James Bolam
New Tricks.
New Tricks is one of the best TV series currently showing on TV. In fact I think you would have to go back a long time to find anything to equal it.
The series stars James Bowlam (Ex-Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Halford), Dennis Waterman (Ex-Detective Inspector Gerry Standing), Alun Armstrong (Ex-Detective Inspector Brian Lane) and Amanda Redman Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman. It’s the story of Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS. A team of four, assembled to reinvestigate unsolved and closed cases.
The three men are all retired police officers, with Sandra Pullman being the only serving police officer, and the chief.
The boys are happy to be given a chance to do what they do best again, but to begin with Sandra is not happy being part of UCOS. She was a high flyer in Scotland Yard, but her career stalled due to an unfortunate incident involving the shooting of a dog during a hostage rescue. The boys, being boys, never let her forget this and it becomes a running gag throughout the series. So if you haven’t seen the first episode, now you know why they bring up dogs at every opportunity.
In the beginning Sandra is not happy at heading UCOS, she sees it as some kind of punishment for the dog incident. But she soon warms to the gang, even though they haven’t a clue about modern police procedures and are quite willing to bend the rules to get results. She is a sticker for sticking to procedure and operating within the rules.
In some ways I think she sees them as her children. They are three old(ish) men who had been thrown on the scrap heap then given a second chance. If she isn’t there to keep a close eye on them they get into trouble. Even when she is keeping an eye on them they still manage to get into trouble. However, their hearts are in the right place and they are dedicated to catching criminals. Who couldn’t love them?
Although each episode is a complete story in its own right, and you can watch just one and enjoy it. There are also many stories that run throughout the series. Such as Sandra’s search for love and romance. She’s had a string of relationships but usually the man turns out to be married, and to say she is not good at picking men would be a great understatement.
Then there’s Gerry (Waterman), he’s the unit’s Romeo. Married three times and still friendly enough with his ex-wives to seduce them now and again. You soon get the feeling he fancies Sandra, but as the series goes on you can’t help feeling it’s a bit more than fancy.
Jack Halford (Bolam), he was the highest ranking officer of the three men, and takes on the unofficial role of second-in-command. He has most influence over Sandra as long ago he was her boss in the murder squad. He retired from the police after his much loved wife was killed in a hit and run accident.
Brian Lane (Armstrong), he’s the “memory man” of the unit. He has an almost photographic memory and can recall things about crimes criminals and even the officers that investigated the crimes decades later. He is often the one who provides most of the pieces so they can put the puzzle together.
In my opinion New Tricks is by far the best TV series on TV today, and in the top two series of all time.