- Spooks: Code 9
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Spooks: Code 9 
Spooks: Code 9 logoAlso known as Rogue Spooks,
Spooks: Liberty
(working titles)Genre Created by David Wolstencroft Written by - Chris Chibnall
- Jack Lothian
- Cameron McAllister
- James Moran
- Howard Overman
- Ben Schiffer
- David Wolstencroft[1]
Directed by - Toby Haynes
- Brendan Maher
- Mat Whitecross[1]
Starring - Michael Keogh
- Liam Boyle
- Joanne Froggatt
- Ruta Gedmintas
- Andrew Knott
- Georgia Moffett
- Christopher Simpson
- Heshima Thompson
- Lorraine Burroughs[1]
Country of origin 
United KingdomLanguage(s) English No. of series 1 No. of episodes 6 Production Executive producer(s) - Karen Wilson
- Sarah Brandist
- Simon Crawford Collins
- Eleanor Moran[1]
Producer(s) Chris Fry[1] Editor(s) - Richard Mark Elson
- Philip Hookway
- David Mercer[1]
Location(s) West Yorkshire Camera setup - Paul Hanning
- Jamie Hicks[1]
Running time 50 minutes Broadcast Original channel BBC Three Original run 10 September 2008 – 7 October 2008 Chronology Related shows Spooks External links Website Production website Spooks: Code 9 (working titles - Rogue Spooks[2] and Spooks: Liberty[3]) is a spin-off series of the BBC television show Spooks, commissioned by the BBC to offer a "more maverick, younger perspective"[4] that would attract a younger audience than Spooks.[5] It is about a group of six new young MI5 recruits who "follow a different rule book".[2] It is produced by the independent production company Kudos.[6] It was filmed in and around Leeds and Bradford,[7] and the first two episodes were broadcast on BBC Three on 10 August 2008[8] and repeated on the same channel on 11 August 2008. After the relatively unsuccessful first series, producer Karen Wilson claimed that many of the existing cast members were "contracted for another year" and outlined themes "we'd like to explore if we get a second series."[9]
Contents
Plot
The series begins in 2012 (just after the 2012 Summer Olympics), when London and some of the south east has been evacuated in the wake of a nuclear attack during the opening ceremony of the Games. The government has relocated to Manchester; Thames House has been decommissioned, and MI5 is forced to set up offices across the UK in an attempt to help Britain avoid new attacks.[7]
Cast
- Charlie Green (Liam Boyle) - an ex-mathematician who leads the team on an interim basis after the assassination of Hannah in the first episode. He gained the job after he stood up to Field Operations Director Sarah Yates (Lorraine Burroughs).
- Rachel Harris (Ruta Gedmintas) - a former Police Officer.
- Vik Kamath (Christopher Simpson) - an entrepreneur.
- Kylie Roman (Georgia Moffett) - a former Psychology student.
- Rob Sullivan (Andrew Knott) - formerly a doctor, and now the team medic.
- Jez Cook (Heshima Thompson) - a reformed criminal.
- Sarah Yates (Lorraine Burroughs) - Formerly Head of Operations for MI5
- Saeed Khan (Parvez Qadir) - Director-General of MI5
Marketing
The series was heavily promoted across the BBC channels, through conventional outdoor marketing and a viral marketing campaign by Agency Republic.[10] As one of BBC Three's multi-platform programmes, there was also a heavy digital element,[11] including streaming the programme live on the site simultaneously with its TV broadcast.
An experiential site called Facespook was launched in July 2008, which uses flash-based face-mapping to add 'you' into the video action. The story branches depending on choices you make.
Further interaction was through the extended reality site Liberty News, a 2013 news site created by online agency Six to Start.[12] Offering relevant news stories associated with the episodes, the site was updated live during the programme with stories related to the on-screen action; the site encouraged role-play as though you were part of the in-series world to explore the issues raised. Following the last episode of the series, the site ran a live chat with characters representing various organisations relevant to the storylines. During this chat, the site was raided and the news organisation 'closed down'. The Liberty News site has since been archived.
Episodes
The first series of Spooks Code 9 consists of six episodes. The series began on 10 August 2008. The series is still repeated late at night on BBC HD.[13]
Series 1 (2008)
# Title Writer 01 "Episode 1" David Wolstencroft A new age of terrorists threatens Her Majesty's Secret Service, leading the government to recruit younger members into MI5. The team plan to foil an assassination plot against the Prime Minister, however they only have 5½ hours to find the killer and stop him. 02 "Episode 2" Howard Overman Protesters hack into the government's emergency communications system and broadcast a video of dead inmates at a prison. 03 "Episode 3" Ben Schiffer Jez and Kylie go undercover on a housing estate to investigate a source of fake radiation drugs, but the killing of a police officer puts the pair in grave danger 04 "Episode 4" Tony Bassgallop & James Moran The murder of two MI5 informants reveals a leak at a government Missing Person's scheme. 05 "Episode 5" Chris Chibanll A bank heist by eco terrorists, involving a 16-year-old suicide bomber, leads the team to uncover a secret deal between the British government and a Korean billionaire. Will the team be able to free the hostages and stop the terrorists from completing their deadly mission? Charlie speaks to the British scientist wrongly imprisoned for the London attack and discovers there may be a second nuclear bomb. 06 "Episode 6" David Wolstencroft With the anniversary of the London attack imminent and the knowledge there may be a second nuclear device still out there, Charlie and the team have 24 hours to locate the bomb and identify the MI5 traitor before another major national catastrophe is allowed to happen. The episode ends in a cliffhanger, with the ticking bomb heard in the background and Rachel dying on the floor after being shot by Yates. Reception
Audience
The first episode of the series had (estimated) 810,000 viewers for a multichannel share of 3.8%, with the second episode (broadcast immediately after the first) having 703,000 viewers and 4.0% share.[14] The third episode (broadcast a week later) attracted 447,000 viewers and 2.1% multichannel share, having "lost nearly half of its audience last night, 17 August, compared with last Sunday's launch."[15] The fourth episode, broadcast on 24 August, attracted 288,000 viewers and 1.4% multichannel share,[16] the fifth (31 August) having 353,000 viewers,[17] and the sixth (7 September) 245,000.[18]
Reviews
For The Times reviewer Andrew Billen said the series "fancies itself as gritty and hip" and that it was "to Spooks what Torchwood is to Doctor Who (ie, not as good)", adding criticism of what he saw as its low budget, its combination of "state torture with a boozy, flirty This Life house-share", and its failure of nerve in not fully linking the attack "with either the Olympics or al-Qaeda".[19] Roland White in The Sunday Times concluded "The script is poor and the acting little better. It's like watching recent graduates takes their first management-training exercise."[20]
A preliminary piece in The Daily Telegraph wondered if the series could avoid accusations of trying to cash in on Spooks despite being "a spin-off with almost nothing in common with its namesake",[5] whilst other reviews in the same paper called the general scenario "daft and unconvincing" and too ludicrous to work as well as similar spin-offs.[21] Though the Telegraph did find some praise for the "surprising twist" in the first episode, it lampooned the nuclear attack for having seemingly "killed everyone over the age of 40" and left MI5 "staffed purely by the young and good-looking", comparing the series' youthful cast with that of Skins.[21]
Internet reception by fans of the original Spooks was generally negative, largely due to the absence of any reference to the events of the main series.[22] A review of the first episode by website Digital Spy found the show "utterly uninspired and stale", "shambolically written", "patronising", and "amateurish".[23] The second episode "is certainly an improvement on the dire opener, although that's hardly a compliment." But "the entire show comes across as one of those school teachers who tries desperately to be trendy and get down wiv da kidz" and "has yet to show ...that it can transcend its current status as a piece of condescending, uninvolving tripe."[24] However, by the sixth episode Digital Spy had detected a "stark improvement in the latter half of the first season", saying the finale "summed up the uneven nature of the season, but ultimately delivered a reasonably absorbing glimpse of a claustrophobic and panic-strewn future" that "leaves us wanting more...." But "was the budget being saved up for the grand finale? If so, that's a dodgy move indeed as ratings have shown that not many viewers have stuck around."[25]
The Guardian described it as "a spin-off too far", with "clunky, lazy writing", "ropey indeed.... an utterly cynical venture and a damning indictment of the lack of imagination at work in commissioning new drama,"[26] going on to say that "given its patronising awfulness, SC9 actually damages the Spooks brand." Discussing The Guardian's opinion a year later, Adrian Hon (who was responsible for the Liberty News website)[12] said "the branding plan had backfired" and if it had been launched with "a different name (i.e. not Spooks), everyone would have given the show more of a chance." In his opinion "they got it backwards": the first two episodes being "equally painful to watch", later episodes improved and episode six "really quite entertaining. In fact, the first minutes of the finale are captivating.... That’s how SC9 should’ve started."[27]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Spooks: Code 9 Credits". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220111/fullcredits. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ a b "Spooks spin-off set for BBC Three". BBC News. 2006-12-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6179781.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ "BBC Three and BBC Switch commit to original teen drama". BBC. 2007-12-20. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/12_december/20/teen.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ "Spooks: Code 9 - a new drama for BBC Three from the team behind Spooks". BBC Press Office. March 26, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-02-09. http://www.webcitation.org/5wM7auHqb.
- ^ a b Warman, Matt (2008-08-08). "Code 9's recruits look to the future of Spooks". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/08/nosplit/bvtvspooks08.xml. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ^ Tryhorn, Chris (2006-12-14). "BBC3 creates Spooks spin-off". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/dec/14/broadcasting.bbc. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ a b "'Spooks' spinoff heading to BBC Three". Digital Spy. 2008-03-25. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a92210/spooks-spinoff-heading-to-bbc-three.html. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ "Airdate announced". BBC. BBC. 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/wk33/sun.shtml#sun_spooks. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben (9 September 2008). "Interview: Karen Wilson (Producer, 'Spooks: Code 9')". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s52/spooks-code-9/interviews/a129852/karen-wilson-producer-spooks-code-9.html. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ Staff (12 August 2008). "Agency Republic creates interactive BBC Spooks site". Campaign. Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5wM2Dw3Vn.
- ^ Rachel Clarke (2008-08-10). "Spooks Code 9". Business Exchange - Behind the Buzz. http://www.behindthebuzz.com/spooks-code-9/. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ^ a b "Six to Start, Kudos Film and TV and the BBC launch LIBERTY NEWS". Six to Start. 2008-07-09. Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5wM0qHXgy.
- ^ Spooks: Code 9 at BBC Online
- ^ Leigh Holmwood (2008-08-11). "TV ratings: Britain from Above beaten by Midsomer Murders". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/11/tvratings. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Leigh Holmwood (2008-08-18). "TV ratings: Spooks: Code 9 fails to thrill". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/18/tvratings.television. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Leigh Holmwood (2008-08-26). "TV ratings: Wogan quizshow debut draws 1.7m viewers". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/26/tvratings.television. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Leigh Holmwood (2008-09-01). "TV ratings: Gladiators legends take Sky1 to the top". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/01/tvratings.television. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Stephen Brook (2008-09-08). "Multichannel TV ratings: Hairspray watched by 329,000 on Sky1". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/08/tvratings.television2. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Billen, Andrew (2008-08-11). "Weekend TV". The Times (London). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article4487308.ece. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ^ White, Roland (2008-08-17). "Unlikely maestros face the music". The Sunday Times - Culture (London). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article4524852.ece. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ a b Mary Evans (2008-08-09). "The weekend's television choices". London: The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/09/nosplit/bvtv09.xml. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Spooks fan forum
- ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben. "'Spooks: Code 9': Episode One". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a121258/spooks-code-9-episode-one.html. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben. "'Spooks: Code 9': Episode Two". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a121370/spooks-code-9-episode-two.html. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben. "'Spooks: Code 9': Season Finale". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a129761/spooks-code-9-season-finale.html. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ McLean, Gareth (2008-08-08). "Spooks: Code 9 is a spin-off too far". The Guardian (London). http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/tv/2008/08/as_spinoffs_go_spooks_code.html. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
- ^ Adrian Hon (September 16, 2009). "Spooks: Code 9 – They Got it Backwards". Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5wM2g6ajW.
External links
Spooks Series Series 1 · Series 2 · Series 3 · Series 4 · Series 5 · Series 6 · Series 7 · Series 8 · Series 9 · Series 10Episodes "Thou Shalt Not Kill" · "Looking After Our Own" · "One Last Dance" · "Traitor's Gate" · "Smoke and Mirrors" · "New Allegiances" · "Split Loyalties" · "The Tip-Off" · "On the Brink" · "Nuclear Strike" · "Series 8, Episode 1" · "Series 8, Episode 4" · "Series 8, Episode 8" · "Series 10, Episode 6"Characters Beth Bailey · Nicholas Blake · Adam Carter · Fiona Carter · Vaughn Edwards · Ruth Evershed · Helen Flynn · Bob Hogan · Danny Hunter · Connie James · Ben Kaplan · Jed Kelley · Maya Lahan · Andrew Lawrence · Dimitri Levendis · Oliver Mace · Tariq Masood · Ros Myers · Lucas North · Sir Harry Pearce · Tessa Phillips · Jo Portman · Tom Quinn · Zoe Reynolds · Juliet Shaw · William Towers · Erin Watts · Colin Wells · Malcolm Wynn-Jones · Zafar YounisSpin-off series Spooks: Code 9Related topics Categories:- 2000s British television series
- 2008 television series debuts
- 2008 television series endings
- BBC television dramas
- Dystopian fiction
- Espionage television series
- Spooks
- Television spin-offs
- 2008 British television programme debuts
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