The words "comedy drama" can often mean a TV programme that falls uneasily between the two camps. Neither comic nor dramatic, it's an uncomfortable blend of the two. That could easily be the case here, where the basic premise of New Tricks (old coppers, young guvnor, a few laughs, some serious moments) has been transplanted to a new vehicle. But these aren't coppers. These are old crims (and jolly good ones in their prime, apparently), and a young crim who's determined to see the old lags returned to their glory days.
Syd Woolsey (Warren Clarke) and Maurice Riley (Anthony Head) are old criminal mates who pitch up in a quiet Devon fishing village, having tired of the good life on the Costa Del Crime. Syd is sorely single; Maurice is married to Barbara (Jenny Agutter) who knows perfectly well that in the past he was a demon safe-cracker.
Due to financial circumstances, Syd and Maurice (known in the trade as "The Invisibles") have to resort to their old life of crime, only to find that there's much for them to learn in the modern world. There to help them is young crim Hedley (Dean Lennox Kelly), the thirtysomething son of their former partner in crime.
The leads are good - especially Clarke, who's always value for money - and in time we may warm to them all. The introductory plot feels sluggish though, and would have benefited from a cut or three. With shades of Minder, it will probably go down well with the New Tricks brigade and could easily be a hit, but on this showing the jury's currently out.
Reviewer - Paul Strange
Did you know? The programme was provisionally entitled Desperados, and was renamed The Invisibles quite late in its production. Although the show is set in a quiet Devon fishing village, it was actually filmed in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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