I have recently been re-watching episodes of Spooks.
Not so very many years ago you could watch films or TV and actually follow what was going on at the same time as not vomiting because of a shed-load of political correctness being thrown at you.
The plots may have been far-fetched - but it is drama which has a little bit of license to stretch our imaginations.
But what is missing from Spooks as opposed to today's offerings?
1) Plots remain largely credible.
2) Plots have their twists and turns but are not massively convoluted.
3) The characters speak clearly without any hint of mumbling.
4) You still hear voices against backgrounds of traffic noise et al.
5) Loud background music does not make voices unfathomable.
6) The characters look different to each other - facilitating basic recognition.
7) There are not multiple scenes shrouded in darkness where the viewer hasn't a clue what is happening. (Never heard of the moon or street lighting?)
8) Wild and unnecessary changes in timelines.
9) An instantly forgettable minor character from three episodes ago does not suddenly become pivotal.
10) Directors do not attempt to make fools of their viewers.
And so many more besides!
