Lee Cutter asks:
'Can you explain the difference between MI5 and MI6?'
Put simply, MI5 looks after threats to security that originate in the British Isles, Ireland and the Channel Islands, while MI6 handles threats from abroad.

Tom Probert and Kate both ask:
'How long does it take for each episode to film?'
The lifespan of an episode is quite a lengthy one. The writers will have been working on storylines for a good few months before it's performed in front of a camera. But in terms of just filming, episodes are filmed in blocks of two (if you read the credits on the website, you'll notice the directors tend to work on two consecutive episodes). Recording blocks last about a month, so on average the filming of an episode takes about two weeks to complete.

Nigel Dibble asks:
'Where did the name "Spooks" originate from?'
The name has been in use for many years, largely because the officers who come into contact with the general public have to hide behind 'legends' - identities created solely to protect them in the field. Once their operation is over, the officer 'disappears', leaving no trace of their real identity, a bit like a ghost.

John Lydon writes:
'I was wondering if the sound track to Spooks is available, and if so, when? I would also like to know when the official Spooks book is out?'
The soundtrack, featuring Jennie Muskett's original music, was released in June 2003. It features music from both series, including a track from series 2, episode 2 called 'Martyr's Shroud'. Meanwhile, the book I've written is available from August 2003.

Mike Dracule has a question about series 2, episode 2:
'Did the young suicide-bomber actually intend to detonate his bomb in a more crowded area originally?'
A few people have asked why the boy ended up detonating the bomb in an empty playground. Young Abu had been told by Mohammed Rachid that his role was to detonate his bomb in the centre of Birmingham, presumably in a crowded shopping area. As he had not been given the exact location before Khaldun interfered, Abu ran away to prevent Khaldun from stopping him detonating the bomb and killing himself. The cause of Abu's confusion was that he had been told that he would gain his place in Paradise if he took an unbeliever with him. As many people have pointed out, there is nothing in the Holy Qur'an to back this up, which proves that Mohammed Rachid was corrupting his teachings for his own ends. When Khaldun tried to convince Abu that he had been mislead, Abu assumed that Khaldun must be an unbeliever and decided to take Khaldun with him to 'Paradise' by detonating the Martyr's shroud.