THE writer of New Tricks has blasted back in a row with the cast who
claimed the scripts were “bland”.
We told you yesterday how Amanda Redman, who plays Sandra Pullman in the
long-running BBC1 show, had criticised the direction it was heading in.
She said: “It’s more bland now. The characters are not being as anarchic as
they used to be.”
Her co-stars Alun Armstrong and Dennis Waterman also criticised the scripts.
But now writer Julian Simpson has taken to Twitter to tell fans: “A New Tricks
I wrote and directed airs on Monday.
“I can tell you EXACTLY how much of it the actors wrote: not a f***ing comma.
“I was going to be writing today, instead I’m just going to hand the actors a
pad and pen. I wish I’d learned this 15 years ago.”
Simpson added: “For my, presumably considerable, sins I’ve written eight
episodes of New Tricks – all without the help of any Equity members,” before
adding: “Worth saying that I get on phenomenally well with the New Tricks
cast.
“Just don’t appreciate actors speaking out of turn and they know that.”