forgive him for Ana!

[Tea Lady]

I agree, I have mixed feelings about Neil Cross. He wrote some of my favourite episodes such as 6.9 and 7.8. He also wrote 7.1 and 7.2 which I felt were two of the weaker episodes of series 7 (I'm not including the Harry and Malcolm moments in that statement) but I do hate that Russian submarine story! Neil Cross must have been responsible for the whole Yalta saga then which was just as preposterous as Nightingale.

Do we know for defo that Ben Richards is gone? I know this probably means didly squat, but he does describe himself as Lead Writer for Spooks when he did a talk in March 2010 -
http://www.pawsdrama.com/evening.htm

[JHyde]

I completely agree with both of you. I've spoken at length elsewhere about season 6 and why I have issues with it, but season's 7 overarching storyline is a thing of beauty.

To be fair, I also have mixed feelings about just about every major writer on the show. Except Richards, whose episodes have been overwhelmingly excellent given the odds and length of time he's been around. There's really only one or two I don't like altogether.

I had not read that bit Tea Lady, thanks. Ben has been with the show for a long time and I suspect the same thing happened. BBC offered him his own show and he jumped. Chances are he's not on board for season 9 (I can't get anything out of his agent) and I think the show will be the less for it. Richards is the closest thing they have to a through line between seasons apart from PF. Their continuity girl, Katie Swindon, has not been with the show anywhere near as long as those two.

Anyway, we have rather drifted from the subject and that's totally my fault. I keep meaning to start a thread about the writers on their own.

[Tea Lady]

(16-07-2010 06:35 PM)JHyde Wrote:  Ben has been with the show for a long time and I suspect the same thing happened. BBC offered him his own show and he jumped. Chances are he's not on board for season 9 (I can't get anything out of his agent) and I think the show will be the less for it. Richards is the closest thing they have to a through line between seasons apart from PF. Their continuity girl, Katie Swindon, has not been with the show anywhere near as long as those two.

Drifting I know, sorry, but Ben still works for Kudos as he's written Outcasts. I think I have that right.