[spooks] Code 9 - SoapChat

Utterly brilliant. In just under five years time, a bomb blows up London evidently killing every spy and secret agent on the books, along with apparently everyone in the UK over the age of 40. Relocating to field offices in various regions (although generally speaking, in "the north"), the cast of Skins appear to have been drafted in to defend old blighty... For Queen, For Country, For Kicks... as the excellent tagline puts it. Between shots of sambucca, of course.

I'm not even being paid by the BBC, nor am I drunk, but I thought the first episode was simply rip-roaring good fun of the daftest degree. The sort of carefree, stylish stuff that the Beeb got so savagely wrong with the portentous, lethargic Bonekickers recently: this isn't heavyweight drama by any stretch of the imagination, it's essentially a Torchwood-style deviation from the original Spooks, and is thankfully not laden with such an imposing central role as Barrowman's Whoniversal folly. I don't know why, but I got a New Avengersish vibe from it... and not a Purdey cut in sight. Oh well. Good fun, anyway. Any other takers?

Original article here.