Minder

Minder was a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Produced by the prolific and effective Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television, and was shown on ITV. The show ran in ten series from October 29 1979 to March 10 1994, and starred Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann, an honest and likeable bodyguard (minder in London slang), and George Cole as Arthur Daley, a well dressed but unscrupulous importer-exporter, wholesaler and used-car salesman.

Related Topics:
Comedy-drama - London - Criminal underworld - Verity Lambert - Euston Films - Thames Television - ITV - October 29 - 1979 - March 10 - 1994 - Dennis Waterman - London slang - George Cole - Arthur Daley

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Terry is a former professional boxer who is released from gaol in the first episode of season 1, having served a substantial term of imprisonment without acting as a "grass" against his co-accused. With few options for the future, Terry is employed as Arthur's minder on vague and ungenerous terms.

Related Topics:
Boxer - Gaol - Grass

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Arthur is a mid-level professional criminal of mature years, a minor confidence trickster who survives by his wile and indomitable self-belief. He exploits everyone around him, including (or especially) Terry. He is always trying to make a buck and, as a consequence, often bites off much more than he can chew. Arthur thinks of himself as a "captain of industry", but his tailored three-piece suits, cashmere coat and Jaguar motor car do not disguise his working class accent and origins. Arthur frequently tests Terry's patience to its limits with his dishonest and doomed schemes to make money ("nice little earners"), but then uses his superior cunning to convince Terry to stay with him. In the same way, Arthur manipulates his friends, such as Dave (the manager of Arthur's private, if downmarket, "Winchester Club)". Arthur frequently refers to his wife, who never appeared, as "'er indoors".

Related Topics:
Criminal - Confidence trickster - Captain of industry - Jaguar motor car - Working class - Accent - Club - Never appeared

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The tone of the program in seasons 1 and 2 was unusual in that it mixed poignant drama and action sequences with offbeat comic moments. As the series progressed over 15 years, much more emphasis was placed upon 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, which was firmly grounded in the cinematic and social ethos of the 1970s. In the earlier series Terry would often 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.

Related Topics:
Action sequences - Social satire - 1970

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Other features of the series were Arthur's constant and ambitious use of obscure Cockney rhyming slang, the derelict sites used as locations, and the episode titles, which contained references to well-known phrases and names (e.g. "Guess Who's Coming to Pinner"). Another strong character was Arthur's failed nemesis, the hapless policeman Detective Sergeant "Charlie" Chisholm (Patrick Malahide), who was always close to detecting Arthur's crimes but was not quite clever enough to catch him.

Related Topics:
Cockney rhyming slang - Pinner - Patrick Malahide

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As the show's title suggests, Terry was originally intended to be the lead character, but Arthur eventually overtook him in popularity. The original theme tune, I Could Be So Good For You, was written in 1979 by Patricia Waterman and Gerard Kenny and was sung by Dennis Waterman himself. The record reached No.4 in the UK charts and provided the boost for Waterman to tour as a singer for a while.

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Waterman left the show in 1989 after seven series, and his character was replaced in 1991 by Ray Daley, Arthur's nephew, played by Gary Webster. The theme tune was replaced by an instrumental version of Waterman's song, credited to "Kenny".

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