Larry Lamb joins the cast of BBC One drama New Tricks

Larry Lamb has joined the cast of New Tricks as a replacement for outgoing star Dennis Waterman.

The 67 year old will make his debut appearance as Ted Case, a former Copper who becomes UCOS’s latest recruit, when the crime drama returns to BBC One for its twelfth series next year.

“I’m thrilled to have been asked to join such a well-loved show. The writing and the cast are top notch and I’m really looking forward to getting started.” – Larry Lamb

Produced by Headstrong Pictures, New Tricks follows the work of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS) a fictional division of the Metropolitan Police Service. The drama has proven an endurable hit over the years, however, its recent eleventh series aired to a considerably diminished audience. It was the first not to feature original cast members Amanda Redman, James Bolam and Alun Armstrong.

The trio have been replaced by Tamzin Outhwaite, Denis Lawson and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Waterman’s decision to quit the series reportedly came off the back of the original cast disbanding.

“Larry is a fantastic addition to the show and Ted Case will slot in perfectly with Sacha, Steve and Dan in the UCOS team. The stories for series 12 are absolutely classic New Tricks – a mix of gripping whodunits solved by witty, likeable characters that the audience can root for and identify with.” – Executive Producer, Myar Craig-Brown

Lamb, whose acting career spans four decades, has in recent years found a new generation of fans thanks to his roles of Mick Shipman in the hit comedy Gavin & Stacey and Archie Mitchell in EastEnders.

(Pictured top: Larry Lamb as villainous Archie in EastEnders, bottom: The cast of New Tricks in its eleventh series which aired in 2014).