Where Gerry Standing is less interested in the detail or the paperwork, Brian Lane more than makes up for - almost obsessively.
A compulsive hoarder with a memory for names and dates, Brian's approach to the job couldn't be more different from the rest of the team.
"Brian is such an oddball,” admits actor Alun Armstrong. “His second approach to everything is humorous because he's so eccentric, compulsive and obsessive about things. It wouldn't be funny if you had to live with him, but to visit him for an hour is funny. I suppose I'm a bit obsessive myself, but not quite as anoraky as Brian.
“He tries to be a bit of a new man, although he is pretty hopeless."
Whilst you wouldn't normally expect crime and humour to sit comfortably on screen together, the dynamic between the four leads in New Tricks creates an infectious formula.
"The team are dealing with very gruesome situations, but because of the nature of the characters themselves things are amusing and the fun comes out of the conflict between them. Obviously there is conflict between the three guys and Pullman because she's the boss and wants things done her way. We can't be arsed or we want to do things the old way."
One thing these three old boys can't be accused of is being "new" men, although Brian would like to be.
"Brian tries to be a bit of a new man, although he is pretty hopeless. He is so socially inept. Brian's idea of being a new man, like most of his forays into the lighter society, come to grief, because he's got such little self awareness. Brian is a complete contradiction - he's stuck in the past and has been dragged into the modern world by the rest of them. He's a funny mixture of old and wanting to be new. And his ridiculous optimism never leaves him - he's like a boy who's never grown up."
