Spooks shines a light on the work of Section D a crack team of spies in MI5s counterterrorism department. And since the very first episode in 2002 its gloriously inventive visual style, classy scripts, stellar talent and deep emotional pull have generally entertained the socks off audiences worldwide. Under MI5s modern remit, officers deal with anything from terrorist plots and immigration rings to arms smuggling and the drugs trade. Their job, indeed their life, involves outwitting the worlds most dangerous criminal minds using their powers of perception and deception. And though the series delights in revealing the tricks of the trade - backstops, safe houses, dead letter sites - its also frequently, scarily prescient when covering potential world events and terrorist atrocities. With a much-imitated sheen, split-screen visuals, absence of credits, tense, jaw-dropping twists and a shockingly devil-may-care attitude to offing key characters, Spooks is clasped to the collective bosom of millions of people all over the world, garnering high praise from the press. The New York Times called it Startlingly, embarrassingly better than equivalent American CIA shows, while BAFTA bestowed their highest honour the Best Drama award - to this clever, compelling, multi-award winning and ever-returning series.