Wednesday, January 30, 2008

MI-5 (aka Spooks)

So I've been watching this British spy show, MI-5 (which apparently was called "Spooks" in Britian, which is a much better name) and it's interesting.

It's really really a lot like 24, with the picture in picture editing (where two sides of a phone conversation are shown on TV at once).

Except it's pretty, pretty British people, instead of pretty, pretty Americans, which makes this way more watchable than 24 somehow.

Oh, and each episode is a story, so I don't have to sign on for a year to see how it ends, that's also a plus.

And guest stars like Anthony Stuart Head, Hugh Laurie and Alexander Siddig (that's Bashir for you DS9 fans). Also a plus. I mean,24 had Lou Diamond Phillips, which is nothing to sneeze at, but he's sure no Alexander Siddig.

So now I have TWO espionage series on my must watch list: MI-5 and Sleeper Cell.

2 comments:

Daniel M. Perez said...

I've been watching MI-5 from when it first showen on Bravo years ago, before 24 (or at least concurrent with the early seasons).

MI-5 ROCKS. Period.

And frankly I think it's better than 24, because it si very much reality-based espionage, not action-theatre espionage.

Welcome to the Spooks.

Chuck said...

24 was a show that I really liked in its first season. About half way through the second season, I stopped watching.

It just seemed like a great idea in year 1, but in year 2, especially with his daughter being in danger AGAIN, it was a little too strained for me.

I also find I have little patience for "long form" television. One thing I really like about MI-5 is that each episode is actually a whole story.

I can just watch it occasionally, without devoting my freaking life to it.

Of course, Sleeper Cell is long form, but Sleeper Cell is absolutely perfect television, so they get a pass.

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