M.I. High

M.I. High
Genre	Action Espionage thriller Crime School Spies
Created by	Keith Brumpton
Directed by	Richard Mark Elson Toby Haynes Simon Hook Mat King Zam Salim
Starring	Rachel Petladwala Moustafa Palazli Bel Powley Danny John-Jules Benjamin Kerfoot Charlene Osuagwu Oyiza Momoh Sam Strike Oscar Jacques Natasha Watson Julia Brown Jonny Freeman
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	88 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer	Alison Jackson
Running time	30 minutes approx.
Production company	Kudos
Original release
Network	CBBC
Release	7 January 2007 (2007-01-07) – 30 March 2014 (2014-03-30)

M.I. High was a British action television series produced by Kudos for CBBC and created by Keith Brumpton. The series focused on a team of undercover teenage spies working for a fictional version of the secret intelligence agency MI9 who had to balance their school life with their jobs as secret agents. The line-up of spies was altered between the show's seven series.

The series premiered on 8 January 2007 and originally ended on 21 March 2011 after five series, before being revived for a further two series that were broadcast between 7 January 2013 and 31 March 2014.

Premise

The series follows the adventures of four secondary school pupils who work as undercover spies. The spies are led by MI9 agent Frank London (Jonny Freeman) whose cover job is a school caretaker. All other spies' covers have been blown, and the only spies left undercover are those still being trained, including those still enrolled in school. To reach their base 230 feet below the school, they slide a light switch across which reveals a fingerprint scanner lock. They enter the caretaker's store room and pull a broom which turns the floor into a high-speed lift which changes the spies' clothing and hairstyles. The identity of the overarching villains The Grand Master (Series 1–5) and The Mastermind (Series 6–7) remains a mystery within the show. The team must constantly save the world from domination by a variety of villains, whilst hiding their spy identities from their teachers and peers, and completing their school work.

Cast

Main article: List of M.I. High characters

Main

Series Seven cast from left Keri, Dan, Aneisha & Tom

• Frank London (Saint Hope's / Saint Heart's Caretaker / M.I. High's Supervising Agent, Series 3–7), played by Jonny Freeman. Frank is an MI9 agent working undercover as Saint Heart's School's caretaker. He acts as the father figure to all of his agents, especially Oscar Cole and Zoe. It is revealed at the beginning of Series 6 that Frank used to date MI9's Chief Agent Officer, Stella, and in "The Last Stand", the pair decide they haven't got over each other and share a spontaneous kiss.
• Aneisha Jones (Saint Heart's Student and MI9 Spy, Series 6–7), played by Oyiza Momoh. Aniesha is a field agent with Dan and Zoe. She fights KORPS, and is the master of disguise in the group. Series 7 reveals she is also Mrs. King's niece.
• Dan Morgan (Saint Heart's Student and MI9 Spy, Series 6–7), played by Sam Strike. Daniel Morgan is a very good field agent with Zoe and Aniesha. He and Zoe are attracted to each other, as shown especially in episodes 9 and 13, Series 6, where he risks his life to save her. Melissa Allbright has a crush on him but he doesn't feel the same as he has feelings for Zoe.
• Tom Tupper (Saint Heart's Student and MI9 Spy, Series 6–7) played by Oscar Jacques. Tom is the gadget boy of the group. He usually stays behind at base and guides the others through their missions, eating biscuits. He has a very sarcastic sense of humour. Tom gets jealous at times that he is usually required to stay in the base unlike the others.
• Keri Summers (Saint Heart's Student and MI9 Spy, Series 7), played by Julia Brown. Keri is a clone of The Mastermind originally named J:4:5:K:3:R:1, and is effectively Zoe's 'sister'. She becomes an agent in the first episode of Series 7 and replaces Zoe. It is revealed in this episode that she received special treatment by KORPS that makes her ideal as a host of The Mastermind's consciousness, but KORPS threw her out, believing that it was unsuccessful. She, along with another clone, J:6:3:L:1:B:1 (Libi) received the treatment. Libi was found working for KORPS as a scientist, not knowing about her true purpose. She was later placed with a foster family by MI9.

Supporting

• Stella Knight (Chief Agent Officer, Series 6–7), played by Rebecca Palmer. She was Chief Agent Officer of MI9 from Series 6 until "The League of Mata Hari", when she was found out to be part of a conspiracy in MI9 (the League of Matahari), Mike Stern claimed it was her idea to kill the Security Minister. She later appears in "We Need to Talk About KORTEX" / "The Last Stand", when it is discovered she was framed by Mike Stern and Hamish, and is later reinstated in MI9.
• Hamish Campbell (Ex Head of MI9 Stationery / Head of MI9, KORPS agent, Series 7), played by Finn Den Hertog. When the MI High team are investigating the League of Matahari they find a ten-year-old video of Hamish speaking of his investigation into the League. Before his investigation he was known as one of MI9's best agents. Aneisha even mentions that he managed to outsmart the Russian Embassy using wool from his jumper. After the investigation he was stood down as an agent. The story was that he was permanently affected by a paranoia serum on a mission, tried to get into the League but was turned down and saw conspiracies everywhere (an effect of the serum). This turns out to be false after the MI High team discover the truth about the League. After the League of Matahari was disbanded a new Head of MI9 was needed. After Frank refuses the job, Aneisha puts Hamish forward as he was the only one who stood up to the League from the beginning. He gladly accepts the job and there becomes Chief Agent Officer. In "We Need to Talk About KORTEX" / "The Last Stand" he is revealed to be a KORPS agent and is arrested.
• Kenneth Armstrong Flatley (Saint Hopes/Saint Hearts Headmaster, Series 1–7), played by Chris Stanton. He is the Headmaster of Saint Hope's from Series 1–5 and of Saint Hearts from Series 6–7. He is unaware of the spying activities along with much else that happens in the school. He is the only character to appear in all 7 of the series.
• Hermione King (Saint Hopes/Saint Hearts Deputy Headmistress, Series 3–5, 7), played by Chanelle Owen. She is the Deputy Headmistress of Saint Hopes from Series 3–5 and of Saint Hearts in Series 7. She is unaware of the spying activities in either school. She often undermines Mr. Flatley and he seems to be afraid of her.
• The Mastermind (KORPS Super Villain, Series 6–7), voiced by Brian Cox (Series 6), Gavin Mitchell (Series 7). The Mastermind's consciousness was uploaded into a computer in order to cheat death and various clones were created using his DNA in order to house his consciousness. He only ever appears onscreen as a digital interface in KORPS HQ, or in his neuron containment case. He, his deputy The Crime Minister, and KORPS were thought to have been defeated over ten years ago by MI9, but they survived and rose again in Series 6. The Grand Master was once a KORPS captain, but sold them out to MI9 so that he could run away and assume control of S.K.U.L., an old KORPS division. KORPS attempted to upload his consciousness into one of his clones, Zoe, thinking that she was a successful clone, but failed as she was not a match. He now seeks clones Keri and Libi in order to create two copies of himself, rendering KORPS unbeatable.
• The Crime Minister (KORPS Super Villain, Series 6–7), played by Pollyanna McIntosh. The Mastermind's second-in-command. She is incredibly loyal to The Mastermind and was presumed dead after the end of the first war with KORPS. She is generally seen in command of KORPS due to The Mastermind's condition.

Episodes

Main article: List of M.I. High episodes

Season		Episodes	Original Air Dates
			Series Premiere	Series Finale
	1	10	8 January 2007	5 March 2007
	2	13	7 January 2008	24 March 2008
	3	13	5 January 2009	30 March 2009
	4	13	4 January 2010	15 March 2010
	5	13	10 January 2011	21 March 2011
	6	13	7 January 2013	25 March 2013
	7	13	13 January 2014	31 March 2014

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Category	Outcome	Notes
2008	Royal Television Society	Best Children's Drama	Won
2009	Royal Television Society	Best Children's Drama	Nomination

Merchandise

Books

Books have been released including three novels, a survival handbook and a 2012 annual.

• M. I. High: A New Generation (31 January 2008, 978-0-14-132361-9, Puffin Books)
• M. I. High: Secrets & Spies (31 January 2008, 978-0-14-132362-6, Puffin Books)
• MI High: Spy Survival Handbook (31 January 2008, 978-0-14-132363-3, Puffin Books)
• M.I. High Annual 2012 (1 August 2011, 978-1-4052-5972-9, Egmont Books Ltd)

A further novel, M.I. High: The Midas Machine, was cancelled.

Comic

Release name	Release date	Author	Publisher	Notes	Ref
Totally... M.I. High	27 January 2011(UK)	Caryn Jenner	Titan Magazines	Included free poster, UV Pen and Notepad.

DVD release

The first series of M.I. High was scheduled to be released on DVD in two five-episode installments by the Contender Entertainment Group, under license from the BBC. The first of which was released on 21 January 2008 and the second which would complete the first season was to follow on 31 March 2008 but was cancelled indefinitely with no reason given, and the rest of the show has not seen a DVD release yet. The first DVD includes a documentary about the series (which is made up of various short clips shown during the series on CBBC Extra).

DVD release name	Episodes	Years of series	UK release date (Region 2)	North American release date (Region 1)	Australian release date (Region 4)
M.I High: Series 1 Vol 1	S1 Ep 1–5	2007	21 January 2008	N/A	2 March 2010

External links

• M.I. High at BBC Online
• M.I. High at Kudos Kudos Film and Television
• M.I. High at IMDb