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'MI-5' Gets an American Adaptation
by Nick Zaino, posted Aug 12th 2010 7:00PM
'MI-5' -- the series, not the British spy organization -- is coming to America. According to Deadline, ABC has acquired the American adaptation rights to the hit BBC drama 'Spooks,' which has been popular in the U.S. on PBS, BBC America and A&E under the name 'MI-5.' Michael Seitzmann ('Empire State,' 'North Country') will serve as writer and executive producer.The series follows a group of British Security Service officers charged with protecting national security. It has been popular in the U.K., winning multiple BAFTAs, and has also been controversial for its gritty and sometimes all-too-real portrayal of torture and terrorism.
The question is, how do you make this show for an American audience? There is clearly an interest in spy stories, and a bit of a void in a post-'24' world. The original 'MI-5' has performed well enough in the U.S., but the adaptation will be broadcast on network television, where the stakes may be higher, and the numbers will have to be bigger for the show to survive.
Assuming the show isn't completely remade to focus on the C.I.A. (why buy the rights to the show if you're going to do that?), how will ABC present the inner workings of the British security structure to American audiences? No doubt there's an exciting show to be made here, but will it be too esoteric to gain more than a cult audience?
Tell us: How will an American version of 'Spooks' fare?
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