I believe the sixth episode of the sixth series of new Tricks is the last. I could probably find out if this is so before completing these notes, but I am confident that that not just the present series of six episodes has been rounded to a nice end, but the entire project. The concept was at the outset a great one, the solving of crimes which have lain unsolved in police station around the UK or which come to the attention because of a contemporary event . Instead of creating a new team of bright young things full of courage and passion you bring together three retired individualists from the police force, reflecting the changes in policing attitudes and behaviour since the 1950’s. And more over you bring together three outstanding, familiar and much love TV actors. who have also performed in distributed films and on the theatrical stage. You also commission other well known talented actors to participate in the self contained episodes and you have all the ingredients of something that will stand the test of time. The six series may not be of the ranking of Morse, or Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister but they are close to them and will be shown repeatedly on the different channels for generations to come.
I begin with James Bolam because he is my favourite of the three old codgers who comprise the Unsolved Crimes Team U.C.O.S headed by Angela Redman as a semi independent unit in a constantly battle to tackle historical crimes which interest then versus those senior officialdom wants sorted.
James Bolam has played a major part throughout my TV watching life and is special in addition to his work for being a local lad from Sunderland, born a year before me which makes him 71. While he appeared in such shows as Z Cars and films such as The Loneliness of the Long Distance runner and A Kind of Loving, it was the series the Likely Lads, a Jack the lad with the ultra serious Rodney Bewes 1964-to 1966 and then the follow up series in 1973 and 1974 which brought him to public attention.
For me it was the series When the Boat comes In, produced first in 1976, soon after my arrival in the North East, and which ran for 5 years which suggested that that James would graduate beyond the likeable rogue with a natural sense of humour who could be given scripts full of intelligent wit.
When the boat comes also starred Susan Jameson who was or became Bola’s wife and she too features in New Tricks as the wife of one of the trio, played by Alun Armstrong who has worked with James throughout his career. In When the Boat comes in a third major actor which I will mention now in case the opportunity o do so again does not arise, is the late Edward Wilson.
Edward plays Bill the Brothers of Susan in When the Boat comes In, part of the Seaton Family around which the series is built. Edward was born in South Shields and became the renowned Director of the National Youth Theatre for sixteen years until 2003. Left to take up a similar post in California, persuaded by Michael York who was a graduate of the N.Y.T. Sadly Edward developed and died from cancer at the comparative young age of sixty one. As with Susan he also appeared in an episode or two of the Likely lads.
The role which David Bolam played in When the Boat Comes in remains an important one for depicting with considerable accuracy the rise to power and a middle class of young ambitious young men from the North East and Tyneside before between the two World Wars who also possessed a strong working class social conscious. In the instance of Jack Ford, he survived World War 1 and became a major trade union figure political figure with he Labour movement who then goes into business for himself, goes to the U.S.A and to London. However he retains his knowledge and identification with the underdogs of his roots and dies not at Dunkirk or a Far East prisoner of War camp, but fighting the fascists on behalf of the Left in Spain. The series which is available on both DVD and Tape should be view before Our Friends in the North which covers the dark years of the fifties to seventies, also on DVD and Tape and followed by the Film Get Carter. There is a fourth chapter of the story yet to be written
James then starred with Barbara Flynn in the series I love the most, The Beiderbeck Affair, the Beiderbecke Tapes and the Beiderbecke Connection 1986-1988, off beat comedy adventure mystery series involving two teachers working in Leeds, He also appeared in two major characterizations, as Harold Wilson, in the Plot against the former Prime Minister and the murderer, Harold Shipman
In New tricks he plays Ex Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Halford, a widower whose wife was killed in a hit and run by a local psychopathic gangster played by Patrick Troughton, Rickey Hansen. The gangster confesses this to Jack at the end of the third series. Jack then attempts to murder Hansen but is stopped by his colleagues and then Hansen tries to murder Jack. In the last series the team have sufficient evidence to prosecute Hansen for murder and in the process of the investigation uses his son who in an early series discovered that it was his father who had him sent to prison which the father had committee because he lusted after the son’s girl friend. In this episode it is the son who eventually provides the information which brings his father down when he learns that father had slept with his illegitimate daughter and he therefore with his sister, although both were in ignorance at he time. His father had discovered the truth that the girl was he daughter of a stripper he had known and since the discovery career criminal had been financing the life of the girl abroad. The financially supporting the girl was not from concern or guilt but simple self protection, just as the informant which the third member of the trio, played by Denis waterman had used throughout his career was able to survive because he had information about the relationship safely stored which kept him alive
Dennis Waterman plays Ex detective Gerry Standing, a ladies man with three ex wives and several children with whom he meets from time to time for a meal, drink and a laugh. He is an old school copper who still thinks funny jokes against women and mother in laws or which are racist that as the one told in the last episodes of the man from Pakistan who says to his neighbour I am better off that you because I dont live next door to a Paki. The significance of this plays a major part in bringing the career criminal to justice through an existing member of the force coming up to retirement who is also of old school but straight, who fraternised with the criminals and at a throw back comedian who continue to practice their perverted craft on the Spanish Costa’s to this day.
Born in Clapham, South London, Dennis became a child star but it was into TV series which brought him national Stardom, The Detective series, The Sweeney in which he starred with John Thaw and, Minder in which he starred with George Cole. He also had a major role in the film Up the Junction and in several Plays for Today including two by Dennis Potter. It was during the 1980 that he appeared with Angela Redman with whom is recorded he had an affair which lasted close on two years.
I mention this because as with the character in the series Denis has been married three times for 9,10 and 11 years. He had two daughters by his second wife, one of whom also appeared in an episode of New Tricks, as someone who believes she is daughter but where a par entity tests reveals that she is not, but nevertheless Dennis tells her that she is. His third wife is the actress Rula Lenska. She was also part of a trio, in the famous series the Rock Follies in the mid 1970’s with Dont Cry for Me Argentina Julie Covington and Charlotte Cornwall, the half sister of John Le Carre. The marriage between “ Cockney “playing Dennis Polish Countess Rula was a stormy one of great interest to tabloid Readers. Of particular interest to me is that her father a Major, was in charge of the Polish mission to Gibraltar in World War 2, from where he was responsible for sending Radio Fee Poland. Rula is English born.
In this last episode it is the activities of Dennis which leads to not only to uncovering what happened to two antifascists activists but to the situation where the son is prepared to give evidence that he was in the car which his father drove mowing down the fictional wife of James Bolam.
The third member of the trio is Brian played by Alun Armstrong also an actor born in the North East, A Durham man from Annfield Plain, Stanley from where he attended the Grammar School at Consett. He is younger of the trio born after the war in 1946. He has had the greater dramatic career, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and in a starring role in Les Miserables as well as some forty TV shows. series and Films. He has been nominated for he Laurence Oliver acting award half a dozen times which he won in 1994. He played the character based on the Life of T Dam Smith in Our Friends in the North and Get Carter, and he also appeared with James Bolam in the Likely lads as well as the original production of Get Lost with James Bolam which inspired the Beiderbecke series.
In New Tricks, Alun has played Ex detective Inspector Brian Lane and Obsessive compulsive personality disorder recovering alcoholic, who has instant recall and a mind which digests considerable quantities of detail but is then able to see patterns and connections which others do not. He is forever getting in trouble with extremely poor social skills and his long suffering wife nearly gives up from time to time on managing him. It will be evident that I considerable sympathy with predicament of the character played by Brian
The team si led by Angela Redman from Brighton Sussex, the youngster at 52 and has only come to national attention during the past decade. She is Principal and co founder of the Artists Theatre School and one of her interests is the creation of work opportunities for the older female actor.
The career villain of the series is played by David Troughton, the son of Dr Who Patrick Troughton and I have been watching his son play cricket for Warwickshire over the past three day.
Among the other names who have appeared in the series are Jenny Agutter. Jane Asher, Stephanie Beacham, Honor Blackman, Isla Blair, Claire Bloom, Richard Briars, George Cole, Frances Le Tour, Hugh Fraser. John Fortune, James Fox, Roy Hudd, Cherie Lunghi Patrick Malahide, Bill Moody, Nadia Sawalha, John Sessions, Eric Sykes, Timothy West and June Whitfield, indicating eh influence of Angela Redman me thinks. The theme Tune- Its alright - is sung by Dennis who ahs had some success as a singer. The series is being shown internationally.
I begin with James Bolam because he is my favourite of the three old codgers who comprise the Unsolved Crimes Team U.C.O.S headed by Angela Redman as a semi independent unit in a constantly battle to tackle historical crimes which interest then versus those senior officialdom wants sorted.
James Bolam has played a major part throughout my TV watching life and is special in addition to his work for being a local lad from Sunderland, born a year before me which makes him 71. While he appeared in such shows as Z Cars and films such as The Loneliness of the Long Distance runner and A Kind of Loving, it was the series the Likely Lads, a Jack the lad with the ultra serious Rodney Bewes 1964-to 1966 and then the follow up series in 1973 and 1974 which brought him to public attention.
For me it was the series When the Boat comes In, produced first in 1976, soon after my arrival in the North East, and which ran for 5 years which suggested that that James would graduate beyond the likeable rogue with a natural sense of humour who could be given scripts full of intelligent wit.
When the boat comes also starred Susan Jameson who was or became Bola’s wife and she too features in New Tricks as the wife of one of the trio, played by Alun Armstrong who has worked with James throughout his career. In When the Boat comes in a third major actor which I will mention now in case the opportunity o do so again does not arise, is the late Edward Wilson.
Edward plays Bill the Brothers of Susan in When the Boat comes In, part of the Seaton Family around which the series is built. Edward was born in South Shields and became the renowned Director of the National Youth Theatre for sixteen years until 2003. Left to take up a similar post in California, persuaded by Michael York who was a graduate of the N.Y.T. Sadly Edward developed and died from cancer at the comparative young age of sixty one. As with Susan he also appeared in an episode or two of the Likely lads.
The role which David Bolam played in When the Boat Comes in remains an important one for depicting with considerable accuracy the rise to power and a middle class of young ambitious young men from the North East and Tyneside before between the two World Wars who also possessed a strong working class social conscious. In the instance of Jack Ford, he survived World War 1 and became a major trade union figure political figure with he Labour movement who then goes into business for himself, goes to the U.S.A and to London. However he retains his knowledge and identification with the underdogs of his roots and dies not at Dunkirk or a Far East prisoner of War camp, but fighting the fascists on behalf of the Left in Spain. The series which is available on both DVD and Tape should be view before Our Friends in the North which covers the dark years of the fifties to seventies, also on DVD and Tape and followed by the Film Get Carter. There is a fourth chapter of the story yet to be written
James then starred with Barbara Flynn in the series I love the most, The Beiderbeck Affair, the Beiderbecke Tapes and the Beiderbecke Connection 1986-1988, off beat comedy adventure mystery series involving two teachers working in Leeds, He also appeared in two major characterizations, as Harold Wilson, in the Plot against the former Prime Minister and the murderer, Harold Shipman
In New tricks he plays Ex Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Halford, a widower whose wife was killed in a hit and run by a local psychopathic gangster played by Patrick Troughton, Rickey Hansen. The gangster confesses this to Jack at the end of the third series. Jack then attempts to murder Hansen but is stopped by his colleagues and then Hansen tries to murder Jack. In the last series the team have sufficient evidence to prosecute Hansen for murder and in the process of the investigation uses his son who in an early series discovered that it was his father who had him sent to prison which the father had committee because he lusted after the son’s girl friend. In this episode it is the son who eventually provides the information which brings his father down when he learns that father had slept with his illegitimate daughter and he therefore with his sister, although both were in ignorance at he time. His father had discovered the truth that the girl was he daughter of a stripper he had known and since the discovery career criminal had been financing the life of the girl abroad. The financially supporting the girl was not from concern or guilt but simple self protection, just as the informant which the third member of the trio, played by Denis waterman had used throughout his career was able to survive because he had information about the relationship safely stored which kept him alive
Dennis Waterman plays Ex detective Gerry Standing, a ladies man with three ex wives and several children with whom he meets from time to time for a meal, drink and a laugh. He is an old school copper who still thinks funny jokes against women and mother in laws or which are racist that as the one told in the last episodes of the man from Pakistan who says to his neighbour I am better off that you because I dont live next door to a Paki. The significance of this plays a major part in bringing the career criminal to justice through an existing member of the force coming up to retirement who is also of old school but straight, who fraternised with the criminals and at a throw back comedian who continue to practice their perverted craft on the Spanish Costa’s to this day.
Born in Clapham, South London, Dennis became a child star but it was into TV series which brought him national Stardom, The Detective series, The Sweeney in which he starred with John Thaw and, Minder in which he starred with George Cole. He also had a major role in the film Up the Junction and in several Plays for Today including two by Dennis Potter. It was during the 1980 that he appeared with Angela Redman with whom is recorded he had an affair which lasted close on two years.
I mention this because as with the character in the series Denis has been married three times for 9,10 and 11 years. He had two daughters by his second wife, one of whom also appeared in an episode of New Tricks, as someone who believes she is daughter but where a par entity tests reveals that she is not, but nevertheless Dennis tells her that she is. His third wife is the actress Rula Lenska. She was also part of a trio, in the famous series the Rock Follies in the mid 1970’s with Dont Cry for Me Argentina Julie Covington and Charlotte Cornwall, the half sister of John Le Carre. The marriage between “ Cockney “playing Dennis Polish Countess Rula was a stormy one of great interest to tabloid Readers. Of particular interest to me is that her father a Major, was in charge of the Polish mission to Gibraltar in World War 2, from where he was responsible for sending Radio Fee Poland. Rula is English born.
In this last episode it is the activities of Dennis which leads to not only to uncovering what happened to two antifascists activists but to the situation where the son is prepared to give evidence that he was in the car which his father drove mowing down the fictional wife of James Bolam.
The third member of the trio is Brian played by Alun Armstrong also an actor born in the North East, A Durham man from Annfield Plain, Stanley from where he attended the Grammar School at Consett. He is younger of the trio born after the war in 1946. He has had the greater dramatic career, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and in a starring role in Les Miserables as well as some forty TV shows. series and Films. He has been nominated for he Laurence Oliver acting award half a dozen times which he won in 1994. He played the character based on the Life of T Dam Smith in Our Friends in the North and Get Carter, and he also appeared with James Bolam in the Likely lads as well as the original production of Get Lost with James Bolam which inspired the Beiderbecke series.
In New Tricks, Alun has played Ex detective Inspector Brian Lane and Obsessive compulsive personality disorder recovering alcoholic, who has instant recall and a mind which digests considerable quantities of detail but is then able to see patterns and connections which others do not. He is forever getting in trouble with extremely poor social skills and his long suffering wife nearly gives up from time to time on managing him. It will be evident that I considerable sympathy with predicament of the character played by Brian
The team si led by Angela Redman from Brighton Sussex, the youngster at 52 and has only come to national attention during the past decade. She is Principal and co founder of the Artists Theatre School and one of her interests is the creation of work opportunities for the older female actor.
The career villain of the series is played by David Troughton, the son of Dr Who Patrick Troughton and I have been watching his son play cricket for Warwickshire over the past three day.
Among the other names who have appeared in the series are Jenny Agutter. Jane Asher, Stephanie Beacham, Honor Blackman, Isla Blair, Claire Bloom, Richard Briars, George Cole, Frances Le Tour, Hugh Fraser. John Fortune, James Fox, Roy Hudd, Cherie Lunghi Patrick Malahide, Bill Moody, Nadia Sawalha, John Sessions, Eric Sykes, Timothy West and June Whitfield, indicating eh influence of Angela Redman me thinks. The theme Tune- Its alright - is sung by Dennis who ahs had some success as a singer. The series is being shown internationally.
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