I first discoverd MI-5 on my local PBS station. It was on Thursday nights. I needed the background and to catch up. I have subsequently bought all 5 volumes and have just ordered vol 6. The ending of Vol 5 was so riveting I searched all over my area, unsuccessfully, to find a place to rent episode 1 of vol 6 so I could know how our MI5 spooks managed a major crisis of critical proportions. I confess, and maybe some other Spooks junkies will confess the same, but when I received the series dvd's I watched 10 hours in a row with minor breaks for essentials, finally quitting at 3AM. This series is absolutely knockout. One reviewer wrote being a bit put off by the variety of villains there are in the world coming from all nations with all beleifs. Is it possible? You decide. All I can say is that if you want to be entertained with great writing with strong character development that puts its characters in absolutely unbelievable situations, accompanied by outstanding acting, go for MI-5. 24 is great, but this series will knock your socks off.