When a series spans more than a decade, you know there’s something magic and timeless about its formula to keep viewers tuning in. That’s certainly the case with BBC’s charming detective drama New Tricks, which entertained fans for over a decade. With all episodes now available to stream for free, it’s a perfect time to rediscover this better-than-5-stars favourite – that every generation will love.
The series centres on London’s fictional Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS), a team of old-hack detectives brought out of retirement to tackle baffling cold cases. With a stellar cast, eccentric characters and plenty of dry British humour, it’s bound to become your new favourite TV fix.
Intrigued? With the series available to watch now, here’s everything you need to know about New Tricks, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is New Tricks about?
The BBC comedy-drama which ran from 2003 to 2015, begins with Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman) taking charge of a new cold cases department after a hostage rescue goes disastrously wrong. She’s disheartened to discover that the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS) is made up of three former detectives who have long since handed in their badges: Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong), Jack Halford (James Bolam) and Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman).
The trio are dinosaurs when it comes to modern policing methods and technology, but when they re-examine old cases, their unconventional methods reap surprising rewards. Across 12 series, the faces of UCOS gradually change, with Denis Waterman, Amanda Redman (who plays Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman) and Alun Armstrong (Brian Lane) among the longest standing members of the team. Stars such as Denis Lawson, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tamzin Outhwaite and Larry Lamb appear along the way.
The show’s central premise is ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, and each episode delivers a seemingly impossible cold-case to crack, ranging from decades-old, murders, to disappearances and even the digging up of remains…
What to read next
Tamzin Outhwaite joined the saga in series 9 as the no-nonsense DCI Sasha Miller, and she talked to the BBC about working on the show: ‘I like the realism of New Tricks, the idea that all of this is really possible. I have quite an inquisitive nature, so I’d be interested in doing a job like this in real life,’ she said. ‘I’m quite passionate about finding out about things and I’m really direct and nosy. I thought I could do this and it would suit me,’ she added.
Who’s in the cast of New Tricks?
The cast of New Tricks includes:
- Alun Armstrong (Possum) as Brian Lane
- James Bolam (The Likely Lads) as Jack Halford
- Amanda Redman (The Good Karma Hospital, Murder Before Evensong) as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman
- Dennis Waterman (The Sweeney) as Detective Sergeant Gerry Standing
- Anthony Calf (Straightheads) as Robert Strickland
- Denis Lawson (Bleak House) as Steve McAndrew
- Nicholas Lyndhurst (Only Fools and Horses) as Danny Griffin
- Tamzin Outhwaite (Benidorm is Murder) as DCI Sasha Miller
- Larry Lamb (Gavin and Stacey, EastEnders) as Ted Case
Is New Tricks any good?
Yes – if you want a brilliantly sharp, gripping and entertaining police drama you can get lost in for hours, looks no further than New Tricks. There are clear parallels with Netflix’s more recent hit Dept.Q, with both dramas assembling a band of sleuthing misfits to solve forgotten cases. However, New Tricks is a lot cosier, with much of its charm coming from the relationships between the characters, and their personal lives.
Is there a trailer for New Tricks?
Yes – you can watch the trailer for New Tricks below.
How can I watch New Tricks?
All episodes of New Tricks are available to watch now on U and ITVX.
What other detective dramas can I watch now?
For another unmissable detective drama, we’d recommend Jack Taylor
which follows the eponymous detective Jack Taylor self-destructive, heavy-drinking former Garda who becomes a private investigator in Galway – taking on the cases that others daren’t touch. Jack Taylor is available to watch now on ITVX. For another stylish detective drama, try Inspector George Gently, where the eponymous anti-corruption inspector (Martin Shaw) takes the rash and young DS John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby) under his wing as they solve a string of complex crimes in 1960s North East England. Inspector George Gently is available to stream now on Netflix.
