I was really looking forward to Spooks:Code 9 but having lived through the first two episodes, I'm not so sure anymore. It appears to be pitched somewhere between Spooks and Torchwood. It's fast cutting and graphics suggest this at least, so why are we not getting along? Let me list the sins:

The 24 style clock and shooting a man in the foot because he wouldn't talk. Only Jack should do Jack. It's not homage, it's ripped off and smells like it too.

After two eps, I can only remember one characters name and I don't care if any of them dies. That's bad. Combine it with I don't relate to any of them or even care about them is a bad thing. This suggests that either a) I'm too old to get it or b) it's not written very well. On the basis that a) is correct, stop pitching it at my peak viewing time. If b) is correct, bloody fix it because the premise is actually pretty good.

See, I want to like it and I want to like it a lot, but they're not helping. If they cut the bad language, the guns and the shagging references it could be moved to a kids tv slot. That's how much it wants to be all things to all people - and if it wants to do that, it needs either some aliens or monsters, but then I suppose it would be TorchWood. File under pending.

Meantime, can we have Spooks back please.

Official site: www.bbc.co.uk/spookscode9
First two episodes currently available on iplayer.