MI6 versus MI5 - Bond still finding it hard to keep up with the new breed of Spooks

According to the Guardian newspaper, Bond lost out to MI5`s team of undercover agents again last week, when BBC1`s "Spooks" beat 007 in the ratings.

ITV1`s repeat showing of the Sean Connery classic Thunderball attracted more than 5 million viewers despite the fact any viewer older than 20 is likely to have seen it at least a dozen times.

The almost 40-year-old movie attracted almost one in four viewers but ITV1 could not hold off the challenge of BBC1`s Spooks, in which agent Tom Quinn, played by Matthew Macfadyen, went undercover to investigate a threat of mutiny in the army. Spooks held on to 6.5 million viewers and a 28% share of the audience.

But Bond, as you would expect, fought back. After an ITV1 break for the news - Connery thundered back on screen taking out all the opposition until 11.25pm.

The last 55 minutes of Thunderball attracted 4.2 million viewers.

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