Inside the Spook Show
01/10/2007 . Source: Jessica Martin 
Spy drama Spooks returns to BBC One for autumn 2007. Over the course of 10 hour-long episodes, Adam, Harry and the team are immersed in their most intricate operation to date. Actor Rupert Penry-Jones who plays agent Adam Carter talks about the new series and his thoughts on Spooks. Buy Spooks in the USA - or Buy Spooks in the UK  The UK's favourite spies go global as the complex relationship between the UK, Iran and the US is put under the spotlight ... but who can really be trusted under this new world order?
Rupert Penry-Jones, Hermione Norris and Peter Firth return as officers Adam, Ros and Harry of Section D, MI5. Raza Jaffrey, Miranda Raison and Hugh Simon also reprise their roles as Zaf, Jo and Malcolm, and welcome new arrival Connie played by Gemma Jones.
In the drama, Iran's covert scheme to become a nuclear power leads to growing mistrust between the British, American and Iranian governments, who all nurse their own agendas to help or hinder the Middle Eastern state in its efforts.
The volatile climate culminates in a series of high-risk operations both at home and abroad.
The opening episode sees Zaf, undercover in Tehran, attempt to place a bomb on a civilian train in an effort to flush out a key Iranian spy, an act which could have dangerous ramifications not only for Zaf but for the whole team...
Meanwhile, the electric atmosphere between Adam and Ros comes to a head, but things are complicated further by Adam's dangerous ongoing affair with a key asset inside the Iranian embassy. Ros, whose loyalty has come under scrutiny in the past, once again finds herself questioning her ability to carry out the demands of a government she does not necessarily support.
Harry gains a new friend on the Grid when he recruits old MI5 colleague Connie (Gemma Jones) as desk officer - clever and with plenty of old school tricks up her sleeve, she might just be able to fill the void left by Ruth's departure.
Guest appearances include Matthew Marsh (The Commander) as CIA Agent Bob Hogan and Robert Glenister (Hustle), who resumes his role as Home Secretary. Series six also see the return of Anna Chancellor (Suburban Shootout, Tipping The Velvet) as Juliet Shaw, former National Security Coordinator.
Katie Swinden, Producer of Spooks, said, "For the first time ever, we've chosen to explore one theme throughout the series, and one which is an ongoing concern in today's world affairs agenda. The relationship between Britain, Iran and the US is such a delicate and topical issue that it opens up a wealth of new storyline possibilities to us. Audiences will be able to follow Adam, Harry, Ros and the team as they take on their most challenging operation to date, and will get to see them in a whole new range of dangerous and exciting situations."
Neil Cross, Rupert Walters, David Farr, Zinnie Harris, George Tiffin and Ben Richards write the 10 new episodes of Spooks.
Rupert Penry-Jones (Adam Carter)
Adam just about made it to the end of the last series intact - any more near misses this series?
RPJ. "He catches bubonic plague, he nearly drowns, he goes through about four near death experiences and has a very complicated love life this year. Which is pretty much how it is every year for Adam!"
There's quite a few stunts for you this series - do you do all of them yourself and do you ever get hurt?
RPJ. I do most of my own stunts, although there's a couple they won't let me do. There are some great ones this series - car chases, street fights and a really dramatic fight in the passenger cabin of a plane. There was one bit of scaling the outside of a house, which they decided wasn't safe for me to do. The team are very good about making the stunts look realistic and dangerous without actually putting me in harm's way!
How has Adam's relationship with Ros developed?
RPJ. Well, without giving too much away, their relationship has definitely moved on, as you'll see in the first scene of episode one! Because of the job they do they find it very hard to trust each other, which would make a romantic relationship very tricky. Plus, Adam's having an affair with an asset which complicates things with Ros as well...
Which is your favourite episode in this new series?
RPJ. I think episode eight is my favourite. There are just some lovely moments in there between Adam and Ros as all the deceit and tension from the whole series come to a head.
Spooks takes the form of a serial this year, and as usual is pretty topical with regards to world affairs - do you have concerns about dramatising these sensitive issues?
RPJ. No, it's never gratuitous; they are issues that people are interested in; what's going on in the world today. I mean, of course it's fiction, but you do feel like you get an insight into what really could be happening.
Early episode synopses: WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD
Episode one
On the verge of an historic peace deal with Iran, the Grid receives intelligence that Mehan Asnik, a member of Iranian intelligence who MI5 suspect is a terrorist, is preparing to carry out an attack on London.
The team organises an undercover operation to assassinate Asnik in Tehran, hoping to make their bomb look like a terrorist attack. The plan goes tragically wrong when a civilian train pulls alongside the target. Harry calls to abort, but the Home Secretary insists on taking out Asnik and the bomb is detonated.
Despite a sizeable death toll, Asnik survives and contacts Adam with an offer - he wants to defect and is prepared to provide valuable intelligence. Back in the UK with Asnik in their possession, armed mercenaries who kidnap Asnik and Zaf intercept Adam and Zaf.
It soon transpires that Asnik was carrying a vial of a lethal virus that was released when the bomb exploded. Someone known only as 'Copenhagen' had fed MI5 false intelligence so that they would target Asnik and release this virus in Tehran. Now Asnik, Zaf and their kidnappers have been exposed and have just hours to live unless they receive a vaccine.
Episode two
With Britain on the brink of a plague, the team must track down and quarantine anyone infected - starting with the hospital where Asnik was treated.
Knowing that a country with a bio-weapons programme must originally have created the virus, the team deduce that whoever it was will also have a vaccine. Harry orders the interrogation of key spies from likely nations who may have the vaccine.
But drastic means are required to make the spies talk. They are forcibly anaesthetised and smuggled to a secret bunker run by Connie James, an unflappable former MI5 operative, where they are each exposed to the virus - if one of them knows of a vaccine they will surely say so now.
Yves Cuvier, the French spy, cannot provide the vaccine but instead offers up intelligence on Zaf's whereabouts in exchange for his life.
Edik Kuznetzov, the Russian agent, reveals that Russia has the vaccine and that, unbeknownst to MI5, the British government is already in negotiations for it but won't pay what the Russians want. |
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