Arthur Daley, a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann to be his "minder", so Terry can protect him from other small-time crooks. While Terry is trying his hardest to satisfy ...
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A video tape incriminating an officer in the Serious Crime division is mistakenly returned to Daley's Videos, which brings Arthur and Terry into contact with a local major crime boss as he had been ...
Arthur is the sole witness when a punter drops down dead after being threatened by the illegal bookie Albert Wendle, to whom he owed money. Arthur is questioned by Chisholm but released. However ...
Terry's girlfriend Debbie is now working as a mobile hair-dresser but unfortunately the first house she visits gets robbed. Debbie is a witness to the robbery but the police suspect that she and ...
Arthur Daley, a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann to be his "minder", so Terry can protect him 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.Written by
David McAnally <D.McAnally@uq.net.au>
Dennis Waterman fell in love with Rula Lenska when she played a model in the show in 1982. They later got married. See more »
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. See more »
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). See more »
Minder is without doubt one of the greatest TV shows produced in Britian with a topnotch double act providing its heartbeat. Cole and Waterman work so well off each other that only repeated viewing can allow you to fully appreciate their chemistry. Cole's Arthur Daley is easily the best "Wheeler Dealer" ever created, anywhere on television. Although Del Boy in "Only Fools..." is carved from the same mould he shows signs of weakness through family commitments and links to friendship, where as Daley is 100% in it for himself, drooling at the mouth at the merest sight of money or personal profit. Waterman as Terry is perfectly legit in the role as he sympathetic hardman and the fact that he doesn't get lost under the giant shadow of Cole's tour de force is a testiment to Watermans skills as an actor.
I'd advise anyone who isn't familiar with the show to hunt for the early episodes and enjoy what was a very gritty and real drama, where Terry is clearly the main man whilst, at that point, Arthur is secondary in the writers minds (Not that it deminishes his screen presence, just leaves you wanting more). Another important component to its success was its grand array of support players, from Dave the barman at everyones favourite watering hole, the Winchester, to dodgy geezers like Des the mechanic and the hilarious, bumbling Police who could never catch Arthur in the act. The show did lose some of its hard edge as it veered off towards a comedic element but it always remained true to the characters, and as such the characters became the central theme. Instead of getting embroiled in incidents, they BECAME the incidents. I can't say enough good words about this programme. I have every episode on tape and watch them all the time. The only thing that you can say is that they DEFINITELY don't make 'em as good as this anymore.
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Minder is without doubt one of the greatest TV shows produced in Britian with a topnotch double act providing its heartbeat. Cole and Waterman work so well off each other that only repeated viewing can allow you to fully appreciate their chemistry. Cole's Arthur Daley is easily the best "Wheeler Dealer" ever created, anywhere on television. Although Del Boy in "Only Fools..." is carved from the same mould he shows signs of weakness through family commitments and links to friendship, where as Daley is 100% in it for himself, drooling at the mouth at the merest sight of money or personal profit. Waterman as Terry is perfectly legit in the role as he sympathetic hardman and the fact that he doesn't get lost under the giant shadow of Cole's tour de force is a testiment to Watermans skills as an actor.
I'd advise anyone who isn't familiar with the show to hunt for the early episodes and enjoy what was a very gritty and real drama, where Terry is clearly the main man whilst, at that point, Arthur is secondary in the writers minds (Not that it deminishes his screen presence, just leaves you wanting more). Another important component to its success was its grand array of support players, from Dave the barman at everyones favourite watering hole, the Winchester, to dodgy geezers like Des the mechanic and the hilarious, bumbling Police who could never catch Arthur in the act. The show did lose some of its hard edge as it veered off towards a comedic element but it always remained true to the characters, and as such the characters became the central theme. Instead of getting embroiled in incidents, they BECAME the incidents. I can't say enough good words about this programme. I have every episode on tape and watch them all the time. The only thing that you can say is that they DEFINITELY don't make 'em as good as this anymore.