Cinemax debuts Hunted, Is it the new Spooks though?

Cinamax has released the first teaser trailer for action spy thriller Hunted [previously Morton and Nemesis] starring Australian actress Melissa George (The Slap, In Treatment), in the lead role as Samantha.

Written by X-Files executive producer Frank Spotnitz, produced by Kudos (Spooks, Ashes to Ashes) in association with Cinemax, and filmed on location in Scotland, London and Morocco. The BBC Spooks replacement stars; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje best known for playing Mr Eko in ABC’s drama Lost and BBC’s Mistresses Adam Rayner who will play Adian one of Samantha’s fellow team members and love interest in an elite private intelligence firm.

Additional cast: Stephen Dillane (Game Of Thrones), Morven Christie (The Sinking Of The Laconia), Lex Shrapnel (Captain America: The First Avenger), Uriel Emil (Criminal Justice), Patrick Malahide (Five Days, Billy Elliot), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Bank Job, History Boys) and Oscar Kennedy (Toast).

“Sam is a highly skilled operative for an elite private intelligence firm who survives an attempt on her life that may have been orchestrated by members of her own team. Once she returns to the firm, she performs her secretive duties without knowing who to trust and who wants her dead.”

Hunted is due to air in the Autumn.

Watch the trailer below and read underneath it why I think it will anger some Spooks fans. (*Warning* The article below contains spoilers for series 10 of Spooks, don’t go beyond the trailer if you DON’T want to know)

Copyright: Cinemax

Please be aware there are *Spoilers* in this article for Spooks series 10.

If you wish to just read the news article please refer back to the above article, otherwise read ahead to my ramblings as a self-confessed Spooks fan and why the above trailer, made me quite annoyed…

I’m sure many of you saw the end of series 10, where the much-loved character of Ruth; played wonderfully by Nicola Walker, died in the arms of Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) at the hands of Sasha Gavrik (Tom Weston-Jones) after being stabbed with a piece of glass. You may well be asking what this has to do with the above trailer for the new spy show Hunted?

Many are aware that Hunted is Spooks replacement, and will more than likely air in a similar slot – that in itself is not a problem, you can’t stop things moving on (and why would we want to), but I do have a problem the way they have chosen to market their new show, considering they are very aware of the upset Ruth’s death caused certain groups of fans, it’s beginning to come across as they care little and are toying with us.

When programme makers Kudos/BBC/Cinemax release a trailer for their new show, showing their main female character with a similar wound (although a bullet instead of glass) that killed Ruth and in the same area as the stabbing; to then have Melissa George as Sam uttering the words: “One year ago I was murdered… at least that’s what everyone thinks.”

Is that not Exactly what the fans of Ruth wanted to hear? And what Kudos kept saying wasn’t plausible to do. (It wouldn’t be Spooks blah blah blah!)

I think what we can summarise is that, going by this very short teaser (that I’m well aware I’m reading a lot into to, and may very well regret this post in the morning) Having Ruth survive was VERY plausible – just Kudos had no intention of doing it because they wanted a new show; with a younger cast (and love story), not to mention more financial backing from America.

I do seriously wonder how naive they believe us to be?

I shall leave my musings there for now…

Let me know your thoughts on both, the trailer, Hunted itself and my random musings –  For/against below in the comments.