|
What started as a rather risky and quirky show about retired cops dredging up old unsolved cases that ended up lasting 12 series with phenomenal ratings.
The quality kept up until series 11 when the rapid cast turnover took its toll in the writing and the new characters did not gel quite like James Bolam, Alun Armstrong, Dennis Waterman and Amanda Redman.
New Tricks was a phenomenal show for the BBC which started during the reign of Greg Dyke as Director General of the BBC and under his watch the corporation had a renaissance of successful and populist dramas.
New Tricks rather reminded me of those Euston Film serials that ITV had in the 1970s and 1980s. A series with a healthy mix of drama and comedy such as Minder and featured a lot of location shooting.
Apart from their office, each episode would showcase some part of London, it had a great cast of actors that certainly blended well and the mysteries were enough to keep you entertained. It really was a special show.
It is just a shame the wheels fell off a bit when many of the original cast left in quick succession. The final series was a mild return to form but all good things have to end.
score 9/10
Prismark10 9 October 2015
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3332220/ |
|