James Bolam plays Jack Halford
James Bolam believes the success of New Tricks is down to the writing.
"Everything is based on scripts. You stand or fall by them. If the
scripts aren't any good then the show won't be any good, but if you've
got really good scripts you have tremendous potential.
"I keep saying it because it's true. Anything that's well written
stands out and New Tricks intrigued me as soon as I read it.
"The characters are much more important than the plot but you can get
the plot through the interaction of the characters, which is hopefully
what we do.
"Each of them is so diverse and they've all left the force for
one reason or another which makes them interesting.
"We were also able to get a lot of humour out of it. One hopes
it's not a typical police series - there's a lot more to it."
James also feels viewers relate to the way the retired detectives
find a new lease of life through their work for UCOS.
"After Jack retired, he was idling his time away in the garden or on
the golf course with no great purpose in life. Having been retired it's
nice to be useful again. UCOS gives him an interest which is just as
well in the current climate.
"These days, people live longer and they're a lot healthier and happier
as older people than when I was a lad. A lot of people I knew never
got to retirement age - they were dead and gone."
Working on New Tricks is a family affair for James - his wife Susan
Jameson plays Esther Lane, wife of Halford's UCOS colleague
Brian (Alun Armstrong).
"Sue and I have a few scenes together this time around but often we
only meet at read-throughs.
"We've worked together before, in When The Boat Comes In and Close
And True, and it's always nice to work with people I like."
James made his name as loveable rogue Terry Collier in The Likely Lads
and he's since found success in both comedy and drama.
His other television credits include Born And Bred, Only When I Laugh,
The Beiderbecke Affair, Second Thoughts, Bedtime and The Loneliness
Of The Long Distance Runner.
He also played GP Harold Shipman in a drama about the serial killer.
"To me, acting has always been just a job, albeit a job that I try
to do as well as I can. Nowadays everyone's calling it celebrity but
10 or 15 years ago you were a star. In another 10 years time it'll be
something else. So it goes on, but the basic essence of what we do won't
change.
"I just feel sorry that the current young generation don't have
the opportunities we had in weekly rep."
James and Susan live in a West Sussex farmhouse.
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