Alex Graham is the executive producer of the extraordinarily popular drama series New Tricks. His television production company Wall to Wall has produced many leading television series, including Who Do You Think You Are and they also won an Oscar for the documentary Man On Wire. Last year Alex enthralled a packed Dalmuir Library with his talk on Who Do You Think You Are and this year it was the turn of Dumbarton Library to host a talk on New Tricks.

Alex took us through the rather prolonged birth-pangs of the show which took a while to reach the screen after the concept was first mooted to the BBC. The talk was accompanied by the use of clips from the series. Alex opened by showing an extended clip from the pilot programme which established the creation of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS). The squad comprises retired police officers who re-examine unsolved crimes, being led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman. The pilot proved to be so popular that a full series was commissioned.

Alex let us into behind-the-scenes information such as the fact that Ian McShane was the actor that they wanted to play Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman) and that there are a whole series of ‘incestuous’ connections between the cast. Dennis Waterman’s real-life daughter plays his adopted daughter in the programme; James Bolam’s actual wife Susan Jameson plays Brian Lane’s wife; Sheila Hancock, widow of John Thaw (who starred in the Sweeney alongside Dennis Waterman) plays Amanda Redman’s mother. Another fascinating fact about New Tricks is that one of the writers of the first series Roy Mitchell named many of the characters after current or former West Bromwich Albion players. The three leading male characters of the programme, Halford, Lane and Standing, were named after the oldest stand at The Hawthorns football ground in West Bromwich Alex used clips to illustrate themes from his talk and he used excerpts from the show to highlight its undoubted comedic credentials, but he also used one to back his argument that the show also deals with serious themes in a powerful way. We saw Jack Halford (James Bolam) confront the man who had killed his wife in a hit-and-run incident; James Bolam’s acting is of the highest standard, and this, combined with the quality of the writing, created a very powerful scene. Alex also gave us an insight into how the cast get on with each other – there is a real camaraderie amongst them, so much so that Alex believes that this is one reason why they are now into their sixth series. However, the bond is so strong amongst the cast members that Alex fears that the series would finish should any of them leave.

Alex was able to answer the famous question posed in Little Britain about whether Dennis Waterman can sing and write the theme tune? Dennis sang the Travelling Wilburys’ song End of the Line for the pilot and then he sang Its Alright by Mike Moran for all the subsequent shows, so he sings the theme tune but he most certainly doesn’t write it! Alex fielded questions from the audience and then mingled with the audience as they retired for refreshments. It was a very enjoyable evening and the use of clips from the programme not only added to the humour of the evening but helped to reinforce the themes of the talk.