The Phenomenon that was ... Minder

With an audience of countless millions in more than 80 countries around the world, the Thames Television series Minder was one of Britain’s top television programmes of the 1980s. The show ran for 15 years and 108 episodes, and is still gaining new fans as it is released on video and DVD.

Conceived by veteran script-writer Leon Griffiths as a crime show with a sprinkling of humour, the razor-sharp scripts, crisp direction and on-screen chemistry between George Cole as Arthur Daley and Dennis Waterman as Terry (who was later replaced by Gary Webster) saw the humour gradually overtake the crime. With the added appeal to the female audience of Dennis Waterman as the minder, the programme became a feel-good icon, and turned such expressions as 'a nice little earner' and ' 'er indoors' into national catch-phrases.

What made the programme tick? Who were the people involved? Who played whom in a particular episode? The answers are all here in Brian Hawkins’ entertaining and comprehensive look at The Phenomenon that was Minder.

Advance praise for The Phenomenon that was Minder :
"The only guide to Minder you'll ever need."
George Cole ("Arthur Daley")
"Hugely entertaining and informative -- the essential Minder companion."
Patrick Malahide ("Sergeant Chisholm")

Inkstone Books, November 2002

ISBN 962-86812-1-4, GBP15.99

Brian Hawkins is a medical scientist now living in Hong Kong. Of Cockney origin himself, his fascination with rhyming slang piqued his interest in Minder. As he studied the programme in more detail he found very little reference material, and so he wrote this book to chronicle this important chapter of British television history.