I don't watch TV but bought the entire first series of this rubbish before discovering that I simply couldn't bear trying to watch it. The whole idea is ridiculous and a cliché to start with. But we set that on one side as its a staple format.However, it also tries to imitate the superb Sixies TV series Callan to a disgraceful extent. Hence the relationship between the main character and his side-kick, a direct plagiarising of the earlier series. The sidekick is also the shows most awful point. Why on Earth would such a useless, incompetent, idiot be employed in a highly secret, sensitive and critical operation such as depicted? The main character describes him as unbearably irritating. well, surprise, he is...so whats the idea, do the makers want us to be continually irritated start to finish. If so, then they succeeded.Then its pace....so slow you could watch icebergs melt in the longeurs.The action...I didn't see any in episode one, none whatsoever.Plot less, directionless and docile, whats the point?

I have watched the first three episodes of this show and was very impressed and entertained. Of course this is fiction, such goings on would not be allowed in real life. There is no harm in fantasizing about "what if" and producing good entertainment. Spooks, made by the same people is literally one of the best TV shows I have ever seen in over 50 years of TV viewing. I started watching TV in the early 50's when there was only one channel (BBC) to watch. The actors in this show are very likable and the plots seem to be in touch with the reality of modern day life in Britain. I realize that some foreign viewers found some of the language difficult to follow, but this show was written for the domestic TV audience and British people will understand it.

This series is one of the most unpleasant programmes I have ever watched. Masquerading behind some sort of phony hypocritical moral standpoint, it is just an excuse for people to get off on their nastiest tendencies. Shameful rubbish. I notice that the director was also responsible for a particularly bad drama about Princess Diana.Yuk! The audience is invited to empathise with a team of people whose official status has been blurred to make you think that they represent the forces of darkness in our secret services, and in our policing system. In fact they are simply silly and over-heated fantasies of a group of executives who are desperate to find an audience for a puerile form of right wing justification for violent retribution. I had to take a long shower after watching the first episode. I turned the second one off when I realised that it tread the same territory. It was very badly directed too.

It's has been ages since a show with good casting and writing has been produced in Britain. Normally you only see this kind of writing style some of the mini series produced by the BCC. This kind of show is what is needed to compete with that of what we have to watch from America. The dialog is good,funny even when unexpected, the character establishment is just right. there is enough action. Evin in the first episode the characters are not only established for who they are but also some of them have their own personal revelations. after watching the first episode I am satisfied that foundation concept for this show will unravel into a very charming story. A must see!