BBC to axe Spooks?

{jcomments on}A tabloid newspaper claims that the BBC is to axe spy drama Spooks after ten years.

The Sun claims that the forthcoming tenth season of Spooks will be its last and that bosses have promises a “high octane thrilling finale” for the highly popular and critically acclaimed series. The MI-5 based drama has run for over 80 episodes since it launched in 2002 and is still hugely popular with audiences. The drama has featured several storylines which, later on, have actually played out for real.

The current cast of Spooks include Peter Firth, Sophia Myles, Max Brown and Nicola Walker while Richard Armitage seemingly bowed out in the season nine finale. Previous cast members of Spooks include Rupert Penry-Jones, Gemma Jones,  Miranda Raison, Hermione Norris, Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes. In 2008 there was a short-lived BBC Three spin-off Spooks: Code 9 which starred Ruta Gedmintas and Georgia Moffett. The spin-off was set in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion at the 2012 Olympics in London but was poorly received by critics.

Kudos, who make Spooks for the BBC, said that wanted the drama to “go out on a high”. Spooks isn’t the only long-running drama series to be brought to an end by the BBC. Waking the Dead ended its run earlier this year after nine seasons though a spin-off, The Body Farm, has been ordered. The Sunday evening drama Lark Rise to Candleford also ended its run to much dismay from the public and the BBC has confirmed the next series of Hustle will be its last.