For a number of years I’ve followed the BBC Television series Spooks. It ran from 2002 until 2011 and gave a fictional impression of the leading MI5 department within the British Secret Services. The lead character was Harry Pearce played by Peter Firth.

It was a high budget and high pressure production which always ended with a nail biting cliffhanger. Some of the stories were very topical in relation to current affairs with modern political, cultural and religious conflicts forming strong story lines. This gave it a distinct feel of authenticity. Arguably it was a much more realistic version of James Bond!

I really enjoyed watching the 10 series which were aired. It was a shame the BBC axed it. I always wondered whether some of the content was in fact a bit too close to reality. As a regular London visitor, you do wonder about some of the underworld intelligence activity which is no doubt happening around you at times.

I crossed Waterloo bridge yesterday with a couple of colleagues and we realised we were walking through a a fairly substantial film set up. When we saw the clapperboard it said “Spooks”! It’s back. But this time it’s a film.

Staring Peter Firth, Kit Harrington, Elyes Gabel and Jennifer Ehle (we saw Peter and Jennifer acting on the bridge), the film is a story about a terrorist escape, followed by the disappearance of ‘Harry’. The race is on to determine what’s happened as an impending attack on London looms.

Film production started in March 2014 and is apparently expected to take less than three months. The film uses a wide range of locations, including a recent busy traffic scene under a flyover in Coventry (which was meant to be the M4).

You can read a bit more about the forthcoming film by clicking here.

I’m looking forward to seeing Spooks make a return and I’m sure the big screen version will be excellent!