4 Nov, ‘09

“A rich melodrama full of comedy… The whole thing is captivating.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“The Gewals are undeniably fun to watch… Let’s be honest and call The Family entertainment, and pretty dreary entertainment at that, not a penetrating piece of social observation.”
Tim Teeman, The Times

“The grand tradition of ‘er indoors is taken up with gusto.”
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian

“I haven’t watched Spooks with great diligence recently but I can’t help feeling that around 90 per cent of the team’s energies seem to be spent on rescuing each other from hazards they should never have exposed themselves to in the first place.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“The life of a spy’s child was at stake, but it worked out very cleanly without anyone getting dunked into a vat of bubbling, face-melting boiling fat. How will they ever better that?”
Tim Teeman, The Times

“We might wonder if the top brass at MI5 had a hand in this week’s plot. If you actively want to put people off applying, there’s nothing better than showing what dreadful things can happen to two spooks who fall in love, or a retired spook peacefully living with her family in Cyprus until some burly men in a black Lexus pop round.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“Like the Avengers without the jokes.”
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian

“The format of this show is somewhat drama-free… All right, it was a bit more watchable, but shouldn’t a show called Hotel Rescue actually involve something being saved?”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express