Old School

Any TV show that can boast two of the Antipodes' greatest actors has to be taken seriously. Both Brian Brown and Sam Neill have had long careers with credits to die for. This cops-and-robbers drama has the same formula as the English series "New Tricks" in that retired persons are involved in solving crimes that currently serving officers have failed to solve. The twist in "Old School" is that one of the duo is a "crim". The plot has many layers, promising to take many turns before a resolution is forthcoming. The supporting cast is strong, with the exception of Hannah Mangan Lawrence whose acting standard could only just be tolerated in "Bed of Roses" but, at 22, is really performing like someone who has been seconded from the local high school play. The writing is particularly strong in the first episode but it remains to be seen if that standard can be maintained, a failing in a number of Australian series in recent years. Judging by the scores given on this site so far, it seems that I am not the only one to regard this series as a winner.