The Gift That Keeps On Giving

For the last few days, the major newspapers in the U.S. have been carrying stories about a Russian spy ring that the F.B.I. just busted. Be sure to check out the neighbor’s reasoning for why Mrs. Murphy cannot be a spy. LOL! I’m not sure what I think of all of this, but I couldn’t help but think of Spooks and wonder how stories like this affect the writers, and lo and behold, there was an article on it.

The creator of Spooks on the Russian espionage scandal, its nostalgic spycraft and how fact can be less credible than fiction

David Wolstencroft
Guardian.co.uk Tuesday 29 June 2010 17.54 BST

The Russian spy ring scandal is full of inspiration for David Wolstencroft, the creator of TV’s Spooks, here with Hermione Norris as Ros Myers and Richard Armitage as Lucas North.

I will say this about the KGB: they are the gift that keeps on giving. Particularly, of course, if like me you’re a writer of espionage fiction. Although at this stage of the unspooling lunacy it’s hard to distinguish fact from parody.

Naturally, the Russian foreign intelligence service is now the SVR, not the KGB. As we all know, the cold war finished years ago. And there is absolutely nothing amusing about real people going to real prison.

However, nostalgia is a heady opiate – and where spies are concerned, I for one cannot get enough. This morning, it felt like someone put on Now That’s What I Call Spycraft and cranked up the volume. Or I was watching Smiley’s People, with a laughtrack.

Read the rest here.

He sounds pretty giddy, and although Lucas doesn’t qualify as a guy from suburbia, Harry might. Should be interesting to see what happens.

The perfect cover?

Up next the gift that really does keep on giving.

July 2, 2010
Categories: Spooks . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 5 Comments

Is This News? Spoilers I Guess

I ask because this (links below) was talked about in other interviews a while ago, and yes, Digital Spy does reference one of the sources. If you haven’t read the article DS references, you can start here, and you get to read my gushing as well.

Digital Spy article:

Gut Check entry. Then scroll down for the article.

I guess for the most part Digital Spy highlights what is already out there, but there was that one interview with RA in Robin Hood S3. Wow, that was a great one. More on that when I start my dissection of Guy.

Having been warned, now comes the “spoiler” part. Was anyone in doubt that Hermione Norris would not return to Spooks? Seriously, was that a question? Hasn’t she moved on? That was my impression.

As for finding out who Lucas really is, what about Harry? Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Harry were a mole all along and this were the show’s finale? I think it would be great! Or better yet that Lucas thought Harry was a mole for the Russians, so Lucas became a double agent for the Russians, but really Harry is a double agent working for the British or maybe the Chinese? Or maybe Lucas is really working for the Chinese and the Russians and British just think he works for them. Yep, makes my head spin, and I need my head to spin from time to time or things get so dreadfully dull.

Whatever happens, I find the more questions I have about Lucas, the more it leads me to Harry, and in fact in the interview RA did with UK.TV.com where they asked the fans for questions, I couldn’t help but ask, “Is Lucas’ past relationship with Harry explored further?” Is anyone else dying to know about that? And of course I want to know about their relationship now! Will this next series be the Harry and Lucas show? And no, I’m not necessarily talking about anything sexual. Does it always have to be sexual to be interesting? (I’ve skimmed too many Spooks fanfics that seem obsessed with that). In my opinion (yes, it’s my opinion that’s why I prefaced my sentence with the hackneyed phrase), it’s almost too easy to attribute motivation to merely something sexual. It can just be fobbed off to “oh, yeah, it was sexual” and then no thoughtful explanation required. But I want to see something cerebral dammit! Plus, I admit a great fondness for Harry. It’s been said repeatedly that he’s the heart of the show, and it’s true. I can’t help but love Harry, and yes, Peter Firth as well. But I don’t think of Peter Firth when I’m watching Harry. Peter is the guy who played Alan Strang. But I digress.

Hopefully, we’ll get a few crumbs in September when the article comes out — at least enough to keep us alive until November. It is going to air in November? Or do I have that wrong? I can’t remember because all these interviews are starting to run together. I may actually have to write some of this down. No, if I have to start writing anything down for this blog, I may have to can it. LOL!

In the meantime, below is one of the first shots of Lucas and might be my favorite picture of him. It doesn’t matter how many times I see it, I’m compelled to ask what’s going on in that head, and I still don’t know! Can’t wait for S9.

Coming up soon a commemoration of Guy.

Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com, and I THANK YOU so much because my DVD drive is acting up, and I couldn’t make my own. Arrrgh!

June 28, 2010
Categories: Interviews, Spoilers, Spooks . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 15 Comments