New Tricks

What is it about British crime drama that makes them so good? While Americans produce one run of the mill series after the other that centers on fancy technique and the minds of killers the Brits constantly come up with new concepts and interesting character line ups.

New Tricks is probably the best of the current breed closely followed by my personal favourite, "55 Degrees North". I pity the so called young and hip series which feel the need to give identification figures to every focus group the entertainment industry cares about - "New Tricks" manages to make you care about the characters because they simply feel real and because it uses their genuine faults and quirks to propel exquisite and hilariously entertaining story lines.

The actor all are veterans of crime drama and the fun they are having with this one is palpable. These old dogs having plenty of new tricks up their sleeve to make he viewer eagerly ask for more.

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.

Few series about cops - albeit in this case retired, but re-activated - and criminals are as original, thought-provoking and fun as New Tricks! Even if I love 'A Touch of Frost' this series runs rings around it, and even more so compared to another favorite: 'Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'

Excellent plots (every case has to do with an unsolved serious crime, or murder), excellent actors, very good scripts, professional directing, nice twists, and lovely characters, like Gerry (Dennis Waterman), who's has a host of ex-wives, who occasionally wine-and-dine him, but has contacts everywhere, or Brian (Alun Armstrong), who plays an ex-alcoholic, who has a perfect memory about facts and dates, but less perfect when it comes to his wife (lovely played by Susan Jameson) and her likes and dislikes! The third of the retired officers is Jack (played by James Bolam), who's wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident - he spends most of his off-time talking to his dead wife - even have a kind of mausoleum over her in his back garden. But his high rank before retiring, and his knowledge of people and what makes them tick, makes for an excellent interviewer of suspects, and others. Always very well dressed, always well spoken, but aged by sorrow and longing for the wife that's no longer around.

Their boss, Sandra, is a blond, forceful, young officer, who has no husband, but a messy private life, which sometimes affect the stories. Expertly acted by a, to me, totally unknown actress called Amanda Redman.

Can't be beaten, this row of series, and no two installments are alike!

Doff my hat, it's great!

9.4/10

I'd give it a 10/10 if the picture quality in dark scenes were better!

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

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 ??