News that BBC One’s Spooks – like stablemate Hustle – is to end with its next series have provoked mixed feelings in me.
As a huge fan of the show I’m obviously disappointed it’s coming to an end but if we’re honest, we can all think of shows which limped on one series too many.
Obviously these are subjective statements but the later years of The West Wing weren’t as good as the early ones and the second series of Life on Mars lacked the magic of the first, a sin continued by spin-off Ashes to Ashes.
Then of course there are those very sub par Judge John Deed specials which provided a very damp squib of a finale for what had been one of the better dramas of recent years.
Even Spooks hasn’t been immune to quality drops somewhere around series three and four there was a marked decline, the episode where Harry and the team are tasked with finding a rock star’s child stands out as an especially poor instalment.
It would have been a tragedy for a show which has had such a positive impact on TV drama ended anywhere other than the top of its game so we should welcome the determination of producers Kudos to end the show on a high.
We’re also lucky that Spooks will join that group of shows which ends with a deliberate, plotted finale.
I’ve always been annoyed by the decisions to axe shows which have ended shows between series.
In recent years Hotel Babylon, The Palace, Harley Street and The Fixer have vanished from our screens with no proper resolution. In the past I’ve called this a betrayal of the audience who have invested in the show and characters.
Of course the cancellation of a show, even one which has fallen from its former glory, doesn’t have to the final word in its history.
When Doctor Who was axed it was a tired, worn out shadow of its former self. Love, care and devotion by a new production team meant the 2005 revival was an instant hit.
Likewise, the final years of Dallas were a long way removed from the golden years of the ‘Who Shot J.R?’ phenomenon.
Yet all around the world fans of the Ewing family are desperate to see TNT’s revival of the show. Our recent reports about it are some of our most read stories of 2011.
Only the most die-hard of fans expected either show to ever return because the brands were so tarnished by lacklustre end years.
By closing down the Grid before the audience gets bored, Kudos have ensured the 2018 revival will be keenly anticipated.
PS: You can re-live the past nine years of Spooks on DVD
