Minder 

Arthur Daley (George Cole), a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman) to be his "minder", so Terry can protect him (Arthur) from other small-time crooks. While ... See full summary »

Creator:

Leon Griffiths

Stars:

George Cole, Glynn Edwards, Dennis Waterman

5 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
George Cole	...	Arthur / ... 109 episodes, 1979-1994
Glynn Edwards	...	Dave / ... 95 episodes, 1979-1994
Dennis Waterman	...	Terry / ... 73 episodes, 1979-1989

Storyline

Arthur Daley (George Cole), a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman) to be his "minder", so Terry can protect him (Arthur) from other small-time crooks. While Terry is trying his hardest to satisfy his employer's demands, and putting his own life at risk, Arthur is busy exploiting Terry for all he is worth. For when other people hire Terry's services, through Arthur, Arthur usually keeps most of Terry's share of the money for himself, by misleading the hard-working Terry as to the amount of money, he (as Terry's agent) is receiving on Terry's behalf.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | gritty | british humour | fight | con | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

The Fans of Minder Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 1979 (UK)

Also Known As:

Der Aufpasser

Filming Locations:

Blythe House, 23 Blythe Road, West Kensington, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Euston Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min (108 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Famous for its use of "Mockney", which sounded like Cockney slang, but was made up by either George Cole or the scriptwriters. Some expressions became so well-known they have since passed into the language, including "A nice little earner" (a profitable task), "'er indoors" (the wife), "give him a little slap" (beat him up).

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Goofs

In the opening titles for the Terry McCann episodes (Seasons 1-7) a sporty white Ford Escort with a blue stripe down the side is seen in the background. In a close-up shot of Terry looking at the Ford Capri he is about to buy, the Escort's window is up, but in a later shot where Arthur and Terry walk from the back of the Capri to admire it from a distance, the Escort's window is wound down.

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Alternate Versions

The title sequence originally had 'Euston Films presents' over the opening shot. Later prints of the same episodes did not have this. (Additionally, early episodes also began with the Thames Television ident sequence, which, particularly after Thames lost their broadcast franchise in 1992, have been dropped from most repeat runs).

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Connections

Referenced in BMX Bandits (1983)

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Soundtracks

I Could Be So Good For You
Lyrics by Patricia Maynard (as Waterman)
Music by Gerard Kenny (as Kenny)
Sung by Dennis Waterman (as Waterman)
Title song (1979-1988)

User Reviews

A reminder of how good ITV once was

George Cole and Dennis Waterman team up in an ITV classic. The show combines subtle humour with genuinely entertaining scripts and a whole host of brilliant supporting characters. The show lets stories develop over an hour rather than rushing through them and puts today's so-called comedy dramas in the shade. The early episodes were more serious and hard-edged, but the comedy was apparent even then. As the show progressed Cole took over as the centre of attention, playing cockney geezer Arthur Daley, a TV masterpiece. Waterman's easy going style made for a great double act. Barman Dave is another great character, his members only Winchester pub being the local haunt of all the low level crooks on the manor! The language used in Minder is very funny at times, I love the Cockney slang they use, like 'er indoors' for wife, and 'sobs' for pounds! Of course Cole is the star of Minder, his trademark brown overcoat and trilby hat always raising a smile even before he's made one of his dodgy promises! The show coped very well with Waterman's departure at the end of the 80s, the new chap brought in to replace him fitting in well. ITV nowadays consists mainly of cheap and tacky gameshows and reality programmes, all of them terrible. Minder was an original and in many ways unique show. It should appeal to fans of the Sweeney and those who enjoyed Only Fools and Horses. Minder is actually better than Only Fools, not getting mired down in sentimentality. It's a shame no terrestrial station will repeat it, it'd thrash most of today's programmes.