New Tricks’ Nicholas Lyndhurst reveals retired DCI Dan Griffin is suffering a serious case of the empty nest blues on Monday.
Single dad Dan has been caring for his disabled daughter, Holly (Storme Toolis), for years, but now the feisty, independent teenager has left home for university Dan feels lost without her. But there's more to Dan's gloom than meets the eye...
Nicholas explained: “Dan’s finding it really difficult to let Holly go. He keeps trying to get in contact with her, but she’s a busy young woman at university, with her own life to lead. He’s quite a loner at work and now he’s finding it difficult to spend time alone in his home life. He feels lost.”
Dan’s mood hasn’t gone unnoticed by colleagues DCI Sasha Miller (Tamzin Outhwaite), ex-DI Steve McAndrew (Denis Lawson) and ex DS Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman). The trio band together and organise a number of nights out for their anti-social co-worker to try to cheer him up, including bowling, a pub quiz and a ‘pedibus’ around London!
Little do they know, there’s more to the mystery surrounding Holly’s mother than they're currently aware of... She’s been sectioned to a secure mental health hospital.
Nicholas, who accepts he’ll forever be associated with his breakthrough role of Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, teased: "Later in the series you begin to understand why Dan is the way he is. Without giving too much away, you’ll get to understand him slightly better!"
He added: “New Tricks has lasted as long as it has because there’s a human understanding to whittle out," he says. "Yes it’s a cop show, but there’s also a very strong human element, which gives it nice quality."
Read an interview with Dennis Waterman here.
