Series 6 | |
Network | BBC |
Run | 16 Oct – 18 Dec 2007 |
Episodes # | 10 |
Series: | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10. |
The sixth series of the BBC espionage television series Spooks began broadcasting on 16 October 2007 before ending on 18 December 2007. The series consists of ten episodes.
Plot[]
The sixth series was commissioned by Jane Tranter, Head of Drama Commissioning at the BBC, by the time series 5 was announced. The series returned on 16 October 2007 at 9 pm on BBC One, and concluded on 18 December. The series averaged 5.68 million viewers (the lowest to date). The sixth series was different in certain respects from the previous five because it had one storyline running right the way through it, for the first time, the show contained end credits. There was also a less frequent use of the soundtrack composed by Jennie Muskett.
The primary storyline of Series 6 follows Iran seeking the ability to manufacture its own nuclear weapons and searching for sellers of nuclear armaments components. The governments of several nations (principally the United States and its CIA, Russia's FSB, and a shadowy third organisation composed of disenfranchised members of other agencies, including MI5) are woven throughout the plot. Simon Abkarian plays the Iranian Special Counsel liaising with the various governments, Agni Scott as his wife, Matthew Marsh as the CIA station chief, and Robert Glenister as the British Home Secretary, all have recurring roles throughout the series.
A new website called "Spooks Interactive" was created to coincide with the launch of the series. In April 2008, the Spooks production team won the BAFTA Award for Interactivity for their work on Spooks Interactive
Episodes[]
- The Virus: Part 1
- The Virus: Part 2
- The Kidnap
- The Extremist
- The Deal
- The Courier
- The Broadcast
- Infiltration
- Isolated
- The School
Program history[]
The sixth series was commissioned by Jane Tranter, Head of Drama Commissioning at the BBC, by the time series 5 was announced. The series returned on 16 October 2007 at 9 pm on BBC One, and concluded on 18 December. The series averaged 5.68 million viewers (the lowest to date; calculated from BARB figures for week ending 21/10/2007 and all subsequent weeks until 23/12/2007).
The sixth series was markedly different from the previous 5. For the first time, end credits were broadcast and there was less frequent use of the soundtrack composed by Jennie Muskett. The sixth series also attempted to weave a common strand across all ten episodes - the efforts of the MI5 and the British Government to strike a peace deal with the Iranian Government, having been tricked into bombing a chemical weapons train in Tehran by American intelligence. While the US prepared a pre-emptive, Iraq-style war against the country, MI5 attempted to maintain the peace and cover up the evidence of the UK train attack from both the public and Iran. Complicating these matters was Adam Carter's affair with the UK Iranian Ambassador's wife. During the course of the series, the serial arc was moved into and out of individual episodes.
The series ended on a cliffhanger. Jo and Adam, captured by a rogue information-for-the-highest bidder terrorist group faced torture and eventual death, the group also being responsible for the torture & death of Zaf who disappeared after the Tehran bombing. Jo asked Adam to kill her rather than let her face a similar end. The final scene was of CO19 Specialist Firearms Command mounting a rescue by breaking into the house in which they are held captive, just as a limp Jo is shown in the arms of a devastated Adam, the prior scene being the one where he has his hand around her throat as she begs him to kill her.
A new website, Spooks Interactive, was published to coincide with the launch. In April 2008, the Spooks production team won the BAFTA Award for Interactivity for their work on Spooks Interactive.
Cast[]
- Peter Firth as Harry Pearce
- Rupert Penry-Jones as Adam Carter
- Hermione Norris as Ros Myers (until episode 8)
- Raza Jaffrey as Zafar Younis (episode 1)
- Miranda Raison as Jo Portman
- Hugh Simon as Malcolm Wynn-Jones
- Gemma Jones as Connie James (introduced in episode 2)
- Agni Scott as Ana Bakhshi (until episode 7)
- Simon Abkarian as Dariush Bakhshi
- Matthew Marsh as Bob Hogan
- Alex Lanipekun as Ben Kaplan (introduced in episode 5)