I thought Thursday's episode of Spooks was over-hyped by the previews I read in the national press; especially seeing as the acting was even more wooden than usual. I know that with the advent of digital, which allows the powers-that-be to shunt all the intelligent programming onto minority channels, BBC One (or One, as they seem to want us to call it now) has become dumbed-down chav central. So I could just about tolerate the usually smart and sardonic Ruth mouthing politically appropriate, nauseating, Diana-worshipping platitudes.

But mostly, I was appalled - appalled! - by the fact that the entire success of the first half of the episode was completely dependent on the viewer not knowing what the word contingent means.