So when you hear the term “MI-5” does it make you think of SD-6? Well, if you’re a fan of “Alias”, it probably will and rightly so. “MI-5” is a British series that centers on the exploits of the British Intelligence service which is similar to our CIA. The series premiered in England in 2002 and was popular enough to hit U.S. shores in 2003, but with one big change. In Britain, the show was called “Spooks”, which if you know anything about these types of agencies is terminology that is used to describe a spy. The producers were worried, and rightly so, that American audiences would think the show was about ghosts, and made the name change in the hopes that it might help draw in viewers of shows like the aforementioned “Alias” and “24.” I had heard a little about the show last year, and was planning to catch it when it aired on A&E. Somehow my planning got all screwed up and I ended up missing it every time it came on. Even taping it didn’t save me from life’s little glitches and in the end I never found the opportunity to see it.

Then I heard that BBC Video was releasing the initial six episodes of “MI-5’s” 1st season in a fully-loaded 3-disc DVD set and I knew that was my chance.

What I saw really surprised me. Knowing the series was produced in Britain I expected that it might not be as slick as a lot of the American spy shows, and I was right. It doesn’t have super-quick edits, or the latest hip musical soundtrack to move it along. But what it does have is a style all its own, and plotlines that are every bit as compelling, if not more so, than what is produced over here. The first episode was enough to convince me that I needed to see more.

This first episode dealt with some anti-abortion terrorists who stopped at nothing, not even murder, to prove their point. I’ve never understood the misguided idea of killing to make your point that it is wrong to kill, so for the subject matter alone I found this episode gripping. But where I really got hooked into the style was in the simple, yet elegant cinematography. It started out normal enough, but within the first few minutes there was one of the most impressively filmed car bomb explosions I have ever seen. This is not to say the violence of the act itself was enticing, but the way it was shot. I actually sat stunned for a few seconds after the blast. From there the show just got better and more intense. Even the quiet face to face confrontation between MI-5’s Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfadyen) and the head of the terrorist group Marty Kane (Lisa Eichhorn), screams intensity. Neither one raises their voice, but you can cut the tension with a knife.

Subsequent episodes prove no less intense, and let me tell you, if you’ve ever been shocked by a turn of events in any series, that shock will pale in comparison to what happens over the course of these first few episodes.

Along with Matthew Macfadyen , “MI-5” also stars Peter Firth as the head of the agency’s Section B, as well as Jenny Agutter. Genre fans like myself will always remember Agutter as Nurse Price in “an American Werewolf in London” and Jessica 6 in “Logan’s Run.” Both bring a lot to the series and I’m especially thrilled to see Agutter again. The series also serves up the occasional guest star of note, such as Lisa Echhorn (whom I mentioned earlier), and Anthony Stewart Head (of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame).

The biggest surprise for me, however, came in the form of the enormous amount of extra features included in this set. For a series with only a moderate fan base here in the States, the 3-disc set offers up a ton extras. Almost every actor and member of the creative team is interviewed amongst the myriad of featurettes. There are video profiles of just about all of the main characters, as well as several deleted scenes.

To top it all off, the DVD set has a menu set-up that is most fitting for a show like this. It comes in the form of a video of a ‘spook’ breaking into an office. He gets radio instructions telling him to access the features by using objects on the desk. Everything is done in full motion video. If you want to watch the one of the episodes, you click on the pile of discs. When you do this, the ‘spook’ grabs the disc and inserts it into the computer and allows you to access the episode, or a particular scene. If you want to see extra feature, you click on one of the file folders on the desk. The ‘spook’ picks up the appropriate file, opens it and allows you to pick your feature. It’s a very cool menu setup.

The BBC Worldwide release of “MI-5: Volume 1” is destined to be one of the most highly underrated DVD sets of the year. It’s a terrifically produced set that I hope will find an audience here in the States. Though very different in style, “MI-5” is every bit as good as “Alias.” I’d venture to say it is at least more realistic, and equally as exciting.

Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner, Esther Hall
Extras: Disc 1: Appraisal – Zoe Reynolds, Editing MI-5, Intelligence Report – Helen Flynn, Secret Credits (Episodes 1-2), Profile – Tom Quinn, Creating MI-5 – David Wolstencroft, Directing Episodes 1-2 – Bharat Nalluri, Gallery, DVD-Rom – Scripts, Wallpaper, Weblinks
Disc 2: Profile – Danny Hunter, Profile – Tessa Phillips, Appraisal – Tom Quinn, Intelligence Report – Jools Siviter, The Terror Question, Gallery, Deleted Scenes, Profile - Zoe Reynolds, Appraisal – Harry Pearce, The Cast, MI-5 Terminology, Secret Credits (Episodes 3-4), Henry IV, DVD-Rom – Scripts, Wallpaper, Weblinks
Disc 3: Appraisal – Danny Hunter, Profile – Harry Pearce, Deleted Scenes, Secret Credits (Episodes 5-6), Season 2, The World of Spies, Producers, Appraisal – Tessa Phillips, Gallery, DVD-Rom – Scripts, Wallpaper, Weblinks
Specifications: Widescreen
Studio: BBC
Release Date: 1/13/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
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We'll give MI-5: Volume 1 an A.