New Tricks

We've watched George Gently, Janet King, The Paradise, A Place to Call Home, and the list goes on. UK/British TV series are great for interesting plot, good casting, beautiful locales and of course superb actors. Our most pleasant surprise is this years-old series "New Tricks." COVID-19 isolation has expanded our viewing beyond the usual PBS/US TV dramas. In signing on to several British outlets we've seen UK shows that have increased our appreciation of the wit/culture that are hallmarks of Brit shows. "New Tricks" is a winner, night after night. There's sufficient salty language and sophisticated sexy innuendo to move the stories quickly forward, no Hallmark syrup here. Plots are unlike any other crime shows we've seen, no spoilers; just watch, you'll see.

The premise of "New Tricks" is based on three retired police officers whose investigative expertise and often cynical approach to crime solving build believable characters. Dialogue is clever, with references that are subtle but still current. Alun Armstrong is brilliant as an alcoholic savant. Amanda Redman is a perfect feminist Guv directing three older men; she's got a complicated past, but builds her team. Dennis Waterman and James Bolam complete the excellent leads. There are frequent cameos by outstanding actors seen more recently from Downton, Grantchester, Doc Martin, and Masterpiece. There's Sheila Hancock, Nicola Walker, Ian McNeice, Claire Bloom, Patrick Malahide and more.

Settle in, you'll watch and watch and miss them when they're gone.

This series just gets better and better. You cant pick who is the better actor, they are all first class. No stereotyping here, all believable, no suspension of reality required.. its just pure entertainment and the fastest hour on the TV. It remains to be seen how far they can extend the series using the same premise. This is quality viewing from the Brits, the way they do it best. Amanda Redman showed us what she was made of in " At Home with the Braithwaites " another show you cant wait to see the next episode ! She has an unconventional beauty that makes her irresistible to watch, at least to THIS viewer. The male part of the cast work so well together, as they should as they are all veterans of the screen.....the show is smooth, seamless, funny and with real non plastic people who do not look all the same unlike in police dramas from the US, which seem to run to a tired formula, tired dialogue.... and is it just me ....but in US dramas when actors leave through a door....why do they inevitably have to turn and say something ??

We are just at the conclusion of 5 episodes, the end of the 2003 series I would imagine and therefore hopefully expecting additional episodes to be made available later in the year. This programme, unique in its storyline, tells of a senior Detective Superintendent,a lovely blonde who commences to address older cases, unsolved, with three senior ex Detectives. All have unusual characteristics such as photographic memory for one, excellent detective skills with another and criminal contacts with the third. The scripts are well written, full of humour but are still a serious crime drama series. As good as Dalziel and Pascoe, Taggart etc., and is recommended for scripting, acting and humour. Good English series

My wife got me watching this as she is into Detective/Crime Drama and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised for several reasons. The use of actors who probably had their heyday twenty years ago was one and the stories are very well written. The show is classed as Drama but there is fun and games in there too.

James Bolam is an actor I have long rated highly and this shows he has not lost his touch. In fact the range of acting skills these people bring to the show make younger actors in the same show look shallow. The team knit well together. They make great use of the fact that they are all retired police officers who can and do ignore rules and protocols to solve supposedly dead cases.

It makes a refreshing change compared to some American shows of the same genre. I strongly recommend it.

I agree that the Brits seem to be able to produce well written shows that can make you laugh out loud one minute and then be tearing up at the sincere drama of the next minute. This is a unique and entertaining crime drama with good humor and great actors. I became a fan of Amanda Redman in spite of first seeing her in a terribly crap TV movie called "Suspicion". She was clearly working hard to make that script interesting and I knew an actress that determined must be good. Now that I'm seeing her in a decent show I am not in the least disappointed. She is great (and getting more beautiful with each year). She's completely believable as the tough policewoman in charge of this motley crew of men, and the guarded, reluctantly vulnerable woman sort of dating a younger man. The entire cast is superb. Alun Armstrong has never disappointed in anything I've ever seen him in and he is hysterical as the cop on multiple meds in this show. It's nice to see real looking people rather than bimbos & himbos. These are talented actors having a good time and creating something extremely entertaining.