| Minder | |
|---|---|
Final Minder title sequence. |
|
| Format | Drama |
| Created by | Leon Griffiths |
| Starring | George Cole (1979–1985, 1988–1989, 1991, 1993–1994) Dennis Waterman (1979–1985, 1988–1989) Gary Webster (1991, 1993–1994) Shane Richie (2009) Lex Shrapnel (2009) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 11 |
| No. of episodes | 115 (List of Episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50 Mins x 112 |
| Production company(s) | Euston Films (1979–1985, 1988–1989, 1991, 1993–1994) Thames (1979–1985, 1988–1989, 1991) Central (1993–1994) Talkback Thames (2009) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV (1979–1985, 1988–1989, 1991, 1993–1994) Channel 5 (2009) |
| Picture format | 4:3 (1979–1985, 1988–1989, 1991, 1993–1994) 16:9 (2009) |
| Original airing | ITV series: 29 October 1979 – 10 March 1994 Channel 5 series: 4 February – 11 March 2009 |
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television (Central in 1993 and 1994) and shown on ITV. The show ran for ten series between 29 October 1979 and 10 March 1994, and starred Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann, an honest and likable bodyguard (minder in London slang) and George Cole as Arthur Daley, a socially ambitious but highly unscrupulous importer-exporter, wholesaler, used-car salesman, and anything else from which there was money to be made whether inside the law or not. The show was largely responsible for putting the word minder, meaning personal bodyguard, into the UK and Australian popular lexicon. The characters often drank at the local members-only Winchester Club, where owner and barman Dave (Glynn Edwards) acted often unwillingly as a message machine for Arthur, and turned a blind eye to his shady deals. The series was notable for using a range of leading British actors, as well as many up-and-coming performers before they hit the big time.
In 2008, it was announced that Minder would go back into production for broadcast in 2009 (on Channel 5), although none of the original cast would appear in the new episodes. The new series recreated some of the iconic images of series 1-7 such as the main characters shaking hands across the front of a car. The new show focused on Arthur's nephew, Archie, played by Shane Richie. The series returned on 4 February 2009. In 2010, it was announced that no further episodes would be made.[1][2]
Contents |
Minder was devised as a vehicle for Dennis Waterman after his success in The Sweeney, though the emphasis increasingly focused more on George Cole as the wheeler-dealer. The show had a lukewarm start, not helped by being delayed by a nine-week technicians' strike which effectively blacked out the ITV network. In the light of initially poor viewing figures, the show faced the axe but a plea by Thames' managing director Bryan Cowgill to other board members saved the show. By series 3, the show had become a major hit, and the jewel in ITV's Drama crown.
Terry is a former professional boxer who has served time in prison (Wormwood Scrubs) ("two years for GBH and three for attempted armed robbery" according to a police sergeant in the first episode, "Gunfight at the OK Laundrette"), having served a substantial term because, he would not grass up his co-accused. With few options, Terry is employed as Arthur's minder on vague and ungenerous terms. In the title sequence, Arthur is shown meeting him at the prison gates following his release. He drives a white Ford Capri which was either bought or given as part of his employment deal (he drives a copper coloured Capri in some mid-run episodes), and a silver Capri in others. Terry enjoys a drink but usually responsibly, does not smoke and has an eye for the ladies. Despite his incarceration, he is honest, trustworthy and loyal, particularly to Arthur, although, the scrapes that Arthur lands him in make him wonder why.
Arthur is a mid-level professional criminal of rather mature years, a minor con man eternally in dodgy dealings, usually seen puffing inexpensive Castella Panatella cigars. In the series 3 episode, "In", we discover from a German police officer reading Arthur's file that Arthur served 18 months in prison during the 1950's, although, we do not learn what for. He typically drives a Jaguar (first, a silver Jaguar XJ6, Series 2, then, a pale primrose Daimler Sovereign, Series 3) Also in Series 3, he drives a silver Mercedes, notably, in the episode "Back in Good Old England!". In the Series 3 episode, "Broken Arrow", Arthur drives a Ford Granada Mk.II but as it is in for repair due to accident damage, he is forced to borrow a friends customised Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray that he is trying to sell. In the Series 7 episode, "It's a Sorry Lorry, Morrie!", Arthur is down on his luck and has to resort to driving a clapped out mustard yellow Ford Granada Mk.II. In the special episode, "An Officer and a Car Salesman", Arthur has moved up in the world, and drives a yellow Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.
He survives by his wiles and self-belief, and exploits everyone, especially Terry. He is always trying to make a quick quid and his schemes usually backfire and leave him either in debt to local underworld figures, or with his activities coming under the scrutiny of the police (or often a combination of both) - with Terry ultimately being left to sort out the mess and get him out of trouble. Arthur thinks of himself as an "entrepreneur", but his tailored three-piece suits, Jaguar and social affectations do not disguise his working class accent and origins. Arthur tests Terry's patience with dishonest and doomed schemes to make money ("nice little earners"), then, uses his cunning to persuade Terry to stay with him. In the same way, Arthur manipulates friends such as Dave of Arthur's haunt (the private, if downmarket, "Winchester Club"). Arthur refers to his wife, who never appeared, as "'er indoors"; the implication that she is a fierce and formidable woman is reinforced by the appearance of actress Claire Davenport (famous for such roles) as her sister. Arthur is not above bending the law and sometimes attracts the keen attention of the local police. Despite being the one who we know has served time (Arthur having served time as well but this is only mentioned in one episode (Series 3, episode 13, "In") and no further reference is made) it is Terry who serves as the show’s moral conscience, keeping Arthur from straying too far outside the law and persuading him to do the right thing whether Arthur likes it or not. The name Arthur Daley has become synonymous with a dishonest salesman or small time crook.[3][4]
With Arthur's dodgy schemes, the duo encounter undesirable underworld figures, many of whom Arthur deals with and many of whom turn nasty, leaving Terry to fight and outwit their way out of trouble. But for all Arthur's obsession with get-rich-quick schemes, he is never malicious, and the pair often end up putting some other wrong right. Most of Arthur's schemes fail in the end, owing to his greediness, but he does occasionally have the odd minor victory and puts one over on the law or more serious criminals.
The series was conceived for Dennis Waterman, to follow The Sweeney, in which he co-starred as Detective Sergeant George Carter, which had finished its run the previous year. Indeed, as the title Minder suggests, Terry was to be the lead and Arthur, a secondary character, would find different tasks for Terry each episode. However, the rapport between Dennis Waterman and George Cole was evident and quickly became popular. The focus shifted to feature Terry and Arthur more evenly, with more screen time to Arthur and his dealings. Barman Dave (whose last name was given on a couple of occasions as Harris) at first made only occasional appearances, but the rapport between Arthur (and Terry) and Dave also become popular and by the second series he too was given more screen time.
Despite its eventual success, Minder was a slow burner. The first series, although critically acclaimed, did not attract large audiences because it began soon after the 1979 ITV strike, when the channel was struggling to recover its previous audience. Management at Thames were intent on scrapping the show but managing director Bryan Cowgill persuaded them to commission one further series and repeat the first. Both attracted huge audiences.
The tone of the programme in series one and two, and much of series three, mixed poignant drama and action sequences with offbeat comic moments. As the series progressed over 15 years, more emphasis was placed on the comedic aspects of the minder-principal relationship, and the show became more a comedy driven by a dramatic plot. Social satire played a strong part throughout the series, grounded in the cinematic and social ethos of the 1980s. In the earlier series, Terry would succeed in seducing a 'dolly bird', resulting in at least one scene of female semi-nudity per episode, though as the series became more popular these instances were reduced. And although, always an element of the series, the fights—common and brutal in early episodes were also toned down and became less frequent.
The series has a number of parallels with long-running BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses, with both being set in London, both involving lovable dodgy dealers with endless get-rich-quick schemes which invariably backfire (and both of whom tried to make out to be of a higher status than they really were), and both having a blend of comedy and drama. Indeed, Only Fools and Horses creator / writer John Sullivan has claimed that one of the ways he persuaded the BBC to commission the series was by pointing to the success of ITV's Minder, which had begun the previous year. After both having lukewarm starts, both series went on to became huge hits, and share much of the same fan base. One Christmas, specials of Only Fools and Horses and Minder were scheduled against each other, angering many viewers (in the days before video recorders were commonplace in UK homes).
| "I Could be So Good for You" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Dennis Waterman | |
| B-side | "Nothing at All" |
| Released | 1980 |
| Format | 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl |
| Recorded | 1979 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:17 |
| Label | EMI |
| Writer(s) | Patricia Waterman Gerard Kenny |
The theme tune, "I Could be So Good for You", was written in 1979 by Patricia Waterman and Gerard Kenny and sung by Dennis Waterman. The record reached No.3 in the UK charts in November 1980 and led Waterman to tour as a singer. Dennis Waterman also sang the theme songs to other programmes he starred in, including On the Up, Stay Lucky, and New Tricks, and this led to a parody in Little Britain where Dennis Waterman is offered acting work; he always assumes he will also 'write the theme tune, sing the theme tune...' In November 2008, it was announced that Glasgow band Attic Lights would re-work the original theme for the resurrected series.[5]
Given the nature of Arthur's activities, he was always in the spotlight of the local police and crossed paths with several regular and occasional characters:
DS Albert Chisholm; Detective Sergeant Albert "Cheerful Charlie" Chisholm (played by Patrick Malahide) made a brief appearance in the first episode and appeared in another 23 episodes in the first six series. Chisholm frequently arrested Arthur, but was not clever enough to make charges stick. Beginning in Series 3, he was accompanied by;
DC 'Taff' Jones; (Michael Povey), a Welsh policeman. Although, not seeming particularly bright on first sight, Jones often proved sharper (though only mildly) than his superior, and was quietly amused by Arthur's frequent humiliation of Chisholm, even occasionally going into the Winchester for a social drink, away from Chisholm's domination. He tolerated the put-downs of his senior officer with 'Celtic willpower and a morbid fear of unemployment'.
DC/DS Ronald Rycott; Detective Constable Ronald "Kenny" Rycott (played by Peter Childs) made his first appearance in Episode 3, "The Smaller They Are". Rycott previously had a 'spot of bother', which prevented him from rising through the ranks, although, he later did become a Detective Sergeant. A lone figure, not afraid of violent situations and more than willing to do a bit of "freelance" work, he was frequently on the edge of a nervous attack as Arthur slipped through his fingers. Rycott appeared in another 14 episodes up to the end of Series 7. His regular assistant was;
DC Mellish; (Michael Troughton). DC Mellish was, like DC Jones, mainly amused at Arthur's activities.
Many episodes in the first seven series featured either Chisholm and Jones or Rycott and Mellish, and the two pairs sometimes appeared together, emphasizing the professional rivalry between them, much to the annoyance of their superior officer, Detective (Chief) Inspector Norton (Tony Caunter). This rivalry reached fever pitch in the episode "Around the Corner" (which closed Series 5) when all four officers, in two cars, crashed head-on whilst all attempting to arrest Arthur and Terry. D.I. Norton's subsequent comments were scathing. Althoughm Norton's appearances were always brief, they demonstrated the personal nature of Chisholm's and Rycott's campaigns. In the Series 6 episode, "From Fulham with Love", Norton appears for less than a minute, but spends that entire appearance denouncing Chisholm for his "personal vendetta against Arthur Daley".
In the feature-length, "An Officer and a Car Salesman" that preceded series 7, Chisholm was written out (he was seen to have taken a job as a security officer), and Jones was promoted to D.S. Although, he took over the probing of Arthur's plots, he was less hell-bent on nabbing him, finding most of Arthur's schemes humorous.
New police officers appeared from Series 8:
DS Michael Morley; (Nicholas Day) DS Michael Morley was also a highly driven officer, but tempered with a sense of humour that Chisholm lacked. He also failed to ever make charges against Arthur stand up in court. His assistants were;
DC Park; (Stephen Tompkinson). DC Johnny Park was openly amused at Arthur and Ray's activities, but knew his duty, as did;
DC Field; DC Field (Jonty Stephens) was a conscientious officer but occasionally did Arthur a good turn when he deserved it (which was rare).
DS Rogerson; (James Warrior). DS Richard Rogerson was a loyal and tenacious 'old school' officer. On occasion, he even assisted Ray to prove that Arthur was innocent of police charges.
Arthur's world was mainly populated by petty crooks, 'tea leaves', 'fences' and those happy to quickly turn over dodgy goods, usually (but not always) without violence. They included such memorable characters as 'Mournful Morris', 'Second-hand Sid', 'Freddy, the Fly', 'Hacksaw Harry' and 'Dipso Pete'. As the seasons progressed, the guest stars became more prestigious, and the last season starring Cole and Waterman featured Billy Connolly playing Tick-tack, a bookie and grifter, Brian Blessed as DI Dyer, Ian McShane as gangster Jack Last and Roy Kinnear as Fat Charlie.
Recurring characters included Des (George Layton) (series 1-3), a back-street mechanic friend of Terry's who was friendly and likable, but not beyond car theft when called for; stripper Debbie Mitchell (Diana Malin) and air stewardess Penny (Gennie Nevinson), both recurring girlfriends of Terry's; Ray Winstone as mechanic Arnie (series 4-7, conceived as a replacement for George Layton's Des and as dim as Des was sharp); and wide boy Justin James (Mark Farmer) (series 5-7). He idolised Arthur and aspired to be like him, seeing him as a kind of godfather. Royce Mills also starred as Arthur's financial advisor, Andrew, whose character appeared in a number of episodes across several series.
At its peak, the show was one of ITV's most popular programmes, even repeats pulling in over 10 million viewers. The highest rated episode was 1984's "Second Hand Pose", clocking up 16.4 million viewers. In 2005, Arthur Daley came second in ITV's 50th anniversary poll to find its favourite TV characters.[6]
As well as heavy use of leading British actors, other features were Arthur's constant rhyming slang and other misquoted sayings (one being "the world is your lobster"), the derelict sites used as locations, and the episode titles, which contained references to films (e.g. "Gunfight at the O.K. Launderette", "Monday Night Fever", "National Pelmet", "The Beer Hunter", "Days of Fines and Closures", "The Wrong Goodbye" and "Guess Who's Coming to Pinner?").
The show was a number of times said to have come to its end, only to reappear. For example, in 1984, TV Times reported that series 5 would be the last. In 1985, it again seemed as if that the current series was the last one, and it was off-air (bar repeats) for three years, to reappear in 1988. This series appeared to be the last as Dennis Waterman announced his departure at the end of its run. However, after a two-and-a-half-year break, the show was back again for a further two-and-a-half-year run which ended with the tenth series in 1994. For many years, it appeared that Minder was off-air for good, until the 2008 announcement that the show was to return again then, end again in the same year, it returned during its eleventh series.
The series inspired a hit single, "Arthur Daley (E's Alright!)" by The Firm, which made the UK Top 20 in 1982. George Cole and Dennis Waterman released a Christmas record in 1983 called "What are We Gonna Get 'Er Indoors?" which reached No. 21 in the charts. The duo performed it on Top of the Pops on 22 December 1983.
In 1989, after filming the seventh series, Waterman announced he would no longer appear, saying that the character had run its course, and that it was becoming harder for the writers to come up with plots as sharp as the series had been accustomed to. This seemed to signify the end, but the series made another return in 1991, with another character replacing Terry. In the opening episode of series 8, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Entrepreneur", Arthur finds Terry has married and emigrated to Australia to escape his influence. At the same time, he is stuck with looking after his nephew Ray Daley (Gary Webster), at the request of Arthur's brother to give him employment and keep him out of trouble. With Terry out of the scene, local undesirables start to muscle in on Arthur, but it emerges that Ray is able to handle himself in a fight and Arthur appoints him his new "minder". Ray was portrayed as smarter, having good intelligence and education ("O" Level French and Woodwork) as well as being able to fight. He was also a snappy dresser, and not a heavy drinker. Ray did not have a regular car and was usually lumbered with the old blue Ford Transit from Arthur's lock-up. The theme tune was replaced by a rock-style instrumental, credited to "Kenny" (Gerard Kenny). By this stage, the rough and ready elements of the early series had been toned down, concentrating on the comedic aspects of Arthur's dodgy dealings. Waterman praised Gary Webster for fitting into the series, but said the series was no longer about a minder and that the re-vamped version should go under a different title, reflecting its orientation around Arthur. Other new characters in this revamped version were Sidney Livingstone as Bert Daley, Arthur's gullible, over-trusting brother, and Ray's father, who views Arthur as a successful businessman and not a con-man and entrusts Ray into his care; Bert's wife and Ray's mum Doreen (Lill Roughley); and Ray's recurring girlfriend Gloria (Emma Cunningham), frustrated with Ray's being torn between her and being Arthur's lackey. The new police nemesis was Detective Sergeant Michael Morley (Nick Day), paired with D.C. Park (Stephen Tompkinson) in series 8, who in turn was replaced by D.C. Field (Jonty Stephens) in series 9.
The end of the final episode of Series 10, "The Long Good Thursday" saw Arthur (with Ray and Dave) finally being caught and driven away in a police convoy. In a final monologue over closing credits, Arthur was bemused, citing himself as a hard working, upstanding citizen. The following week, a repeat showing of the first episode, "Gunfight at the O.K. Laundrette" (slightly edited for its pre-watershed start) was broadcast. Cole made an opening introduction, saying he had been asked to choose his favourite episode but all were of such quality that he couldn't. He closed with "Goodbye... for now", hinting that he or the show may return.
In July 2008, it was announced Minder was to resume on Channel 5 after a 15-year break. The first episode of the six-part series was broadcast on 4 February 2009. The makers emphasised that it was a revival rather than a remake.
The show focused on Arthur's nephew Archie, played by Shane Richie, and a new 'minder' character, Jamie Cartwright, played by Lex Shrapnel. Channel 5 stated in July 2008, that there were no plans for Cole, Waterman or Webster to reprise their roles in the relaunched series. The series was produced by Talkback Thames.[7][1]
In the weeks leading up to the new series, Channel 5 launched a national advertising campaign to promote the show's return. These featured a series of contemporary adverts on television, as well as billboards. Other promotions included advertisements on taxi receipts, a social networking campaign and branded beer mats, all designed to attract the young male audience Channel 5 was targeting. The Sun reported that Richie banned Waterman from appearing in the series remake, but Richie told fans to ignore this story, saying it would be an honour to be in the company of Waterman and Cole, let alone work with them on television.[8][9][10]
The final viewing figures for Minder on Channel 5 in the UK, as supplied by BARB, were:
On 31 May 2009, UK newspaper The Mirror reported that due to alleged poor ratings, Channel 5 would not be commissioning a new series of Minder.[11]
In 1980, an annual based on the series was released by Grandreams. It was based upon the early concept of the series being based around Terry, and made no reference to Arthur. Two further annuals were released by World International Publishing for 1985 and 1986. These annuals featured both Terry and Arthur with illustrations of both Dennis Waterman and George Cole.
In 1985, an officially licensed Minder computer game was published for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. The player's aim was to make money by buying and selling goods. The game was written by Don Priestley and published by dK'Tronics.
A Tavern & Restaurant in Dunedin, New Zealand is named after the character Arthur Daley[12].