New Tricks: Season Ten
Having seen the first nine seasons, I can say that this is one of the best of the current British crime shows, even if it did take its initial inspiration from the “cold case” series “Waking the Dead.” Here we have the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS), headed by Deputy Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman, of “Sexy Beast” fame). In the beginning, three retired London plainclothes “coppers” agree to return to help Pullman solve decadesold crimes: DennisWaterman as Gerry Standing, an amusing ladies’ man, but short-tempered; Alun Armstrong as computer-driven Brian Lane, who lives quietly with his sweet wife, Esther (Susan Jameson, who steals every scene she’s in); and James Bolam as Jack Halford, who seemed trapped in the shadow of his longdead wife and who left during the ninth season, to be replaced by Scottish retiree Steve McAndrew (Denis Lawson). For this latest season, Lane is threatened with losing his position in the first two episodes set on Gibraltar, then spends episodes 3 and 4 solving a new case before leaving the show for good. Replacing Armstrong is Nicholas Lyndhurst as computer geek Dan Griffin. A revelation: Sandra drops out of UCOS in episode eight, to be replaced by Sasha Miller (Tamzin Outhwaite) in the season’s final two episodes. Among the bonuses are background on the Gibraltar shooting, Armstrong discussing why he decided to quit the series and Redman describing her mixed emotions about leaving. The question: Will the series’ long-devoted fandom still be there, after all these changes, for season 11? Therein lies a “warm” case for all to consider. — John Stanley