New Tricks - Series 3 (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Great entertainment and interesting story lines
Disadvantages:	none at all

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Creators: Roy Mitchell and Nigel McCrery
Directors: (several, including…) Graham Theakston, Rob Evans, Juliet May and Roberto Bangura.
Writers: (several, including…) Lisa Holdworth, John Johnson, J. C. Wilsher and Jacquetta May.
Stars: Alun Armstrong, James Bolan, Amanda Redman and Dennis Waterman

The theme tune, 'It's alright' was composed by Mike Moran and sung by Dennis Waterman. (unfortunately…)

This third series in the life of this crime drama, with its touch of comedy, revolves around the members of UCOS… Unsolved Crime and Open Squad…
This series consist of eight entertaining episodes which (were aired on the BBC in April May and June 2006... 3 years after the pilot episode first aired).

* MAIN CHARACTERS…

* Detective superintendent Sandra Pullman, (played by Amanda Redman), is the head of the four person team and the only 'official' serving police officer.
She is hot headed and likes to get her own way, even if it means shouting a lot, and with a love for her job she likes to get a result what ever the cost.

* John Halford…aka 'Jack', (played by James Bolan), is an Ex- Detective Chief Superintendent who retired form the force to look after his wife after she was involved in a hit and run accident. He comes across as a calm mannered person but underneath he does have a bit of a fiery temper.
Pullman does sometimes look upon him as a source of knowledge on some cases.

* Gerald Standing…aka Gerry, (played by Dennis Waterman) is an Ex- Detective Sergeant who seem to be a bit of a lovable rogue with his old style policing and humorous outlook on life. Leaving the force due to punching his superior officer whilst under investigation for corruption.
He is no stranger to women, but with 3 divorces under his belt he is no success with women either… although he does have a few kids which he tries his best to look after.

* Brian Lane, (played by Alun Armstrong) is an Ex detective Inspector and an ex alcoholic with the mind of a genius, being able to remember the smallest of detail from many years back, although suffering form OCD and slight paranoia.
He is married to Esther, (played by Susan Jameson), who is probably the most patient women in the world.
His career in the force ended due to a death in custody for which he was held responsible for… but he stands by the fact that he was set up… but his brilliant mind is not lost in UCOS.

* Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland (played by Anthony Calf) who is Sandra's superior and the real boss of UCOS, making the decisions of which cases to re-open and which to leave closed. This rather arrogant 'yes man' is more interested in making himself look good in front of his superiors, thus putting a lot of pressure on the team, constantly checking that they are obeying his every rule.

* BRIEF IDEA…

UCOS is a small team of four who re-open long closed cases and re-investigate them…under the watchful eye of the political pen pusher Strickland, usually coming up with a result due to modern scientific breakthroughs.

Although Strickland is officially in charge, Sandra is the seen as the 'boss', with her being the only serving police officer, and is constantly battling to keep the team together…
So, the four man team of ex-police officers spend there time re-opening some unsolved cases, trying to find the truth so as to put many ghosts to rest….
Each episode offering a new case for the four person team to crack… with some interesting results.

** In series 3 each episode has a title, which is something that the first two series never had.

* What SERIES THREE DVD has to offer

Episodes

* 1... Lady's pleasure…
When the car involved in the death of a teacher is returned Sandra feels the case needs re-opening due to the suspicious behaviour of the husband.

* 2... Dockers…
The suspicious death of a union boss in the mid 70's is under re-investigation when some new information is found.

* 3... Old Dogs…
When a serial dog killer emerges the team soon realise that the same thing happened 30 years earlier, re-opening the files and uncovering some very devious results

* 4... Diamond Geezer…
A nasty criminal turns up for the funeral of his father, much to Jacks anger… so when the team realise that Jack needs help they band together to find out what the criminal wants with him.

* 5... Wicca Work…
Witchcraft is thought to be involved when the team re-investigate the death of a librarian

* 6... Bank Robbery…
A bank robbery from nearly 20 years back which left a man dead is re-investigated when a police informant from Gerry's passed gives him some new information relating to a criminal now turned celebrity.

* 7... Ice cream wars…
When two ice cream selling families at war it is soon apparent that the real cause of there conflict revolves around the 'ice cream bandit', who targeted the two businesses during the 1990's

* 8... Congratulations…
An arson attack on a school a decade earlier is re-investigated when the then suspect produces an alibi which proves his innocence. When the team begin to investigate they soon realise that the suspects father knows more than he is letting on.
Meanwhile, Gerry has a surprise from his passed.

* Extra features on this 3 DVD set are some Behind-the-scenes feature and a picture gallery

* IN CONCLUSION…

This third series is as well paced as the previous two, just the right speed to keep the hour long episodes interesting to watch… The show has never claimed to be a fasted paced action packed cop show, with bullets flying about like confetti on a wedding day… it is a simple to follow show, (well mainly anyway), with some very interesting twists to some great stories…

Again, as with the first two series, every episode is well written, showing a good amount of imagination with each individual case which is re-investigated by the rather strange, but very competent, mixture of characters… and what a strange mixture they are….

The powers that be have stuck to the same actors who have by now created four new household names with their ability to enthral the audience with each twisting story line, (and what a good decision that was)… to change such a cracking format would surely kill off what is becoming a memorable police series.

Redman is the serious, yet somewhat sexy boss of UCOS who does sometimes have a few 'funny' moments…although during this series she does seem to be mellowing slightly…then with Waterman as the chilled out Gerry, who again comes across as so laid back he's almost horizontal… and with his continuing Jack the lad attitude and his constantly bad one liners, he continues to wind up Brain, (who Armstrong again plays to perfection, with his close to insanity attitude), sometimes wondering how the reformed alcoholic stays on the wagon after a day working with Gerry… then there's Bolan as John, with his calm attitude and his constant chattering with his dead wife in his back garden, (no I don't mean his dead wife is in the back garden), John is the wiser one in the group, although his temper does erupt once or twice.
And finally, to give the team, and the show, what I like to call the 'comedy side-kick', the creators kept in the Anthony Calf as the even more pompous politically correct Robert Strickland, who does tend to wind Gerry up to the point of violence outburst by the usually calm mannered man.

In all, yet another excellent series to compliment the first two… bringing many more hours of fine entertainment and some fantastic stories with some interesting ideas thrown in…
And in this series there does happen to be a few peculiar episodes which can be seen as a little strange indeed, involving alleged witches and dogs innards, but even through the madness the episodes are well worth watching.

You can get series three from www.Amazon.co.uk for around £13.00 and for this you get 3 DVDs with nearly 8 hours of brilliant entertainment for you to enjoy.