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BAUER24 · 15-05-2011, 07:21 PM

Needed something to replace my spy/anti terrorism fix since 24 finished. Started watch series 7 because of Richard armitage and have got all the series to date.

Cant wait for series 10!

kmac82 · 24-06-2011, 01:49 AM

I'm American, but I lived in Scotland for 2-and-a-half years, and I came across it by accident one night on the tele. I also had seen adverts for it, and as I was already a HUGE fan of "24", Bond and Bourne, I knew I'd probably like it...especially as it had Rupert Penry Jones in it! But I didn't want to just jump in head first in the middle of a season, so I held off for the time being. Fast forward 3 years (this past Christmas) to me and my brand new Netflix account - I saw that they had the majority of seasons of "MI-5" (Really, America? Was the name change that necessary?) on Instant Queue, so I decided to finally give it a go.

After just 3 sleep-deprived, bleary-eyed, foggy weeks, I had completed all 9 seasons! (I'm pretty sure I watched ALL of season 9 on one icy day that I didn't have to go in to work. No shame.)

Hardest part though is not having ANYONE in my social world to discuss it with. When my co-workers would talk TV, I'd tell them about my "British spy show", and they'd just look at me like, "That's nice." I mean, really, how do you explain "Spooks" to Americans who have no reference for what good TV drama really is? It's so frustrating!

Also of note: While Matthew MacFadyen, RPJ and Richard Armitage were also initial driving forces behind my interest, Harry Pearce came out of nowhere and stole my affections! Peter Firth is absolutely brilliant.

I've never been addicted to anything in my life, but I am completely hooked on this show! God help me...

mdwfan · 24-06-2011, 04:52 AM

The San Francisco Chronicle had a great t.v. critic (who is now the chief t.v. critic at The Hollywood Reporter) that reviewed MI-5/Spooks and gave it/Matthew MacFadyen a great endorsement. Being an Anglophile, that was enough to get me to watch. Unfortunately, the lame cable channel that originally aired it (A&E) showed S1 and S2 as one season in a very short time frame and then dumped the show. Thank goodness for Netflix and its Instant Queue, I was able to watch S8 and S9 fairly quickly.
kmac82, we're in the same boat. My husband doesn't "get" the show at all and none of my friends have even heard of the show (even the handful of ex-pat Brits living out here have never seen it). Thank goodness for the Spooks Forum.

lottanyman · 24-06-2011, 07:30 AM

(24-06-2011 01:49 AM)kmac82 Wrote: Hardest part though is not having ANYONE in my social world to discuss it with. When my co-workers would talk TV, I'd tell them about my "British spy show", and they'd just look at me like, "That's nice." I mean, really, how do you explain "Spooks" to Americans who have no reference for what good TV drama really is? It's so frustrating!

Also of note: While Matthew MacFadyen, RPJ and Richard Armitage were also initial driving forces behind my interest, Harry Pearce came out of nowhere and stole my affections! Peter Firth is absolutely brilliant.

I've never been addicted to anything in my life, but I am completely hooked on this show! God help me...

Same here with me! My colleagues have a tendency to either watch stupid reality TV shows or even more stupid soaps and I'm usually getting the same "empty" look when talking about what I like to watch on TV.

I tried to get my sister hooked on Spooks and we watched the first series in a row when she was visiting over Christmas and then lent her my series 2 DVDs but although she likes it, she hasn't really come along with watching much more of it so again she does not (yet) share my enthusiasm when I talk about Spooks.

I've recently found out however that my Dad watches Spooks too! It doesn't help though that here in Germany the series is well hidden in the late night programme and they are also only ever showing the first five series and than starting again from the beginning...

DogSoSmall · 24-06-2011, 06:37 PM

I've watched Spooks right from the start. One of the few worthwhile things on British TV left, and it's so frustrating that there are still people out there who haven't given it a shot and would love it if they did. I am like kmac82. I used to enjoy all the heroic young studs provided for our delectation (particularly Zaf), but only turned from a Spooks fan into a Spooks fanatic when I fell in love with Harry Pearce - or was it Peter Firth, who knows?

beatrice4ruth · 24-06-2011, 09:26 PM

I am a European who lived in England as a child and a student. I am now married to an American. Thanks to PBS's focus on British programs, I started to watch Spooks a couple of years ago. I have all the DVDs. I only watch American TV for their great scientific and nature programs.

Peter Firth is a fabulous actor and Spooks has allowed him to show all the facets of his immense talent. I greatly admire him in all his other roles (The Perfect Husband, PP, The Flip Side of Dominick Hyde, Equus –what an incredible performance for such a young actor).

Contrary to the other viewers, my favorite Spooks character is not Harry (yes, I know, it's hard to believe), but Ruth. I feel protective towards her, because for many years I worked for the Foreign Office of my country of origin. I understand Ruth’s reticence to get involved with Harry, her boss, especially before 5.5. As she matures through some pretty terrible ordeals, she has become the equal of Harry. I like the evolution of her character, from a shy analyst to a sophisticated advisor to Harry. Like Peter Firth, Nicola Walker is an extraordinary actress.

I became hooked on Spooks by the incredible acting of PF and NW. The weekly storylines and the music are pretty mind-boggling too. I am also impressed by the male and female actors, whether British or foreign, of all the series.

DogSoSmall · 24-06-2011, 10:24 PM

(24-06-2011 09:26 PM)beatrice4ruth Wrote: As she matures through some pretty terrible ordeals, she has become the equal of Harry. I like the evolution of her character, from a shy analyst to a sophisticated advisor to Harry. Like Peter Firth, Nicola Walker is an extraordinary actress.

I really like what you say about Ruth here.

beatrice4ruth · 25-06-2011, 02:21 PM

(24-06-2011 10:24 PM)DogSoSmall Wrote:
(24-06-2011 09:26 PM)beatrice4ruth Wrote: As she matures through some pretty terrible ordeals, she has become the equal of Harry. I like the evolution of her character, from a shy analyst to a sophisticated advisor to Harry. Like Peter Firth, Nicola Walker is an extraordinary actress.

I really like what you say about Ruth here.

Thank you.

If only Spooks went a step further in the personal growth of Ruth. Let Ruth and Harry face together, as a couple, the challenges of Section D. I wish that Spooks had not conditioned us (I nearly wrote brainwashed us) into believing that only a dramatic ending to the H/R relationship was plausible.

**JHyde** · (This post was last modified: 25-06-2011 03:19 PM by JHyde.)

As good as this discussion is, it's better suited to the Harry and Ruth thread here. We're always happy to have new people chip in on this one.

kmac82 · 25-06-2011, 03:37 PM

(25-06-2011 03:16 PM)JHyde Wrote: As good as this discussion is, it's better suited to the Harry and Ruth thread here. We're always happy to have new people chip in on this one.

Ha! Was just about to suggest this JHyde...

beatrice4ruth, I'm taking my answer your lovely take on Ruth to the Ruth thread!