Outcasts, which concludes on Sunday night, was created by former Spooks writer Ben Richards.

Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, who wrote five episodes of Spooks‘ ninth series, told CultBox: “Ben [Richards] is hugely talented (a crucial part of Spooks’ success, of course) and if you’re watching Outcasts, you know it’s getting better all the time. New, ambitious, original shows need support and patience.”

They added: “At the same time, we don’t envy the BBC, who are under unrelenting pressure and scrutiny. They’re in a can’t-win situation – but it’s undeniably a shame.”

Asked whether they think the reaction to Outcasts’ performance will affect future cult/genre commissions, Vincent and Brackley commented: “It will definitely make people even more nervous about commissioning science fiction. And they were pretty nervous in the first place…”

Spooks will return for a tenth series this Autumn.