New Tricks Season 9

Right now you can watch New Tricks Season 9 on and — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. A compact run that never overstays its welcome. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Dennis Waterman's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

There is a reason New Tricks Season 9 keeps coming up in conversation. New Tricks Season 9 does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman heads The Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS), cracking previously unsolved crimes from the past. Her team are ex policemen who have opted for early retirement. In series nine Jack Halford deals a devastating blow to UCOS - he's quitting. Dennis Waterman and Amanda Redman lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2012. What keeps New Tricks Season 9 from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, New Tricks Season 9 is a strong candidate. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained run means every episode is doing real work. Dennis Waterman is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.