Spooks (series 1)
Kudos Film and Television developed "Spooks" after releasing Channel 4 medical drama "Psychos" in 1999, though the company initially faced friction from television networks which saw no potential in a post-Cold War spy show. The producers later successfully pitched the series to the BBC after the networks' commissioning teams were replaced. Four episodes were being written when the September 11 attacks took place, and the some scenes were rewritten to take the event into account to show the audience "Spooks's" goal of fighting terrorism. Throughout production, the producers were advised by former intelligence officers from the Security Service, KGB and Central Intelligence Agency. Filming took place from November 2001 to March 2002.
Spooks (series 3)
The producers learned from an ex-MI5 officer that it is common for intelligence gatherers who spend most of their work listening in to other people to fall in love with civilians through just their voices. This story was the basis of Ruth wanting to go out with John in "Love and Death". Khoury based "Outsiders" on Internet security. He already became intoned with the area, as he once worked with an internet company. Although the story is dramatised, Khoury did research on what was feasible, such as if one man and a laptop could theoretically bring Britain to its knees. Also in the episode, the G&J algorithm is based on an actual computer programme. "Frequently Asked Questions" deals with interrogation and torture. Walters realised that torture is counterproductive as the suspects can say anything the interrogators want to hear, but rationalises that Adam is an expert in that field. To get the interrogation as true as possible, the producers consulted with ex-Army advisors who were trained in questioning terror suspects. As the episode was first broadcast, a prison abuse scandal in Iraq was put on the news. In response to this, Kudos director Stephen Garrett stated ""Spooks" is really well researched and sometimes we look like we're ahead of the game. It's just we know stuff that's happening, and it'll come out in the news a bit later on." In the same episode, the weapons caches came from a true story that the Russians hid weapons in Britain during the Cold War, according to Collins.