Quote: Timbo @ July 31 2008, 9:35 PM BSTI suspect comedy drama is as old as the medium. Budgie springs to mind as an obvious Minder precursor. And what was The Avengers if not comedy drama?
I was sort of thinking of that - but then it was a bit like the old Batman.
Zooo isn't kicking in here but Verity Lambert original producer of Doctor Who was also original producer of Minder, and also original producer of Jonathon Creek and the best sitcom of modern times .. Love Soup!!! Verity Lambert RIP and God Bless You!!!!!
Quote: Marc P @ August 1 2008, 12:33 AM BSTZooo isn't kicking in here but Verity Lambert original producer of Doctor Who was also original producer of Minder, and also original producer of Jonathon Creek and the best sitcom of modern times .. Love Soup!!! Verity Lambert RIP and God Bless You!!!!!
Yes - I agree.
One of the names I was always aware of in credits.
I think Bradley Walsh would've been better than Shane Ritchie. Why? For starters, Ritchie seems too young.
Quote: catskillz @ August 2 2008, 1:34 PM BSTI think Bradley Walsh would've been better than Shane Ritchie. Why? For starters, Ritchie seems too young.
I thought they were the same person.
Why the hell have I left this lie in the incorrect forum for so long? Moving!
Quote: Griff @ July 31 2008, 8:14 PM GMTAlso the Minder movies (TV movies ?) were frigging awful, especially the one when they went to Australia.
There were two TV movies: Minder on the Orient Express and An Officer and a Car Salesman. Orient Express was excellent. Arthur drunkenly recognizing Sgt. Chisholm (undercover on an Interpol case) and referring to him as "Interplod" is one of the greatest moments of the series. Car Salesman was a bit silly, but much fun (and sadly Chisholm's final appearance). The one where they went to Australia was a couple of episodes in Series 9 (long after Dennis Waterman had left and been replaced by the new minder). It was a bit daft how they could drive from Sydney to the "outback" in a few moments. At the time of filming the Australia specials, Dennis Waterman was staying in Sydney, appearing in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell - and although he re-united with George Cole, he couldn't be persuaded to make a cameo, which was a shame, as Terry had moved to Australia when Waterman left the show.
Quote: Blenkinsop @ February 13 2007, 1:36 AM GMTSome of the characters were superbly named.
I always remember a fence called - Larch lap
And a guy who wore an ill-fitting wig called - The Syrup
Do all East end Gangsters have great names?.. Razor Eddie, Sideboard, chairleg (I think those are from Turtles progress though)
The original shows were great. I didn't watch any after Terry left. You knew what you were getting
Arthur gets some dodgy gear
Gets Terry to move it
Whitehouse standard fit bird involved somewhere
Terry shags bird
Terry let down by arthur
Terry has fight with heavies (always wins)
Nearly gets caught by Chisolm
Arthur end up in the club with someone after him
Terry never gets paid
Dave, the proprietor/barman at the Winchester, asks Arthur to pay his substantial slate. Arthur declines, making some excuse about being busy and stressed. Sometimes Dave will cancel the slate in return for a dodgy bit of merchandise, such as a fake Rolex that stops working two days later.
Did I miss anything?
Quality.
Quote: Will Cam @ January 25 2011, 8:21 PM GMTDid I miss anything?
Dave at the Winchester club asks Arthur to pay his slate. Arthur settles the bill with a fake Rolex that stops working two days later.
I said that Kenneth 
Quote: Will Cam @ January 25 2011, 8:21 PM GMTWhitehouse standard fit bird involved somewhere
Terry shags bird
Alas, this was greatly curtailed by Series 4 because the producers and Dennis Waterman felt it was not a responsible message to be sending amid the outbreak of AIDS.
Minder was a great series - I didn't mind the post Waterman episodes because it still had George Cole, he could have been acting alongsie Kelly Brook in her sexiest lingerie and I would have only had eyes from him - a great great character actor.
In the remake I think they missed a trick. Should have had an older actor in the "Daley" role but the Minder should have been an East European immigrant with very strong traditional morals but also skint.
It was aces.
Minder was, if not the greatest, then certainly one of the greatest long-running comedy series ever. It had peerless writing, brilliant acting and ensemble performances that have rarely been bettered on our TV screens. Thursday nights ITV 9.00 were simply not to be missed.
In its heyday the biggest names in the land were busting a gut for a cameo in Minder, and watching them again recently on ITV 4 only serves to point out that there's nothing today in a similar format that's fit to wipe Minder's boots.
Arthur Daley has to be one of the best comic creations ever and how perfectly was George Cole cast in the role? A marriage made in heaven.
Thought it went right down the nick when Waterman shipped out. The magic of the partnership was gorn my son. Shame it didn't end at that point.
Incidentally the entire canon is available on Amazon for the amazing price of £51.93! That's 33 CDs to you my son and they even include the Webster years.
Now you can't say fairer than that!
