The New Statesman intro

Putting paid once and for all to the image of Rik Mayall as an anarchic, somewhat silly comic actor gained through such series as The Young Ones, Bottom and to a lesser extent its prequel Filthy, Rich and Catflap, The New Statesman stars the late comedian in an almost serious role, though there is a lot of humour in the series. Mayall is Alan Beresford B'Stard, MP, a Conservative politician and representative of the constituency of Haltemprice. B'Stard, however, is no more interested in serving the people who elected him than he is in animal rights or the poor. He is a dyed-in-the-wool Tory, a caricature of all that is worst in politics, particularly on the right-wing side, and he spends his time scheming to make even more money, despite being immensely rich already. As he points out to his hapless sidekick on the event of the latter having lost him a big investment opportunity and cost him millions: "No, I don't need it (the money), Piers! But I WANT it! Because I'm very very greedy!"

This statement encompasses B'Stard to a "t". He is certainly not above blackmailing his rivals - or even those in his own party - if he can get away with it, and he's always ready to cash in on any scheme that comes his way. He knows actually little about the law, but gets by on his dashing good looks and his sweeping contempt for just about everyone. He is generally loathed by his colleagues, right up to the Prime Minister, though fawned over and treated with affection and respect by his junior, Piers Fletcher-Dervish, despite the fact that B'Stard gives the young man a terrible time.

His Machiavellian schemes are a joy to watch unfold - and often, come crashing down in flames, but even when you know he's being totally self-serving and using everyone around him to achieve his ends, you can't help but feel a sneaking admiration for the man. Mayall plays the role perfectly, and it's a far cry from Rick in The Young Ones or Ritchie in Bottom. This is serious stuff! Seriously funny, that is.

The series was created by Lawrence Marks and Maurice Gran at Mayall's request, and ran for four seasons, with two special episodes. Being a British series each season only had six episodes, and I'll be reviewing each in depth as we go along.  The New Statesman won the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the UK equivalent of the Emmys) in 1991 for Best Comedy Series and was a massive hit, probably originally off the back of Rik Mayall's comedy series prior but also surely due to the popularity of another, more gentle satire on British politics, Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes Prime Minister, the latter now resurrected for the twenty-first century. People have always wanted to see politicians slagged off, made fun of, exposed for the duplicitous, backstabbing, double-dealing reprobates they mostly are, and between them Mayall, Gran and Marks pull no punches in this biting satire.

CAST

The Rt. Hon. Alan Beresford B'Stard, MP, played by Rik Mayall. Most definitely Right, in the very political sense, and not a shred of honour about him! Having only attained his seat by the good graces of his father-in-law, who is chairman of the local Tory party, B'Stard milks the role for all it's worth. He hardly ever visits his constituency, except when it's derby week, and is less interested in the welfare of those poorer than him than he is in left-wing policies. He is however ambitious and wishes to rise through the ranks, by whatever means, fair or foul, he can employ. He's the knife in the dark, the whisper in the ear, the pusher down the stairs, and no-one can trust him.

Piers Fletcher-Dervish, played by Michael Troughton. Well-meaning, naive and impressionable, Piers is the perfect foil to Alan, and the ultimate patsy. When B'Stard wants something done he usually forces, cajoles, tricks or otherwise inveigles Piers into doing it. At heart Piers believes in his country, his party and the innate goodness of all people. Over time, his association with B'Stard changes that.

Sarah B'Stard, played by Marsha Fitzalan (hmmm...) is B'Stard's trophy wife. The two don't love one another, in fact they hate each other. Alan sees her as a credit-card-using shopaholic who taunts what he sees as his sexual prowess by sleeping with everyone --- and everything --- she can. He only stays with her because her father is the chairman of the local Tory party, as mentioned, and if he were to divorce Sir Roland's precious daughter he is likely to be thrown out of the party, and out of his lucrative and important position.

Sir Greville McDonald, played by Terence Alexander. A cabinet minister almost as corrupt as B'Stard himself, though more circumspect in his dirty dealings than the younger MP, Sir Greville and B'Stard cross swords many times, sometimes as adversaries, occasionally as allies.

Sir Stephen Baxter, played by John Nettleton. One of the old guard, Sir Stephen is an elderly MP who remembers how things used to be, and continually frowns at B'Stard's plans and shenanigans. He doesn't feature too heavily in the series, more as a sort of counterweight of morality and decency to B'Stard's rampant corruption and villainy.

Norman/Norma Boorman, played by Rowena Cooper. Although only featuring in the first season, Norman is Alan's accountant, and begins a transition towards a sex-change so that halfway through the season he has become she, Norman is now Norma, and even with a new gender she is still a pawn in B'Stard's political games.

Bob Crippen, played by Nick Stringer. B'Stard's nemesis on the opposition back benches, Bob Crippen is an honest, straight-talking Labour man, who hates B'Stard and all he stands for. They have many confrontations, most of which the Tory MP triumphs in.

Love/Hate introduction and Season One, Episode One

Ireland has always been on the fringes when it comes to TV drama. Sure, we do rural stuff fine, and our soaps are as good (or bad) as the ones 'cross the water, and we can make reality shows just as terrible as those on "the Mainland", but we lag seriously behind when you start talking about true, gritty, cutting-edge drama. We just don't do it well. We've had the odd success, but they've almost exclusively been insular accolades, and due to the nature of RTE (Radio Telifis Eireann, pronounced rah-dee-oh tel-ee-feesh air-un, the Irish national TV channel) it's almost universally unavailable outside of Ireland, so the chances of anyone seeing anything good we do are minimal to say the least.

Love/Hate has managed to break that chain, mostly I guess due to the proliferation of DVD. Now, people can buy the series and watch it even if they're not in Ireland and don't get RTE as part of their package. In fact, Love/Hate is so good that I am a little surprised that none of the UK channels like Dave or Channel Four made a bid to show it. Written by Irish playwright Stuart Carolan, it's based on the lives of a team of ne'er-do-wells, criminals who run with an Irish gang and who are all, in one way or another, on the opposite side of the law. Its gritty and realistic portrayal of Irish gangland culture has won it many adherents, and the initial first season has now turned into five, with a sixth in the works at time of writing.

The series follows a basic plotline, filling in around the edges various activities and crimes engaged in by the gang, as they take on rival gangs, local law enforcement and even each other. You could compare it to Sons of Anarchy more than The Sopranos, though it's nowhere near as glossy or well-written as either of those, I have to admit. Also, in both those shows there's a sense of family, of belonging, of "us against them". In Love/Hate it's not so much love or mutual respect that keeps the gang together but what Ambassador G'Kar (see my Babylon 5 write-ups) called "enlightened self-interest". Each knows too much about the others to be allowed to fall out with the gang, and any attempt at disloyalty or "grassing" is met with brutal retribution. Everyone knows their place, and is wise enough not to step out of line. If I had to compare the show to anything, it would be the often less-than-well-known but excellent Italian crime dramas like Corleone, Romanzo Criminale or the one currently on telly as I write, and in its second season, the showstopping Gomorrah.

But underneath it all there's a sense that most of these guys are not engaging in crime because they enjoy it. For some, it's their only means of support. For others, it's all they've ever known. There are the psychos and "headbangers" in the gang, and outside it, who get a thrill out of shooting guns and scaring people, but in general it's almost seen more as a job they go into than something they take pleasure in, or look forward to. Supplementing your income, as they say.

Like all good crime-based drama though, the emphasis is on the relationships between the gang members. A show wouldn't be much good if you didn't feel for the characters, understand them to a degree and perhaps even sympathise with them on occasion. Love/Hate does this very well, while at the same time never condoning what the guys get up to. In the end, it's just the way things are. It may not be right, but what else can they do?

CAST

In season one and two the gang is run by John "Boy" Power, played by Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen, but the main protagonist is Darren, played by Robert Sheehan, whom you may know from Misfits, but I don't.

Darren Treacy, played by Robert Sheehan: At the beginning of the series, Darren returns to Dublin from Spain, where he has been hiding out since running from arms charges some years ago. It's dangerous for him to return but he has come back to see his brother, Robbie, who is being released from prison that day. Robbie though is shot, and part of the "arc" of the first series sees Darren trying to find out who killed his brother and to bring them to the gang's own vicious and permanent brand of justice.

Nidge Delaney, played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. Nidge is second-in-command to John Boy, and a tough little nut. He lives with his wife and son and does everything he can to protect them. He is often the butt of his boss's jokes, but bides his time, knowing his chance will eventually come.

John Boy Power, played by Aiden Gillen. The cold psycho of the gang, its brains and its leader. No-one dares go up against John Boy. He's a criminal boss, feared and respected, though there are rumours that he's a little soft in the head, as he seems to think he can see ghosts...

Tommy Daly, played by Killian Scott. One of John Boy's footsoldiers, desperately hoping to get up the ladder of power. Tommy is supposed to collect Darren's brother from jail when he's let out in the pilot episode, but is sleeping with Mary, who is both Darren and Robbie's sister, and doesn't make the rendezvous. He also has a somewhat unhealthy attraction to a local junkie, Debbie.

Hughie Power, played by Brian Gleeson (son of Irish actor Brendan). Hughie is John Boy's brother and a total whack job. If John Boy is the cold psycho, Hughie is the psycho psycho. He's the kind of guy who will shoot you in the face "just for a laugh". Even the gang members think he's off his head. One dangerous man.

Trish Delaney, played by Aoibhinn McGinty. Nidge's wife. She's a hard-as-nails, heart-of-gold Dublin slapper who is fiercely loyal to Nidge but in her heart just wants a normal, quiet life for her and her son. She doesn't say no to all the expensive gifts her husband gets her though. She is however tired of the constant knocks on the door at all hours, Nidge being taken away by the Gardai to "assist in their enquiries".

Rosie Moynihan, played by Ruth Negga. Darren's love interest though she's with someone else. They knew each other before Darren went away to Spain, now they're unsure if they should try to rekindle the relationship. And then there's Stumpy!

Stumpy (Stephen Doyle), played by Peter Campion. A real hard case, he's with Ruth now and knocks her about. Darren is just looking for a chance to kill him, but John Boy needs him and forbids it.

These then are the main characters in the series, at least for season one. Some will die, move on, not be needed for seasons two and three, but the main core cast will remain. Love/Hate has many twists and surprises, not a little humour and as a Dublin guy makes me wonder just how safe those streets I avoid at night really are?

An interesting thing about the series is that the first season ran to a mere four episodes, whereas subsequent seasons were expanded to six episodes each. That I think demonstrates how popular it became. To be fair, six episodes per season didn't seem like nearly enough, though Carolan covered all the plot points and basically tied up all the loose ends in each - apart from those which weren't supposed to be resolved, carrying through into future seasons. At the time of writing it has finished its fifth season and a sixth is promised, though "not this year". 

Season one, episode one

We open on a normal house in a suburb of Dublin, the camera pans up to the window as we hear a voice with an American accent explain how to disassemble a Glock automatic pistol. We then see Nidge (though we don't see his face) avidly watching a YouTube video as he takes his Glock apart. Meanwhile Darren Treacy arrives in Dublin Airport, just off the flight from Spain and tries not to look nervous as he passes through Customs. At the same time a key scrapes in a lock and we see his brother, Robbie, being released. He gives the guard the finger as he steps out into the afternoon sunlight, looks around, waits a moment then begins walking. Darren is shown still getting out of the airport.

Cut to two people in bed. We will quickly learn that the man is Tommy, Darren's friend and a member of Nidge's gang, and the woman he is in bed with is Mary, Darren's sister. Darren, having been away - and Robbie, having also been away, though in a different sense - knows nothing of the relationship. What will emerge as being important to both Darren and Robbie is that Tommy is supposed to have been collecting the latter from prison as he's released, but instead he's in bed with the ex-con's sister. We next see Nidge, frustrated at not being able to follow the instructions onscreen, hide his Glock as his girlfriend Trish bangs on the door.

Darren calls Robbie and tells him he's waiting for Tommy to collect him, and Darren says he's on the way to meet him (wondering where the hell Tommy is). Tommy realises that he's forgotten about Robbie and gets a call from Darren, says he's on the way. Meanwhile, Robbie goes to a nearby shop to get credit for his mobile phone but as he comes out of the shop he's shot by a masked gunman. Darren arrives to find his brother dead, no sign of Tommy. When he does turn up he can't say why he was late, as Darren doesn't know, and might not approve, that he was screwing his sister. Darren blames him for Robbie's killing, and Tommy can't deny it. If he had been there when he was supposed to be...

The next morning Darren is arrested. He knew this would happen; he had skipped the country on arms charges, but gets off on a technicality. When he asks the gang's lawyer how he should organise paying him, he's told it's been sorted. However this now trashes his plans for leaving in two days and returning to Spain, as he had originally intended to. Until the paperwork is complete and the charges dropped totally, he can't leave the country.

Enter John Boy, criminal boss and don to the Dublin gangland, and his psycho brother, Hughie. On the way to Robbie's house they're stopped by the Guards but there's nothing to charge them with. Also at the house we meet Stumpy and Rosie. Darren used to date Rosie and had intended to hook back up with her on arriving back in Dublin, and is upset to see she is with someone else now. Following old Irish tradition the family are having a wake for Robbie at the house, and this is where all the family, and the gang members, gather. Rumours abound as to who killed Robbie, and a name is mentioned - Jimmy Byrne, who apparently Robbie attacked while inside, and who has skipped town.

At the graveside, Mary tries to confess to Darren about Tommy, but it's unclear if he gets the intimation. Of course, they're both heartbroken so the actual impact of what she's trying to tell him may not be too clear. Back in the pub, a scuffle breaks out between Hughie and Stumpy when the latter takes exception to his off-colour jokes and innuendos about Darren catching up with Rosie. It's clear the two don't like each other and Stumpy storms off. Meanwhile in one of the cars Darren and Rosie discuss the past, and why he left when he did. It's equally clear the attraction between them is still strong. On the way out though Stumpy comes across the two in the car and you can see he's not happy about her hooking up with her old flame again. He makes it clear Rosie is pregnant, which is news to Darren. The tension in the air as she and Stumpy talk shows that they are far from in love.

John Boy tells Darren about the rumour concerning Jimmy Byrne, but also floats the possibility that Tommy could have been involved. Without knowing the details, it does look a little suspicious that he failed to pick Robbie up from jail, and can offer no real excuse. Tommy is therefore worried when Nidge and Darren invite him to take a trip with them, and go to a forest, where Nidge produces his Glock. However, it turns out they're just looking to test it out, and Tommy is not a suspect, as he thought. However Darren tells him that he knows about Mary, but as long as he doesn't hurt his sister, he doesn't care that he's with her. The trip was though set up deliberately to give Tommy the idea that his number was up. A message has been sent, and received.

Quotes

Trish: "What are ye doin' in here with the door locked?"

Nidge: "I was updatin' me Bebo page!"

Mary: "Darren said it was a mandatory ten years he could get for it!"

Trish: "For what? Possession?"

Mary: "For having a gun in the house."

Nidge: "Mary, it was a 9mm semi automatic, not a bleedin' rocket launcher he had! Jesus! He'll get ... five. Tops!"

Trish: "Shut up you! You're makin' it worse!"

Trish, as she and Nidge are on the way to the house after the funeral: "How long do we have to go to this thing for?"

Nidge: "We're staying."

Trish: "It's gonna be depressin', is all."

Nidge: "Well what do you expect? It's not the X Factor, is it?"

Darren: "Which is worse, Tommy? Being late for Robbie, or ridin' my sister?"

Tommy: "Bein' late for Robbie."

Darren: "Yeah. So if I'm not gonna shoot you for that, how do you reckon I'm gonna shoot you for being with Mary?"

Questions?

At this point, the obvious one: who shot Robbie, and why?

We're not told how long Darren has been away, so is it possible that the baby is his and not Stumpy's?

Family

As in most if not all crime shows, relationships play a huge and important role in "Love/Hate", and none moreso than the family, but sometimes it's hard for those on the outside (or even the inside) to separate the "loving family man" from the cold-blooded killer. In this section I'll be looking at how those who aren't in the gang, or those who are on the periphery, relate to the ones they love, how they reconcile the nefarious deeds they know or suspect their other half perpetrate with the man they know and love.

In this opening episode the most striking and immediate example of this "divided loyalty" is Trish, girlfriend to Nidge. She knows, or has an idea, what sort of things her man gets up to, but is prepared most of the time to turn a blind eye. As long as the safety of her son is not in question. Because make no mistake about it, if it comes down to a straight choice - Warren or Nidge - she'll take the safety of her son every time. Even in the opening exchanges we see Nidge is something of a harassed man, which gets him ribbing from his colleagues, even in his absence. Darren talks to Robbie and asks if Nidge is coming out with them that night, and Robbie grins "If he can get Trish to let go of his nutsack!" They know Nidge loves Trish, and that sort of love has real power, even over a gangster.

Trish refers to the night out, moaning and saying that it's been nice and quiet this past year, leading us to the conclusion that none of the gang (Darren's been away, Robbie in jail) have been up to anything special recently. Or if they have, she doesn't know about it. That's all of course due to change very soon. She also frowns, as would any woman, on her boyfriend's penchant for hookers, something that comes with the territory. She does not, however, forbid him from such pursuits, but warns him if he "starts that shit again" she'll throw him out. It is clear though that she knows when she's gone too far. Nidge loves her but he can only be pushed so far.

Mirror, Mirror

Although at times the characters here are viewed in a generally favourable light, seen as just ordinary guys, Stuart Carolan, creator of the show, is careful to show us that they are far from ordinary, not at all like you and me. The "guy next door" front is just a facade and beneath this lurks an evil, scheming, heartless and coldly brutal monster. In this section I'll be digging below the surface, tearing aside the masks and forcing these characters to peer deeply into the mirror, to see the terrible reflection they cast.

Nidge, who is shown to be a family man, fond of a drink and a support to Darren when Robbie is killed, shows his other side, his true side, when we see him collecting a debt that's owed. It's twenty-two thousand Euro, a lot of money in anyone's language, but the wife has only been able to muster twenty thousand. She hopes Nidge will take it, but he sneers that she owes two grand more. Where will she get it, she pleads despairingly: the credit union would only give her a maximum of twenty. Nidge shrugs: she'll have to borrow it from someone. It's not his problem how or where she gets the money, just that the debt is paid. As he drives off with the twenty grand, the woman asks him in a faltering voice will he be okay, obviously referring to her husband, or son, whoever owes the debt. Nidge grins nastily: "I don't know. Will he?"

This callous disregard for the financial position of a vulnerable woman shows Nidge up for what he is, a cheap, nasty thug who is happy to allow people to get into debt but has no qualms about putting the screws on them when they can't pay up. It's not like going to the bank: when you owe the gangs, you had better be able to pay or you're going to end up losing something. Maybe a limb, maybe an eye, maybe your life. It's particularly harrowing when the criminal, after having this scary confrontation with the woman, calmly drives back to his loving family and continues his "second" life, as if nothing had happened. The ability of these people to rationalise and compartmentalise their gangland life is nothing short of chilling.

Honour among thieves?

Here I'll be looking at the widely-held belief, which is a myth, that criminals in gangs look after each other. They don't. Scumbags look after number one, and that's it. There's a wolf pack mentality in that they stick together both to look and be more intimidating to their enemies and because each has dirt they can dish on the other, but generally it's a mutual reliance that provides the glue that holds gangs together. It's also this refusal to stand by one another that will, eventually, lead to the downfall of many of the gang members here.

Stumpy: Although not an actual gang member, Stumpy runs with them and is known to them, but there is no love lost, as is evident when Nidge refuses to let him into the house, slamming the door in his face. Darren too has reason to dislike the man, as he now has the woman he wants to get back together with. Like everyone else, Stumpy will be tolerated for his earning power and his muscle, and for fear of what he knows that can damage the gang, until he either becomes no longer useful or a liability, at which point all bets are off and the pack will show its true colours, turning on him and tearing him to pieces.

Spooks intro and Season One, Episode One

Just after 24 aired and began "ground-breakingly" bumping off major characters a small UK series was getting its premiere and taking serious flak from the security services for its "laughable" and "unrealistic" portrayal of MI5. This was the new series from Kudos supremo Jane Featherstone, although credit for its creation is given to David Wolstencroft, its main writer, and it dealt with the hazards faced by a team of MI5 (British Secret Service) agents as they raced to foil plans, stop bombs going off and thwart (or in some cases, engineer) regime changes, all before breakfast.

While the world portrayed in Spooks may be far removed from the reality of working for the most secret organisation in the UK - or may not; they're just that secret you would not know, and if you did, they'd probably have to kill you! - the dangers they face, the situations they find themselves in and the dramas they go through each week are all too believable. Certainly, there are too many young, sexy, hip people in the organisation, but then, who wants to see a bunch of old spies run around? You have to have a certain suspension of disbelief to enjoy the show, as indeed was necessary with anything from the aforementioned 24 to the new (or old) Hawaii Five-0, but that's TV drama for you. It rarely accurately reflects reality: when it does, it's called a documentary.

But one of the things that stood Spooks apart from the vast slew of other drama programmes on TV at the time was their willingness to kill of major characters. With an almost gleeful sense of abandon, nobody was safe. 24 may have sprung the odd surprise during its run by allowing some major leads to die, but I don't believe any show before or since has knocked off its main characters so regularly, so much so that it almost became expected. Every few seasons there would be almost an entirely new cast, and while you would think that would grate on viewers, getting used to a whole new bunch of faces, somehow it worked, and we took to the new guys easily, almost but not quite forgetting the older hands.

Even the top man wasn't safe, so much so that when at the end of season seven Harry Pearce, the boss, is kidnapped and a video shown in season eight of his death, you're just not sure. Most series would lead you to think, "Oh, he's the star! They couldn't kill him off! He'll be all right." But with Spooks, you just never knew, and that added an extra element of tension and unease into the programme. When you know the star can't possibly be shot, stabbed, run over, pushed off a bridge or anything else that might lead to his or her death, you get a little inured to the sequences where it looks like he or she has been killed. You know they're going to survive. But not with Spooks.

Anyone was fair game, and you didn't even have to be a big star either. When one of the "back room boys", whom we'd all come to like, meet his end in one of the earlier seasons it's so much a shock it's almost a hammerblow. Even with Spooks' reputation at this point, you think no, there's no way they'd let him die! The guys will come to rescue him. But they don't, and Spooks scores another hit in the disbelief scale. We come to see that anyone - anyone - can be bumped off if the story calls for it, and as a result we really worry when one of the guys or girls is in a tight spot and look like they might not make it out, which in most cases they do but there's always the possibility that this time they won't. To add suspense, some of the seasons end on cliffhangers that hinge on the question of whether someone lives or dies, and you have to wait till next year to find out.

Although the stories seem fanciful, they had an unsettling way of coming true. Without implying that terrorists were watching the show for ideas, there were a lot of parallels in how the stories went and how history turned out soon afterwards. Coincidence of course, but chilling nonetheless. And without the great staple of the spy thriller, the Russians, to take the role of the bad guy in their stories, Spooks found a whole rock-underside full of demagogues, despots, terrorists, oligarchs and corrupt officials, arms dealers, state heads and more to take the part. There is, sadly, no shortage of evil people in the world.

And so to the cast. As I mentioned, this is fluid to say the least, so each season (or episode) I'll mention any changes. When the series begins we have, working from left to right:

Zoe Reynolds, played by Keeley Hawes. Keeley would of course later find fame in Ashes to Ashes, another Kudos production and spinoff from Life on Mars, both of which we will be featuring here later. Maybe. Zoe is the youngest recruit to MI5, and desperate to prove herself both as an agent and as something other than the "token girl".

Tom Quinn, played by Matthew McFayden. Tom is the senior agent, the man in charge of the day-to-day operations and the man who takes command "in the field". He comes across as a little cold, as perhaps life in MI5 has made him, having seen so much death and horror.

Tessa Philips, played by Jenny Agutter (yes, the show attracted some major stars, both of TV and film). She is the senior case officer for Section K, the division the Spooks work for.

Sir Harry Pearce, played by Peter Firth. Head of counter-terrorism and the overall boss here. Pearce is the only one who would last through all ten seasons (sorry if I gave anything away there!)

Danny Hunter, played by David Oyelowo. Another junior officer, who joins about the same time as Zoe Reynolds. The two find themselves supporting one another emotionally as Tom has little time or patience to ease anyone into a life as a spy.

Helen Flynn, played by Lisa Faulkner. Helen is a junior administration officer, but her role will only last up to the second episode, resulting in a shock scene that flooded the BBC switchboard with complaints when it was first aired, and was the first time Spooks sent a broadside across television viewers' bows, showing they were not going to be just another show.

There are other characters, some who go in and out of the series in various roles, some who become integral to it as support characters, but we will introduce and talk about them as they arrive. For now, the is the main cast that took to the air with the first ever episode of a show that was to pretty much take British (and later American) TV by storm.

1.1 "Thou shalt not kill"

The Grid is the official name for the operations centre in Thames House, the headquarters of MI5, the British Secret Service. It is here that Sir Harry Pearce directs and observes his highly-trained team of spies, or "spooks", as they go from day to day foiling terrorist plots, stopping bombs going off and generally practicing what is colloquially known in Britain as "defence of the realm". We see from the start that this is not a job for everyone. As a spook, you can let no-one in, be close to no-one, have no relationship with anyone. The other half of your relationship must know you as a completely different person --- different name, different job, different history. Every agent of MI5 is in a highly sensitive position and were their true identities to be known, not only would they and their loved ones be at risk, but the organisation woudl be compromised, and thus the nation's security.

So agents live double lives, like the superheroes in comics but without the tights or the superpowers. We see this first in the case of Tom, who is living with a woman and her daughter, who both know him as Matthew (rather interesting choice of name, as Tom is played by Matthew McFayden!) and think he works as an IT support specialist.

A bomb explodes outside a house in Liverpool, and word soon comes to MI5 that it's one of twenty (twenty!) that have been smuggled from Ireland to the UK, destination and use unknown. A major terrorist offensive looks to be underway. Tom visits the hospital where one of the victims, a Doctor Helen Lynott has died, while her daughter Sarah lies in critical condition. He speaks to Mike Lynott, also a doctor, and learns that the two ran a family planning clinic. This begins to look like the work of an anti-abortionist movement. Doctor Lynott confirms that he and his wife had been receiving hate mail for a few weeks, but he had hidden the letters, not wanting to upset her.

While Harry and his team try to work out who would have the connections and the financial resources to pull off smuggling twenty bombs into the country, the scene switches and we see a kindly old motherly figure baking cakes in her country house. In a twist that would become a hallmark of the series, it turns out she is the mastermind behind the bombs, and she talks to the others in her group, who have already pulled off the first killing and plan more. Some of them - the other woman in the group, in particular - seem more than a little reluctant, but the woman, who is American and whose name is Mary Kane, convinces her with smiles and soundbites, and the plan will continue. What's really scary about this scene is that there are kids playing in Mary Kane's house, and she dotes on them; she doesn't seem like a monster at all. But then, as someone once said, it's easy to spot the devil when he's wearing horns and a tail...

Meanwhile Mary Kane's name has come up as the agents watch a broadcast of US news declaring that she has been convicted in absentia for bombing a family planning clinic in Florida, and that her husband is to die in the electric chair for shooting a doctor. That's to happen in a few days, and the agents have worked out that she's planning to use the occasion to mark her husband's passing by detonating one or more of the bombs. In the meantime it's come to light that their original intelligence was somewhat faulty: there are only (!) four pipebombs, the rest is in Semtex. This is not good.

MI5 send a team to the cottage to which Mary Kane has been tracked, to bug the place and listen in on her plans. But the CIA find out about their operation and, given that Kane is wanted in the US, demand that the Brits turn her over to them for extradition. Tom is not pleased, telling Harry that she is their only link to finding out where the rest of the explosives are, and where they are intended to be used. They decide to step up their operation; they can't refuse the order, which comes from the Home Office (have to keep our American cousins happy!) but they can continue their efforts while the paperwork is drawn up and authorised. Maybe they can get the task finished before they have to hand the woman over.

Posing as a woman who is pro-life, Zoe meets Rachel, the younger woman who was at Mary Kane's cottage, the one who seemed not so sure that what they were doing was right, seemed not totally committed to the cause. She uses a ruse to get her to take to the hospital where Sarah, the critically injured daughter of Dr. Lynott is, and she and Tom try to show her what going along with Kane's campaign of terror really looks like. "It's shocking, isn't it?" Tom asks her. "Close up." She leaves, her crying son in tow, and panics, calling her husband on the phone and giving MI5 (who have of course installed a listening device in it) a name, Sullivan. Checking on any doctors named Sullivan they come up with only one practicing one and send a team over to protect her.

Harry delays the extradition papers all he can, but the CIA are getting impatient and send one of their operatives, Christine Dale, to see Tom to warn him not to stand in their way. Saturday is the "big day" for Paul Kane, and as she says, it will be a bonus for America if his wife is there right beside him when he fries. This "request" is then given added impact when the Foreign Office send a representative to advise that if the US are not allowed have their way they will block a substantial and lucrative licencing order needed by a big UK pharmaceutical company. As ever, money talks. Meanwhile the sad news comes through that Sarah Lynott has passed away.

Desperate to catch Kane despite the Foreign Office directive, and the fact that the extradition papers have now been reluctantly signed by Harry (he's done all he can to delay but has run out of options) Tom decides to have Zoe pose as Dr. Sullivan, who has been moved to a safe location, in order to try to draw the terrorist out. It's Zoe's first major operation and she's understandably nervous, though she tries not to show it. They know Kane has Sullivan's daily schedule and so they keep to it, hoping she'll track Zoe. As Zoe enters the foodmarket, Kane's car pulls out in front of her and they have contact! They follow her into the car park, noting and worried that she possesses a holdall and a mobile. It's pretty obvious what's in the bag and so they're unable to accost her in case she sets the thing off. They wait until she leaves the bag in the shopping centre and exits, then as she tries to activate the bomb they jam the phone's signal, and pick her up.

Tom interrogates her, trying to find out where the rest of the bombs are. She won't crack until he tells her that he has a tape of her making love to Steven, another of the group, and that if she doesn't cooperate he'll make sure this act of infidelity is the last thing her husband hears before he dies. He also promises that if she plays ball he will make sure she's extradited not to Florida, but to some state without the death penalty. Seeing she has no choice and at the end fearful of dying despite her bravado and her willingness to kill, she folds and they are able to pick up the rest of the bombers.

They're driving her to her plane when they stop, get out of the car leaving her in it and two CIA people, one of which is Christine Dale, get in. Christine drops a brochure in her lap which shows the state of Florida, and asks her without humour if she is ready for Disneyworld? Kane knows she has been lied to and betrayed, but is powerless to do anything about it. She will die just like her husband, although the fact that she has been discovered to be pregnant may have some bearing on this sentence.

Spooks is not really the sort of show that provides great quotes, but some of the things said in the episodes are certainly noteworthy. These I'll be dividing and featuring in different relevant sections.

Before I get into that though, for those who wonder if MI5 are all about counter-terrorism, the following quote from the opening scene may set you straight:

"MI5’s major focus right now is counter-terrorism, but our brief also includes serious crime, illegal

arms and immigration, and the drugs trade."

The "Need to know"

Working as they do for the Secret Service, it is frequently necessary for the agents to prevent panic or even rumour by disseminating a false story to cover something much worse, were the truth to be known. When these happen in the episodes I'll feature them here, under this heading.

The story released to the press about the first bomb, the one that killed Doctor Karen Lynott and injured (and eventually took the life of) her daughter, is this, as order by Tom:

"Army bomb disposal teams have confirmed this was a previously unexploded World War II bomb. Repeat, this was not a terrorist incident. Make sure that’s the only message getting out. I want it across the board. WW-2."

Harry's World

As head of MI5 Sir Harry Pearce has seen more than most, and has a certain worldview that is often honest and refreshing, blunt and to the point, and occasionally shocking. I'll be recording any examples of Harry's wisdom here.

Zoe talks about pro-life groups "So far they’ve just never been a threat."

Harry replies, with typical deadpan mode: "Something we’ve learned in the last twelve months. Nothing ever is. Until it is."

Harry is wistful for the old days, when you knew who the bad guy was: "I signed up here because I knew who the enemy was and I wanted to fight them. These days they don’t even have a flag. I preferred it when the bad guys had a flag. Gave them something to put on the coffin."

The mind of a terrorist

A little catch-all, yes, as not every criminal MI5 deal with will be necessarily classifed as terrorists (though many will), but when they do, it's interesting to note the skewed mentality, morality and worldview these people espouse:

Mary Kane: "I was terrified. At the beginning. But then I met my husband. And Paul sat me down and asked me to imagine something. Imagine a man with a gun. You’d be scared. So would I. But what if you saw him walk into a playground and point that gun at a child, how scared would you be then? And if you saw him pull the trigger, shoot one child, then another? Would you still be scared? Or would you stop thinking about yourself and just try with every fibre of your being to stop him before he killed the whole school? Of course you would. I know your fear, Rachel. But always remember who we’re fighting for. And who we’re trying to stop."

Big Brother is watching!

It's amazing how at times almost every person onscreen in Spooks can turn out to be an agent, keeping tabs on a target. Here are a few examples from this episode:

ALPHA is a Pakistani man in a suit.

BRAVO is a builder in a top that says “Lets Get Plastered”.

CHARLIE is a middle-aged woman with a shopping bag.

As she gets closer and closer to Mary...a variety of customers, workers, pensioners, daytrippers--all sound off quietly... everyone in this place is a spook.

Rivalries

The biggest rivalry in Spooks is between the people of MI5 (or "Five") and MI6 ("Six"), but the representatives of the government often get short shrift too, seen as interfering, bureaucratic, self-serving toadies and puppets of the Americans. Which they are. An example, when Toby McInnes from the Foreign Office comes on to "The Grid":

Helen: "Creature of the night, two o’clock.

Danny: "Foreign Office. Get out the garlic."

The F.O man is even depicted as repugnant, an almost headmaster bearing, as he looks down his nose at the spooks and hardly even deigns to talk to anyone but Harry. He also pointedly runs his finger along surfaces, examining the dust on his finger, like a sergeant major at inspection time. He makes no secret of the fact that he considers these people beneath him and expects them to obey him without question. He tells them "They’re ("they" being the Americans) the big boy in the playground and right now if they asked to roger us over a barrel we’d thank them kindly and make them tea afterwards." He also refers to the Home Secretary as "His Imperial Highness", obviously seeing himself as one of the (more important) courtiers.

Frasier Intro and Season One, Episode One

I was never the biggest fan of Cheers, but when it eventually ended and the word went out that there was to be a spinoff series, like most people I expected it to be about Sam and/or Diane, maybe Norm. Hell, even Cliff could pull that off! But when I heard it was to be the quiet, occasional character of psychiatrist and sometime husband of Diane, Frasier Crane, who was to get his own series, well, I scoffed. I did. I scoffed and then I scoffed some more. Nothing quite as ludicrous perhaps as Family Guy's Cleveland getting his own show decades later, but it was to me a strange decision.

Shows what I know! After thirty-seven Emmy Awards during its eleven year run, Frasier has become one of the "50 greatest TV shows ever" as listed by TV Guide, and is on record as being the most successful spin-off comedy ever in the history of television. Already a minor star, the show made a household name and superstar out of its title actor, Kelsey Grammer, and his supporting cast in the show, most notably his father, played by John Mahoney and his brother, played by David Hyde Pierce. Frasier would later semi-reprise his role on The Simpsons as evil criminal mastermind Sideshow Bob, with his fellow actor appearing in one episode as ... his brother.

Many people don't "get" Frasier, and while I can understand this from one point of view, it makes no sense from another. Certainly a more highbrow comedy show, Frasier eschews (you can tell it's highbrow when I'm using words like "eschews", can't you?), in general, the pratfalls, bad language, sex and zany situations that characterise many other comedies, though at times it does descend into basic French farce. Frasier was always more concerned with the relationship between its characters --- that of Frasier with his father, Niles, his brother with their live-in nurse Daphne, and, er, Martin's relationship with Eddie, his dog. It was in many ways a gentle comedy: nothing too abrasive or acerbic about it, but not on the lines of British shows like Last of the Summer Wine or Open All Hours. Really, in terms of "gentle comedy", it didn't really have any peers other than its parent show, as usually American comedy seems to be more concerned with a more direct, in-your-face kind of thing, though maybe the likes of Roseanne? But I digress. 

Frasier tackled a lot of society's problems: he was, after all, a psychiatrist and also a radio show host, and many of these ended up hitting close to home for the characters, as they realised that their own problems mirrored those of the ones they were trying to give advice to.

A lynchpin of the earlier seasons is Niles's pursuit of Daphne, a courtship that began awkwardly and continued for seasons, until he finally managed to marry her. But unlike many shows where where the will-they-won't-they is resolved things go downhill, Frasier the show never really lost that spark and right up to the end there was a chemistry between the characters. Truth to tell, and not unpredictably, Niles was to find that marriage to his "goddess", once the only thing occupying his waking, or sleeping, mind, was in reality not always as heavenly as he would have expected it to be.

So, then, the characters, which really didn't change much if at all from season to season:

Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer.

A psychiatrist coming off the back of a bad marriage, Frasier leaves Boston (where Cheers was set) and comes to Seattle, where he decides that instead of setting up private practice he will do what he can to help people by hosting a radio talk show in which the callers can phone in and he will give them advice and try to help them. Of course, it doesn't always work out how he had intended.

Martin Crane, played by John Mahoney.

When Frasier moves to Seattle his father is living alone, having been shot in the leg and had to retire from the police force, but his other son Niles is concerned that he cannot look after himself, so after some to-ing and fro-ing Martin comes to live with Frasier. The first season is replete with their attempts to make the best of a bad thing and try to live with each other in as much harmony as possible, which in the early stages is, well, not much.

Niles Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce

Niles is Frasier's younger brother, and fastidious to a fault, almost neurotic in fact. He will automatically brush a chair before he sits in it, if it's in a public place, has very strict guidelines about what he can eat (he's allergic to much) and a habit of falling for domineering women, most of whom end up trying to ruin him. His life gets even more complicated the day he comes over to see the woman his brother has hired to look after their father, live-in British nurse Daphne, and falls immediately in love with her.

Daphne Moon, played by Jane Leeves

Originally from Manchester, Daphne brings the "zany humour of the British" --- huh? Shows how much the writers knew about the Brits! --- to the show, when she is hired to look after Martin, and almost instantly becomes the love interest and romantic goal of Frasier's brother, Niles. Daphne of course, as you might expect with two men in the apartment --- neither of which get totally on with the other --- becomes a sort of mother figure, knocking heads together when they need to be knocked, and consoling and sympathising when that is what is required.

Roz Doyle, played by Peri Gilpin.

Almost diametrically opposed in temperament to Daphne, Roz is an outgoing, carefree manhunter who is employed by the station as Frasier's producer on his show, but the two soon become fast friends. However, the worlds they live in are so far apart that the one becomes a great foil for the other, Roz usually serving to show Frasier how pompous he appears to outsiders. She forms a loose alliance with Martin, as Frasier's father is nothing like him and he takes to her immediately. While Frasier drinks only the finest sherries, Martin prefers a beer, and when his two sons order fancy coffees like lattes and cappuccinos with silly names in their favourite coffee house, Martin is fond of reminding people "I'm a regular Joe and I like my Joe regular!"

There are other characters who are introduced later, some of whom remain through seasons, some of whom don't. As with my other writeups I will introduce these as they come into the storylines.

Although Frasier is, or can be seen as, a highbrow comedy for the intelligentsia, it is not above poking fun at such elitist ideals. Frasier's innate pomposity and arrogance are more often than not punctured by a wry remark from Daphne or a sharp look from Roz, or indeed something Martin remarks when he remembers what they were like as children. Even Eddie, the dog who initially starts off as, and mostly remains, the bane of Frasier's life and a constant stain on his expensive carpets and furnishings, can bring the snobby shrink down to earth.

Whenever in the company of anyone of "quality" or learning, Frasier will always make sure to shoehorn in a reference to his education at Harvard, and despite being very well off indeed, he will not baulk at haggling over the price of things, often to a quite ridiculous level. He could talk about himself for hours, and often his perceived superiority will land him in trouble with, you guessed it, hilarious results.

Frasier ran for eleven years and eleven seasons, from 1993 to 2004, and when the final episode was screened Kelsey Grammer reached the momentous milestone of becoming the longest-running character on primetime TV, and was also at one point the highest paid actor on American television. Not bad for a bit-part actor in a comedy show!

1.1 "The good son"

Having left behind his life in Boston, along with a failed marriage and a son he hardly gets to see, Frasier Crane moves to Seattle to try to start afresh. Unwilling to replicate his old pattern though, he resists setting up in private practice in the new city and instead opts to be the "phone-in" psychiatrist on a radio station. The series opens with his relating the circumstances which led to his move. He then meets his brother Niles for coffee. Niles, if this is possible, makes Frasier seem almost bearable. He's superior and condescending, and yet we will grow to love him as the series progresses. He's also quite fastidious, almost to the point of being neurotic about cleanliness. Here we see him dusting down a chair with his handkerchief before he will deign to sit in it.

Niles has come to meet Frasier to tell him about their father, a retired cop who he worries should not be living on his own. He has had another fall, and Niles has made arrangements for him to be moved into a convalescent home. Frasier of course will not hear of it and so is manipulated into allowing him to move into his new apartment. There's a great scene just before the father arrives where Frasier is playing his piano. He hears the doorbell, stops playing, closes the lid of the piano, trudges to the door like a boy dragging his feet, takes one last, despairing look back at his apartment, knowing it will never be the same for him again, and opens the door.

Things don't exactly go swimmingly. Though Frasier pretends he wants his father there Martin knows he is not welcome, and is embarrassed that it has been decided that he cannot be trusted to be left alone. He brightens up however when his favourite chair, which he has had brought over from his apartment, arrives. Frasier is aghast: the thing is a nasty, split-pea green monstrosity that clashes with everything he owns. Martin however counters this argument by reminding his son that he has just this moment been talking about the "eclectic" nature of his own furnishings, none of which match each other, so he can't complain about Martin's favourite recliner.

But worse is to come. As Niles makes a hasty exit he throws out a bombshell, asking his father if he has mentioned Eddie yet? Frasier almost collapses. Not Eddie! Dear god no, not Eddie! Please! Turns out Eddie is Martin's little Jack Russell, this being the final straw for Frasier, who meets Niles a week later and tells him it is not working out. They're going to have to go with Plan B, and organise a place for their father in that nursing home Niles was talking about. They're still not happy about it though, and Niles suggests hiring a homecare worker.

Again, things do not go well. Martin is not happy with any of the applicants, until finally Daphne Moon, an English girl, comes to the apartment and he instantly warms to her, mostly it would seem due to her cheeky disrespect of Frasier and his furniture. She also takes a liking to Eddie, and Martin hires her on the spot. However there is a problem. She seems to have misunderstood the job; she thinks it's a live-in position whereas Frasier points out it's only part-time. Martin says he'd be happy for her to move in but Frasier isn't having it. This leads to a knock-down row as Frasier goes on about how much he's given up and sacrificed in taking his father in, while Martin is annoyed to see that he's being considered a burden, a responsibility. Frasier stalks out, and Martin goes to feed Eddie. The atmosphere is thick with resentment.

Later, Martin unexpectedly phones in, saying he has a problem with his son. In a roundabout way he manages to apologise while also making Frasier realise that he too needs to cut his dad some slack.

QUOTES

Yes, every line in Frasier is quotable, but here I'll try to restrict myself to those that are really funny, or which reveal something about the character of those who speak them, or those they are spoken about.

Frasier: "I miss Frederick like the dickens of course. You know he's quite the little sportsman: plays goalie in the pee-wee soccer team. Chip off the old block."

Niles: "You hated sports."

Frasier: "So does he!"

Niles: "We would be willing to help you pay for a homecare worker."

Frasier: "A what?"

Niles: "You know: someone who cooks and cleans, and can help dad with his therapy."

Frasier: "These angels exist?"

The dry wit of Roz

If one person keeps Frasier grounded, then three do, but at work it's Roz Doyle, the straight-talking, no-nonsense producer who sees him as an overbearing, pretentious windbag (turns out she has good instincts) and who misses no opportunity to deflate him with a cutting remark. Here I'll be looking at some of these.

Frasier (in full flight as he gives advice to a caller): "Well I think we lost him."

Roz: "No, we cut to news thirty seconds ago!"

Frasier: "How did I do?"

Roz: "Well let's see. You dropped two commercials, left twenty eight seconds of dead air, scrambled the station's call letters, you spilled yogurt on the control board, and kept referring to Jerry, who had the identity crisis, as Jeff!"

Lupe Valez: To cheer Frasier up, Roz tells him the story of Lupe Valez, a movie star in the thirties who was determined to go out on a high. Her career having hit the slide, she decided to kill herself and leave a beautiful corpse. Unfortunately she failed in her initial attempt, vomited up the pills, slipped and hit her head on the toilet, killing herself and being found the next day with her head down the pan.

THANKS FOR CALLING

From the beginning, Frasier featured many guest stars who would voice callers on his show, Here I'll be pointing these out as they occur.

Claire is voiced by Linda Hamilton, of "Terminator" fame

Russell is voiced by Griffin Dunne