Don’t bring Harry

BBC spy drama Spooks will come to an end this autumn on BBC One with a final six-episode tenth series.

Jane Featherstone, chief executive of Kudos Film & Television, the company who created Spooks, calls it “a fitting end to a much-loved show”.

The final series of Spooks will focus on Section D’s Head of Counter-Terrorism Sir Harry Pearce KBE (Peter Firth) and a guilty secret that could destroy his relationship with Senior Intelligence Analyst Ruth Evershed (Nicola Walker). Joining the established cast, Robin Hood’s Lara Pulver plays an ambitious and hungry new spook determined to make her mark! She replaces Beth Bailey, portrayed by Sophia Myles in the last season. Also on board, for its final outing, are (Borg Queen) Alice Krige and the excellent Jonathan Hyde, of Titanic fame, whom I best remember in BBC Two’s period courtroom saga Shadow Of The Noose.

Spooks is responsible for making household names of numerous actors including Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, Shauna Macdonald, who went on to star in the superb British horror flick The Descent, Rupert Penry-Jones and Miranda Raison, recently seen in Sugartown, to mention but five!

“We’ve followed the arc of Harry and Ruth’s personal story,” said Featherstone. “I think the team have brought Spooks to a natural end,” she concluded.

Alone Again, Naturally

In fear of contradicting myself, one of the problems with two-part stories is that after a week has elapsed, and the first half has been seen three times, when the second half arrives one already feels over-familiar with all the characters! Visually, there is often very little new on offer and so there is a feeling of having seen it all before. They used to get around this particular problem in the Eighties’ four-part stories by introducing a new set in episode three! Anyway, this was the feeling I had with “Evolution of the Daleks”. Like “The Satan Pit”, last year, it didn’t quite live up to the promise of episode one. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I think “Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks” is easily the best Dalek story of the three Russell T Davies seasons, to date, and would place it after “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit” as my second favourite David Tennant “Doctor Who” story.

One of the problems I had with “Evolution of the Daleks” was Dalek Hybrid Sec. Whereas Solomon’s Luther King speech of unification seemed determinedly strong, even though I anticipated the Dalek’s one word response and subsequent action, Sec came across as weak when extolling the virtues of his similar argument, fighting a losing battle to convert all three of his minions. Had Sec become the new Davros, the story could have reduced the Daleks, once again, to no more than the henchmen they became post “Genesis of the Daleks”. It was also disappointing that he didn’t have more of a ring-modulated voice in keeping with the mutants from Skaro. But the way his underlings turned against him was beautifully handled. Conspiring down in the sewers of Manhattan, watching each of the two Daleks, one after the other, cautiously swivelling their domes to make sure they were alone, and couldn’t be overheard turning against their master, was a real delight!

Another problem I had with “Evolution of the Daleks” was that the resolution was just a bit too similar to last year’s “The Idiot’s Lantern” with the Doctor climbing a mast to prevent the transmission of a signal that would bring about the end of the world! It was remarkable how he survived the lightening strike, even more remarkable that Martha found the dropped Sonic Screwdriver and even stopped to pick it up in preference to getting to the Doctor as quickly as possible! Here was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the bloody thing although why would they when it’s one of the most sought after of children’s toys! Pleased as punch that Tallulah survived to the end but why kill the black lead half way through just as they did Don Warrington’s wise President last year? Russell has made vocal a positive approach to the casting of black actors so it would be nice to see one actually survive to the end of a story. Frank’s friendship with Martha wasn’t truly resolved either. There were a lot of quick cutaways at the end, making the closing scenes feel rushed, which suggested this story had maybe enough material to warrant a three-parter.

The Daleks themselves are beautifully engineered creations. They look like precision instruments and move accordingly. Witness one entering a lift and effortlessly turning to face forward. It is done with such grace, and indeed like watching a ballet, that one can believe Terry Nation’s story that they were inspired by the gliding movement of Georgian State Dancers. Daleks of the classic series, it has to be admitted, on occasion do look a little battered in comparison, to say the least! It was a shame, though, that the sole survivor of the Cult of Skaro, Dalek Khan, made his escape in exactly the same manner as Dalek Sec in last year’s season finale, “Doomsday”. It might’ve added an extra little twist to the tale if this lone last Dalek had turned out to be the one Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor confronted in the museum in Utah, in “Dalek”, and would also have served to break away from the linearity of Doctor/Dalek confrontations. The meeting would be in Khan’s future but the Doctor’s past! It’s always the case that the last time the Doctor met the Daleks just happens to be the last time the Daleks met the Doctor which is a little unimaginative for a time-travelling hero!!!

A Time for Evolution

Once again, a two-part “Doctor Who” story is proving to be far more satisfying than the single-episode stories. Ignoring the principal cast changes, if you were to run “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances”, then “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit”, and follow those four episodes with the current Dalek epic you’d come away believing that the series is on top form and as good as it always was! The original show undoubtedly had just as much dross, in amongst the good stuff, as does the present reincarnation. It’s perhaps remembered and rewatched selectively. I’m not saying all two-parters, in the modern version, are better than all single-episode tales. On the contrary. Only one out of three of the two-part stories, in each of the first two seasons, are on the right side of successful. But, when a two-parter gets it right it’s more rewarding than when a single episode does. For a start, you’ve the second half to look forward to! They can be less hurried, you can get to know the characters, you can build to that all-important cliff-hanger, and that’s why I’d love to see Russell T Davies adopt the 1985 twenty-second season-structure of five two-parters and a three-parter. The three-episode story wouldn’t necessarily need to be in the middle, as then, but could be placed at the beginning or preferably the end. It would mean there would only be six opening nights, instead of the present ten, and thus a bigger budget afforded each story.

The concluding episode of the present two-parter, entitled “Evolution of the Daleks”, can be seen this Saturday, again beginning at an earlier start time, at 6:45pm on BBC1. For a supposed flagship series, “Doctor Who” is certainly shunted around the schedules! I can remember the days when it was a rare thing for a programme not to start at a regular time. For example, every episode of “Survivors” bar one went out at the same time and there were thirty-eight over three years! This is the third consecutive week the good Doctor has been shifted from his 7pm start time. There is certainly less respect given to the regular viewer these days although I notice “EastEnders” seems to manage a more-consistent billing. Speaking of which, “Totally Doctor Who”, this afternoon, has an earlier start time by an hour. I mention it because you can see the marvellous Miranda Raison, as well as the latest story’s writer Helen Raynor, in this week’s edition at 4pm on BBC1 and I wouldn’t want you to miss it! If you do miss it, there’s another opportunity to see it over on BBC2 on Saturday morning at the usual start time of 10:30am!! I presume there will be more disruption to come from the short-trouser brigade, with the “FA Cup Final” still to play, as well as from that bastion of high culture “The Eurovision Song Contest”!!! C’est la vie.

Manhattan Transfer

I had a mental wish list of what I wanted to see from “Daleks in Manhattan” and I’m pleased to say the “Doctor Who” team successfully accomplished everything for which I’d hoped. Actually, I’m more than pleased, ecstatic would be closer the mark! Firstly, I didn’t want the appearance of the Daleks held back to the episode’s end. Despite tradition, I didn’t see the point in doing that considering the title. They took a hold of the story just ten minutes in, appearing from an art deco lift of the period, flanked, Ogron-like, by a couple of Pig Men! Sounds bonkers but it worked. Each of the three seasons of new “Doctor Who” has included a two-part Dalek story and, previously, I felt the first episode, in both cases, was a wasted opportunity. “Bad Wolf”, in the first season, squandered its running time on game show nonsense while “Army of Ghosts”, a year later, tried to convince me that said ghosts weren’t Cybermen! And, I guessed the Daleks were waiting to be released from the sphere at the episode’s end. Both these examples felt like forty-five minutes of padding leading to a moment of revelation from which the story could start. Not so on this occasion.

Then there was Miranda Raison. I fell in love with Jo Portman, her character in “Spooks”, from the very first and didn’t want to see her prematurely exterminated in new “Doctor Who”, like so many quality actors before her. Again, I’m happy to report that Tallulah, Miranda’s character in “Daleks in Manhattan”, has survived to fight another day in next week’s concluding episode, “Evolution of the Daleks”. She’s currently languishing underground, lost in the sewers of the city, after a wonderfully touching moment when she is reunited with her boyfriend, Laszlo, who has suffered at the protuberances of the Daleks. If I hadn’t known it was Ms Raison, from the cast list, I don’t think I would’ve recognised her! She looked and sounded so completely different from her tough no-nonsense character of the MI5 series. Having sung her praises for the past couple of years, her performance lived up to expectation showing an altogether different persona to the one to which we’ve become accustomed. I love the scene where, knowing the danger, she has the guts and plucks up the courage to join the Doctor in his search, allowing me to imagine her as companion for one brief moment! Even if she meets a fate worse than death, before story’s end, she’ll have played her part.

And, finally an episode in which Rose isn’t mentioned. She’s been name-checked in every episode since her departure and it was beginning to wear thin. There was no silliness worth speaking of in “Daleks in Manhattan”. Even the obligatory gay reference made me laugh and wasn’t as in-your-face as usual. The Doctor told Martha she could kiss him later and Frank too if he wanted! There was a big grin on actor Andrew Garfield’s face at the suggestion! None of the cast let the side down. Hugh Quarshie was marvellous as Solomon especially at the moment of breaking bread. A terrific message for the audience, adults as well as children, to share especially in times of adversity. I knew Black Dalek Sec would end the episode inhabiting the body of Mr. Diagoras as the tie the hybrid’s wearing on the cover of the “Radio Times” gives the game away! It wasn’t just the visual aspect of the monster the magazine revealed but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story. The sequence was handled masterfully. It’s the best Dalek story since the show returned, helmed by the same director as last season’s best story, “The Impossible Planet”. James Strong lives up to his surname!

My Name is Tallulah

Guest-starring in this Saturday’s episode of “Doctor Who”, “Daleks in Manhattan”, starting at the earlier time of 6:35pm, is “Spooks” actress Miranda Raison as showgirl Tallulah. At school, I was always taught to read around a subject. Don’t just read the set book, for example, but try a couple of others by the same author to see if he/she always wrote in the same style using similar themes, that kind of thing! Find out who influenced the writer in question and what other interests occupied their daily lives, together with the historical context in which the work was written.

So, being ever-informative (!), I thought I’d post this clip of a young Jodie Foster from the 1976 film “Bugsy Malone”, the first of five musicals directed by Alan Parker. Tallulah’s name, and character, in the upcoming Dalek two-parter were inspired by Jodie’s performance as her namesake in Parker’s film, in which all the parts are played by children. They play gangsters but instead of carrying weapons firing real bullets they use “splurge guns” that cover the victim in cream! The story details the rise of “Bugsy Malone”, played by Scott Baio, and the battle for power between “Fat Sam”, John Cassisi, and “Dandy Dan”, Martin Lev.

How much of the actual plot, of “Bugsy Malone”, carries over into the “Doctor Who” story remains to be seen but if “Daleks in Manhattan” is as much fun to watch as the thirty-year-old movie then we’re all in for a real treat. And, forget Daleks like you’ve never seen them before, prepare yourselves for the shock of hearing MI5 agent Jo Portman with a Brooklyn accent! It gives a whole new meaning to speakeasy!!

When Two Worlds Collide…

This trailer takes us right up to the end of the latest third series of “Doctor Who” including brief clips of Sir Derek Jacobi as the Professor in episode eleven, toasting “Utopia”, and the appearance of “Life on Mars” actor John Simm, as “Mr Saxon”, in the final two episodes. John doesn’t say anything but appears to be on a television monitor presumably partaking in a spot of political campaigning! I think that’s what they call it when power-mad peeps try to suppress the rights of the individual!!

Also featured are John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, returning to the show only to find it severely changed, personnel wise! How on Earth is he going to recognise anyone? Will he like Martha as much as he did Rose? Will he wanna kiss Davey-boy as much as he did Chris?!! All pertinent questions! Me, I wonder how Rose feels knowing she will never learn the secret the Face of Boe is waiting to impart in episode three!!

Mark Gatiss looks on fine form in episode six as Dr Lazarus. Interesting that he’s acting in the series this year, having narrated “Confidential” last year, whereas Tony Head, having acted in the show last year, is narrating “Confidential” this year! Simon Pegg managed both in the first year appearing as the Editor in “The Long Game” whilst also narrating “Confidential”!! Enough plugs for the BBC THREE documentary series!!!

Best of all, the 82-second trailer, which is available on loop to Sky and Virgin subscribers but not Freeview users, includes brief footage of delectable “Spooks” actress Miranda Raison as a showgirl in the Dalek episodes, who seem to be whizzing about all over the place exterminating everything in sight. Regular readers of my blog will know I’m rather partial to naughty Miranda! I demand to be transported back to 1930s New York this minute!! I don’t mind fending off the Pig Men to save her!!!

More curiously, the Doctor seems to be with someone in a wedding dress… again! It’s not Donna. Her name’s Joan and she’s played by Jessica Stevenson, who’s just tied the knot for real herself, in the two-part story by Paul Cornell. Could the Time Lord really be considering taking a wife, getting married, a mortgage, settling down and all that?!! He did mention something of the sort in “The Impossible Planet”. Even more curiously, he tells Martha he’s not the Doctor! Who is he then, Tony Blair? Watch and enjoy!!!

Reasons to be Cheerful...

Not one, not two but three actresses all with one thing in common. Yes, they’re all about to appear in “Doctor Who” for the first time but, more particularly, they’re also all about to do battle with the Daleks. At the top is Sheridan Smith who must be so drunk by now, after all those pints, that I don’t think she’ll even be able to see those mutants from Skaro. We won’t either. She’ll join eighth Doctor Paul McGann as his new companion Lucie Miller from New Year’s Eve on BBC Radio 7 in the first of a two-part story, “Blood of the Daleks”. The narrative follows on from the 1996 TV movie rather than the previous Big Finish audios and is written by Steve Lyons. The new episodes are being released on CD one a month, from round about now, and this first story also features “Hellraiser” Ken Cranham, fresh from his appearance in the unsatisfying “Doc Martin” Christmas Special, and Queen guitarist Brian May’s other half, ex-“EastEnder” Anita Dobson.

In the middle is Freema Agyeman, in a screen cap taken from the Season Three teaser at the end of “The Runaway Bride”. She has three episodes to settle in, as tenth Doctor David Tennant’s new companion Martha Jones, before coming face-to-face with the metal meanies. This means only four episodes separate the Daleks next appearance, in another two-part story, from their previous one in “Doomsday”, which fleetingly saw the Black Dalek escape. Their return, however welcome, strikes me as somewhat hasty. It smacks a little of must have the new girl meet the old baddies as soon as feasibly possible! Before then, the time travellers will face the dreaded Sontaran look-alikes the Judoon in opening episode “Smith and Jones”, battle fearsome flying witches in “The Shakespeare Code”, and in a return to New Earth, in the third as yet untitled episode, encounter the Face of Boe for the third and final time, assuming he’s a man of his word!!

Appearing with David and Freema, in the fourth story of the third season of new “Doctor Who”, is “Spooks” actress Miranda Raison, pictured above as Jo Portman in a screen cap taken from episode five of the recently transmitted fifth season (the story which saw the emotional departure of Ruth Evershed). I love the way Miranda’s character was introduced last year, it was like a breath of fresh air, but have been disappointed in how Jo hasn’t really developed in the latest series. She seems to be in the show, almost solely, to provide backup and make up the numbers. I do hope the lack of good writing for her in this year’s “Spooks”, coupled with her up-coming appearance in “Doctor Who”, doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of her in the spy drama. However, Miranda is playing a New York showgirl in her “Who” adventure, set in the 1930s, and I have to admit to being quietly chuffed, as I bet she is, that her appearance in the programme coincides with the inevitable return of the exterminators!

All Spooked Out!

“Spooks” returns next weekend, on BBC ONE, to begin its fifth season with the now traditional opening two-part story. Currently enjoying reruns of last year’s season on BBC THREE, now halfway through, and with the box set of the same season available from last Monday, September is definitely a good time to be a fan of this high octane spy drama. If you’ve never seen it, it’s a grown up version of the much underestimated 90s’ action adventure series “Bugs”. And neither that show nor this one would have existed without seminal 60s’ series “The Avengers”. That’s the lineage sorted!

“Spooks” went through a bit of a dull patch during its third season when it lost its three leading characters, Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfadyen), Zoe Reynolds (Keeley Hawes) and Danny Hunter (David Oyelowo). But the production team seemed to start over with season four, despite opening with Danny’s funeral, in an excellent two-parter, “The Special”, that timely dealt with a terrorist bombing campaign in central London and featured a spunky performance from guest star Martine McCutcheon as Tash. She demonstrated such balls that, at the end of the story, I was disappointed she didn’t become a series regular.

All was not lost though as by the end of episode five of season four, an equally adroit heroine, Jo Portman (Miranda Raison), was invited to join the “Spooks” team by new leading man Adam Carter (Rupert Penry-Jones). I love her introductory story, “The Book”, despite the plot holes and having to suspend disbelief over the number of coincidences, simply because the whole thing is carried off with such panache. Curiosity having got the better of her in following Adam, Jo shows great presence of mind when setting off car alarms to alert our agents to the proximity of assassins about to enter an MI5 safe house and, again, in dumping her mobile phone in the assailants’ getaway car in order that they may be traced. Beauty and intelligence are a winning combination.