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Post by jno on Feb 16, 2015 19:49:06 GMT
Link to episode on minder.org: www.minder.org/episodeguide/S01E04_ATetheredGoat.htm
This one stands out for me in series 1 as being an episode where Terry is really called upon to be a real Minder and is probably not as humourous as some others in this series.
There are also some real dodgy characters in this one on an international scale - firstly 'Elliot' played by Michael Sheard. He is very scary for me in this one and clearly has no qualms at all about topping anyone and is extremely cold.
Then there is Sardi played by Nadim Sawala (who was in a Hamlet cigar advert with George Cole some years earlier). He is 'diplomatic bent' and clearly looking for some sort of political gain out of topping Sayin.
Together they bring in the heavies who are wielding machine guns which is clearly out of Terry's league.
Then we have our more regional bent - Arthur, who has an office and is running a massage parlour in this episode. Arthur seems to have his fingers in more pies in series 1 as opposed to later on when it is primarily (a) lockup (b) car lot and (c) venture of the week. Then we have Frankie at the massage parlour, clearly up for anything for a bit of wedge and George who Arthur meets at the start played by actor Johnny Shannon, he sounds bent and how come he knows these premier league villains anyway?
Then last but not least is our Dai - he is probably the star of the show and dodgy simply because he is haplessly desperate to impress and will tell any old porky to do so.
There are some good lines in this one - my favourite being when Dai twigs there is a problem 'Terry! Shooters! Oh My God!' and with his washing up liquid shouts 'Running off are we? Stand up and fight like men!' These always have me giggling. Arthur sweating it in the van is a great bit of acting from George Cole. A little bit of info on Mohamed Sultan who had the shooter in the van with Arthur here: m.elcinema.com/en/person/pr1083443/
The black Granada is also a very good choice of villain mobile for me. Strange how when Cowley drives one in The Professionals is doesn't look dodgy at all - it must therefore be 'the all official looking' motor of the period. We also see 'The Crown' pub for the first time that pops up later in 'Around The Corner'.
Not the best episode in series 1 but it has some excellent moments in it where Arthur & Terry are clearly out of their comfort zone in terms of villainy. Despite that I can't help but like it! |
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Post by garytomo on Jun 18, 2015 22:37:26 GMT
Class episode.
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Post by plasticpenguin on Jun 27, 2015 11:54:27 GMT
Yeah, saw this episode last night on ITV4. Excellent display from Dennis, proving what a valuable asset he is to Arthur. I think one of the very few eps where he is shrewd in such adversity (guns v fists).
The only iffy aspect (IMHO) was 'Dai' the man servant. A little too comic book for it to work.
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Post by VAT on Jul 3, 2015 17:33:53 GMT
Clearly a favourite among some fans, but not one of my own. But as with almost all eps there's always some great stuff to find. "Shooters Terry!" and I think jno makes a great point...in this one, Terry truly is a Minder! |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 5, 2015 20:42:53 GMT
A Tethered Goat.
Once again Terry is loaned out by Arthur, this time to protect a Lebanese banker during his short stay in London. So Arthur seeing a potential to make some money, goes about trying to set up 'an investment meeting', while Terry is more concerned about why people keep asking him if he's carrying a shooter..
As expected the banker isn't quite who he says he is and nor are Terry's shadowy sub-employers; which puts Terry smack dab in the middle of the crosshairs of the international goons out to kill Sayin the 'banker'...
So-so I felt this episode. Cole and Waterman don't put a foot wrong and it has a good strong supporting cast with the ever menacing Sheard; and Griffith who provides the comic relief.
With Lee Montague playing Sayin, looking very much like Anthony Quinn.
Jenny Lee Wright playing the good time girl Frankie, who it has to be said is not without a bit of nouse, being that she's Arthur's business partner.
At first I couldn't remember what she'd been in, but on further inspection her credit list covers a heck of a lot of TV work, wherein she often played a 'straight man' to comedians of the day.
Finally director Gatward does a pretty decent job here, even if once again some of the action segments (the police round up for one) are a little weak, but he would go on to direct a further two Minder episodes, so we will see how he fairs there. His other notable forays into TV producing/directing include John Thaw's 'The Capone Investment' and an episode of 'Shadows Of Fear' ('71), but before you start checking the title, it's not the episode that featured George Cole..!
Some nice locations, especially the crossroads where the pub is situated at the end.
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Post by barrythebook on Jul 5, 2015 20:59:22 GMT
I think Kenneth Griffith is priceless in this.
The way he portrays camp aggression always adds something good.
He did the same in 'Wild Geese' as Witty, the Gay medic and as Bishop Crick in 'Who Dares Wins'.
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Post by brennie on Jul 31, 2015 10:11:40 GMT
Good to see another performance from Lesley Daine. Always good in her roles in Crossroads and Within These Walls, in this episode she's the uncredited massage parlour receptionist in the purple top who immediately takes a dislike to Arthur.
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Post by jno on Jul 31, 2015 14:17:12 GMT
Good to see another performance from Lesley Daine. Always good in her roles in Crossroads and Within These Walls, in this episode she's the uncredited massage parlour receptionist in the purple top who immediately takes a dislike to Arthur. Nice info - love it! There is a 'Judo' magazine in this scene might hold a clue regarding a precise filming date (I only have an approximation at present). |
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Post by jno on Aug 12, 2015 8:25:45 GMT
Double page feature in Reveille all about series 1's 'A Tethered Goat'. 
Page 16: 
Page 17: 
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Post by Portland Road on Aug 18, 2015 7:48:43 GMT
Like it. Can't be long before Reveille ceased publication.
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Post by daz on Aug 18, 2015 20:42:33 GMT
Isla is still on the go now. She retired for a while to bring up her family, but she is very much still on the scene up here in Scotland, but mainly to do with music, tradiitional Scottish music, which I cannot stand. I once sat next to her at the theatre during a play with Robert Powell and Lisa Goddard, my claim to fame. A lovely woman is Isla, but you can keep her music in a cowshed, but then I think that would be cruel on the cows.
I like reading old press articles and remembering people you used to see on TV from years ago.
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Post by pr1 on Feb 16, 2016 18:18:58 GMT
I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. As mentioned Terry has a true job as a Minder for a change..Kenneth Griffiths is great. I like Arthur's pretensions of being a big league wheeler and dealer.
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Post by barrythebook on Feb 16, 2016 21:36:33 GMT
I like Arthur's pretensions of being a big league wheeler and dealer. Arthur has truly got a massive set of balls in this episode! How he thought he could instigate ripping off a high flying international businessman of Saeens credentials is beyond me.
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Post by jno on Apr 24, 2016 19:00:08 GMT
Finally able to put a name to an uncredited boat (on the left in this episode) after several years - it is Raul Newney, also seen in 'Wolcott', 'Space: 1999" series 1 of 'The Bill' and 'Return of the Saint'. Picture on right taken from episode 1 of 'Wolcott' from 1981.  IMDb link: www.imdb.com/name/nm0628355/ |
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Post by gustav on May 11, 2016 14:33:53 GMT
Saw this episode today on ITV 4 for the first time. I thought it was excellent, Kenneth Griffith and Lee Montague made it very enjoyable on top of the regulars' performances. I liked the way the atmosphere of tension in the house is gradually cranked up at the same time as Arthur is trying to pull his dodgy and increasingly inappropriate scams on Sayin using Dai and Frankie. Arthur really drops Terry in it in this one, it would be a bit hard to forgive really, especially when he swipes his cheque as well at the end.
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Post by Zimbo on Sept 15, 2016 9:28:14 GMT
An excellent episode full of tension, but yes, there really didn't seem any way out for Terry and Arthur.
I did like Michael Sheard and Nadim Sawalha as the quietly menacing villains.
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Post by gra966 on Nov 29, 2016 6:16:20 GMT
A gripping episode this , finished off at the end with a great scene of Arthur crashing into the police van - Adding a touch of glamour & taking a breather from being chased around a park by Benny Hill was the lovely Jenny Lee Wright & another great menacing performance from Michael Sheard - The regular Professionals Daimler Limo AWP633H pulls up behind the Rolls at the airport near the beginning - Elliot drives a dark blue MK2 Granada Ghia identical to Cowleys this one COO232T was also used as a road test car in a 1979 issue of the AA equivalent to Autocar & Motor - Drive magazine - In the last scene with the black Merc - its tax disc is in its proper position of the bottom left hand corner of the screen - in earlier scenes it appears higher up almost in the passenger s line of vision ! |
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Post by chopper on Apr 26, 2017 16:41:29 GMT
Some priceless moments - "Terry - shooters"😀
Just a little far fetched - with the shooters etc on show......
Great cast - again though,and motors!
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Post by barrythebook on Apr 26, 2017 21:15:02 GMT
I don't know what Saieens' religion is but when he's holed up in the Crown pub with Terry and Dai, it's nice big helpings of eggs and bacon/gammon/ham all round  |
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Post by Albert Wendell on Apr 27, 2017 18:33:28 GMT
I watched this episode on Tuesday and really enjoyed it I had only seen it once and that was around 2004/2005 it has somehow avoided my repeat viewings I could remember the basic plot but there were many parts I couldn’t remember.
It’s a gritty episode and clearly an early one in that we see Terry and Arthur apart for fair amount of it with Terry being hired out as a minder.
Michael Sheard who always plays a nasty character so well (I believe he was very nice in real life) does a great job as Elliot I love his 'good lord no' comment to Terry and is this the only time we see Arthur take a punch? Nadim Swalha is a good as ever. Kenneth Griffith made those scripts really come alive as Dai, the first scene we see him in made me laugh. I’m from West Wales which is made up of three counties Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion (formally Cardiganshire) and I had a feeling that Kenneth Griffith from his accent may also be from West Wales and I checked and yes he was born and raised in Pembrokeshire (where I live and was raised). I disagree (in the nicest possible way) with plasticpenguin's comments above about him being 'a little too comic book' because I can tell you there are people in West Wales just like Dai real characters, slightly strange and plenty of them are heavy drinkers too. Interesting that Arthur would be involved in a massage parlour something that the later episodes wouldn’t entertain as by then they’d made him more prudish.
I have mentioned before that in early episodes Arthur is nicer and not as money driven and this shows when Terry is concerned that Sayin could be topped Arthur tells Terry to get out quick and bring Dai with him concerned more for their safety than the money he’d lose.
As pointed out by gra966 the ‘black’ Ford Granada is actually blue as is Cowley’s Granada. The colour is called Midnight Blue and was a very popular colour used by Ford from 1977-1981. I have a MKII Escort 1300 L in that colour and it does look more like black on a dull day from a distance but old film makes the colour look even more black. Incidentally the Cortina estate used in The Professionals episode with the desk on the roof (‘The Acorn Syndrome’ I think?) was also Midnight Blue and not black.
When the Mercedes Benz parks in front of the red Mini on Swiss plates (one of Minder’s dodgy motors) look between the two front wheels there is a yellow item there which to me looks like the bases of two yellow road cones next to each other. This type of cone is used by the authorities to prevent parking I’m wondering if the film crew used these two cones to reserve a place in front of the Mini so that the Mercedes could park there, possible further proof that the Mini is part of the crews vehicles. When we see the front of the Mini later there is no sign of these cones or anything else yellow that it could have been.
One other car point when Elliot quickly scours the car lot before deciding on the van look carefully there is a dark blue (also looks black on film) Audi 100 (I think it’s a 100) reg number ADN 212J this same car is parked on the car lot in the opening titles. Is this the only time a car from the opening titles (apart from Terry’s Capri and Arthur’s Jaguar) appears in an episode? The DVLA don’t have the cars details so I guess it was scrapped long ago, Audi’s from the 1970’s had severe rust issues that’s why sadly next to none have survived in the UK.
A great episode and a good example of early Minder 5/5
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Post by jno on May 19, 2017 18:39:16 GMT
An nice article dated as shown:  |
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Post by pr1 on May 19, 2017 20:29:19 GMT
Kenneth Griffith was a wonderful character actor.
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Post by pr1 on Jun 18, 2017 16:47:35 GMT
A top episode and a personal favorite. I just watched it again for the second time. I forgot how it ended and found it highly amusing. It is interesting to see Arthur in an actual office which I suspect he was probley tossed out of for not paying the rent.
A great cast and lots of great moments in this episode. Definetly one not to miss.
Rewatching the series it seems odd to see so little of Dave and The Winchester Club in the earliest episodes.
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dlw28
Car Lot Browser
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Post by dlw28 on Jul 13, 2017 19:00:37 GMT
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Post by gustav on Aug 13, 2017 22:36:34 GMT
This is a great episode. As some say above a quite gritty one but also with humour too, most notably from Dai. Great cast, especially Kenneth Griffith and Lee Montague. One of my favourites.
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Post by billymedhurst on Dec 5, 2017 21:29:48 GMT
Fabulous episode; watched today.
And what a cast ! The brilliantly bemused Lee Montague, the always menacing Michael Sheard; such a great double act with Nadim Sawalha. One I wish had been repeated.
Brilliant, some of the scenes with Dai Llewellyn had me in tears !
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Post by barrythebook on Dec 5, 2017 23:21:06 GMT
Brilliant, some of the scenes with Dai Llewellyn had me in tears ! Kenneth Griffith always excels in this type of role. He plays Dai as 'camp' but still one of the boys, who's not afraid to get stuck in when the need arises. |
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Post by thewoodster on Mar 8, 2018 9:25:45 GMT
Great one liners in this.
Great cast.
Terry doing what he does best...fantastic.
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Post by pr1 on Nov 18, 2019 4:49:34 GMT
Watched this again tonight. It's still one of favorite episodes and Kenneth Griffith's performance impresses more each time I see it.
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Post by greener1981 on Nov 19, 2019 19:30:55 GMT
Mr Bronson!!!
Cracking episode, gritty and comedic, loved Dai!
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