Out of all the original cast, Dennis Waterman was the last to leave New Tricks, due to the change in chemistry, as he was the only one left.
BBC One’s New Tricks is considered as one of the most popular and enduring crime drama series to have aired on the channel.
The series ended following the departure of the last original cast member, Dennis Waterman, who decided to leave because he was the “last man standing” from the original cast of four.
What was New Tricks?
New Tricks was the brainchild of Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, and it first premiered in 2003 on BBC One, producing a 12-year run before it concluded in 2015.
The show is considered as one of the enduring series where the premise was of “Three retired police officers are drafted in to solve cold cases, with a touch of comedy and drama.”
Why did Dennis Waterman leave New Tricks?
Dennis Waterman played the character of Gerry Standing for the 12 seasons of the series. However, the actor’s exit from the show was announced following the conclusion of the eleventh season of New Tricks.
After speaking to the producers, Waterman featured for the first few episodes of the last season, which would inevitably be his last.
The biggest reason that Waterman decided to leave the series was the loss of all the original cast members and the chemistry they had together.
The executive’s share word on Dennis Waterman’s exit
Following news of Dennis Waterman’s exit from New Tricks, the producers of the show shared a statement thanking Waterman for his contribution, adding, “Viewers won’t be saying goodbye to Dennis until Autumn 2015, so there will be plenty of time to enjoy the slightly unorthodox antics of his character Gerry Standing.”
Dennis Waterman speaks on leaving New Tricks
When the news first broke about Dennis Waterman’s exit, his publicist was tasked with conveying the decision.
However, following his twelfth season appearance, Waterman spoke out, confirming that the reason for his exit was due to a change in chemistry by stating, “We were all having a great time together, but I was always amazed that other people saw it so clearly.”
Dennis Waterman calls out writers of New Tricks
After leaving the show, Dennis Waterman joined the voices of the original cast members speaking out on the change in the series format and writing style during his 2012 interview with Radio Times by stating, “You have to remind yourself that people aren’t as stupid as writers think. But that’s the way things are going in the industry.”
Final thoughts
New Tricks seemingly ended with season 12, following the exit of the original cast member, Dennis Waterman.
Waterman would also assert that the show lacked a certain chemistry, which was present with the earlier seasons, when the original cast members were still there.