With evidence suggesting that his cosh was the murder weapon and a trumped-up assault claim from Sainsbury things look bleak for Gerry but DAC Strickland is sure of his innocence and lets him go. ...
Jack Halford deals a devastating blow to UCOS - he's quitting. But before the team can question his reasons, an intriguing new case arrives.
Seventeen years earlier Sandra's first case involved the disappearance, never resolved, of music student Lesley Hewitt and now Lesley's sister Emma has been sent a photo of Lesley walking in a park ...
Here's our roundup of the best new series of the year so far, and where to watch them.
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Title: New Tricks (2003–2015)
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After a hostage rescue goes wrong, superintendent Sandra Pullman is put in charge of unsolved crimes. With little resources and no back-up she decides to recruit three ex policeman. However times have changed, unlike her new recruits. Jack Halford is yet to get over the loss of his wife, Brian Lane is over obsessed and over medicated, and Gerry Standing is not quite the ladies man he used to be. They may have the experience but it's not like the old days. Not only are they chasing criminals, but they are having to deal with a new police force which does not always appreciate their old style policing. Written by Brian Hallam
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!