Good Work Rewarded 

A 10-year-old boy is killed on a golf course. Some 20 years later, the team investigate but face obstruction from a snobbish golf club committee, who struggle to keep women out of the bar and to protect the memory of a Falklands war hero.

Director:

Paul Seed

Writers:

Roy Mitchell, Roy Mitchell (creator)

Stars:

Alun Armstrong, James Bolam, Amanda Redman

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Alun Armstrong	...	Brian Lane
James Bolam	...	Jack Halford
Amanda Redman	...	Sandra Pullman
Dennis Waterman	...	Gerry Standing
Chiké Okonkwo	...	P C Clark
Nicholas Day	...	Donald Bevan
Susan Jameson	...	Esther Lane
Cherie Lunghi	...	Diane Loveless
Isla Blair	...	Alice Pimley
Stephen Moore	...	Fred Donaldson
David Savile	...	Ian Gordon
Frank Mills	...	Derek Rodger
Jamie Glover	...	Stewart Pimley
Tim Downie	...	Dave Pimley
Andrew Hilton	...	Alex Spencer

Storyline

Sandra returns early from her Italian holiday to find the office in chaos and a new case waiting to be reopened: the murder of ten-year-old Jimmy Spencer at a golf club twenty years earlier. Teenaged suspect Ken Rodger, arrested for indecent exposure, killed himself in the cells after being charged with the murder, but policewoman Diane Loveless is convinced of Ken's innocence, and saliva found on Jimmy's clothes is not Ken's. For the sake of Ken's dying father and amid unwelcome press intrusion, the team take DNA samples from golf club members, revealing two skeletons in the cupboards of supposedly respectable citizens as well as the identity of Jimmy's real killer.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 2004 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wall to Wall,British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),Wall to Wall Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stewart and Alice Pimley are played by real life mother and son Isla Blair and Jamie Glover. Jamie's father is actor Julian Glover.

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Goofs

In order to get a DNA sample, the detectives take a lock of the dead suspect's hair that his father tells them his mother cut off as a keepsake. Only the root of a hair contains the owner's DNA, so a cut lock would be useless for this purpose as any competent police detective should know.

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Quotes

Det. Inst. John Cassidy: So who's your stalker?
Gerry Standing: Oh, an ex job. Left last year' Diane Loveless.
Det. Inst. John Cassidy: What, old 'fish bum'?

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Soundtracks

It's Alright
Written by Mike Moran
Sung by Dennis Waterman

User Reviews

More than good work and very rewarding

Have always been a big fan of detective/mystery shows from a fairly young age, well since starting secondary school.

'Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Midsomer Murders' (in its prime), 'Law and Order', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Criminal Minds', 'Murder She Wrote', you name them to name a few. 'New Tricks' has also been a favourite from the start (despite not being the same without the original cast in recent years). Although it can be corny at times (in an endearing sort of way) it has always been perfect for helping me relax in the evenings. Something that was needed during all the hard times endured in school.

"Good Work Rewarded" is one of my favourite Season 1 episodes. By this point, 'New Tricks' had fully hit its stride, now fully settled with the familiar mix of humour and serious mystery fully established. For me, while all the episodes from the pilot to this episode are good to great, "Good Work" is the first truly outstanding episode where no real problems could be found and the first episode to have a denouement that wasn't easy to figure out and was actually a shock.

Visually, "Good Work Rewarded" looks lovely, with a brighter look but never garish and always slick and stylish. The music is a good fit and the theme song (sung with gusto by none other by Dennis Waterman himself) is one of the catchiest for any detective/mystery show and of any show in the past fifteen years or so.

Writing is intelligent, thought-provoking and classy, while also being very funny and high up in the entertainment value. Brian's response to Jack's comment about the tattoo was classic 'New Tricks' humour.

Story is compelling, with its fair share of surprising twists and skeletons in the closet conflict, and lively, but never rushed, pacing.

A huge part of 'New Tricks' appeal is the chemistry between the four leads and their performances. The chemistry is so easy going and charming with a little tension.

One of the show's biggest delights is Alun Armstrong, achieves a perfect balance of funny comic timing and touching pathos which was maintained all the way up to his final episode. It is also lovely here to see his role in the team and skills appreciated more all the time. James Bolam's Jack is the quietest, most sensible (mostly) and most composed of the team, with a tragic personal life that Bolam portrays very touchingly without any overwrought-ness.

The only woman on the team, Amanda Redman more than holds her own in what is essentially the boss role of the four. Dennis Waterman, here with much better material that actually serves a point and is fun, has very good comic timing while being serious when needed.

Cherie Lunghi radiates class and is particularly good of the strong support.

Overall, more than good work and very rewarding, outstanding episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox