Minder

Brilliant British TV series starring George Cole as Arthur Daley, a shady businessman and used-car dealer on London's "alternate economy". Dennis Waterman is Terry McCann, Daley's business associate and bodyguard, or "minder", hence the title. The show ran for several years and usually centered on Arthur hatching some half-baked scheme, only to escape just a half-step ahead of the police or British mobsters. Patrick Malahide played Det. Sgt. Chisholm, a low-rent Javert who always seemed to let Arthur and Terry slip through his fingers.

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.

Probably the best comedy/drama to ever come from ITV. Arthur Daley is an entrepreneur. If he can make money, Arthur's interested. Except that he's also the king of dodgy deals, which calls for him to have a bodyguard or a minder. His minder is Terry McCann. He's just out of prison and needs the work. The relationship between Terry and Arthur is sometimes strained to its limit, but they're loyal to eachother. They're forever trying to dodge the law, and always succeed.

George Cole (Arthur) and Dennis Waterman (Terry) made the charcters and I can't imagine anyone else playing them so well. George Cole is an extremely experienced actor, as is Dennis Waterman and this shows throughout each episode. Just little things like raised eyebrows or a quick cheeky grin, give a whole new perspective to the programme. In all Arthur Daley is the man we love to distrust.

I recently watched an episode on one of the cable "repeats" channels, and there's no doubt that it's dated a bit in the 20-odd years since it came out; but there are still some priceless lines.

For those of us who saw him in 'The Sweeney', there was little doubt that affable Cockney schmuck Waterman would find another vehicle for his talents; but very few predicted that it would be paired with old George. However, the duo of Arfur and Terry became one of the enduring symbols of the hard days of the early 80's, and the unseen "'er indoors" a byword for the reason most blokes spend their time "down the pub".

Arguably, it was Cole who stole the thunder with his brilliant portrayal of overgrown wide-boy Daley, but it definitely wasn't the same after Waterman left. Truth be told, it was beginning to lose steam even before that, but for the first 6 years or so it was one of the best shows on TV. All the satellite characters, especially Dave and Chisolm, are well-drawn, and Euston Films provided the suitably gritty backdrops they'd already become known for with 'The Sweeney' and 'Special Branch'.

All in all, an 80's delight.

I was 8 years old when this started, and when I left home aged 18 it was still on. The theme tune followed me through the 80s - Bagpuss came and went, Dangermouse arrived, a raft of American programmes designed to sell toys (which was a brand new idea then) crashed onto UK shores, the Commodore 64 bleeped and caroused in the corner, acid house music chipped and blooped onto the radio..... and Arthur & Terry were still there. I saw a handful of episodes as child & teenager, and always found the on- screen chemistry pulled me in...... but I did feel that it had become a bit of a dinosaur by 1990. I left home and virtually forgot about it, until ITV4 started re-running it again.

The writing was, and is, simply superb. Secondary characters are strongly developed and given good lines, something non-existent nowadays (see Taggart, Waterloo Road, Monarch Of The Glen) and almost every episode hangs together as a complete thing, ends tied up, viewer satisfaction assured. That takes good writing and good acting. Another, unintentional but wonderful, boon for the programme was that due to 75% of each episode being filmed on location outdoors over 15 years, it captured London in a constant state of flux that is clear and visible, something no other show has. It's fascinating to see London in that era, changing from series to series. And there's that chemistry between Cole and Waterman, which really shines through. That was fairly rare in a TV series back then, but is now like hen's teeth.

Its success with 15-24 year olds today is surprising, yet gratifying. It says, perhaps, that things like story, good acting and love of craft do not age, or lose their brightness.