M.I. High

Story

A group of schoolchildren work undercover as spies for the fictional MI9, led by Frank London who is posing as the school caretaker. All the fully trained spies have been rumbled, so MI9 must turn to trainees still in school. The recruits have to balance their school life with their jobs as secret agents, saving the world from domination. In series 1-5 their main enemy is The Grand Master, and for series 6-7 they face The Mastermind.

Why we chose it

A story for every teenager whose ever dreamt of being a spy, finding an underground control room under the school, having cool adventures and maybe even saving the world.

Where it came from

Brumpton had the idea that it would be fun to do a kids spy show, especially because it is so hard for children to keep secrets. MI5 and MI6 wouldn’t allow the production to use their names. MI9 was a covert organisation during WWII which no longer exists. Both the real MI9 and the TV series used a lot of exciting gadgets.

Where it went next

The show ran for 7 series, and the key children changed several times. It won a Royal Television Society award for Best children’s drama in 2008. It has been shown around the world including in the USA, South America, Australia and across Europe. Since the series began, 3 books, a survival handbook, a comic and a 2012 annual have been released.

Associated stories

Children working undercover as spies while still at school appear in a number of books. Lauren Child’s Ruby Redfort is a code breaking genius. The Stormbreaker series by Anthony Horowitz, Young James Bond by Charlie Higson and Robert Muchamore’s Cherub series all feature teenagers plucked from obscurity and trained to be secret agents.