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Post by jno on Feb 16, 2015 19:54:21 GMT
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Post by jno on Feb 20, 2015 14:45:29 GMT
A few words from director Peter Sadsy and an old tale from George Cole in this one. I am pretty sure this was done during the filming of "The Bengal Tiger".  |
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Post by barrythebook on Feb 25, 2015 23:16:30 GMT
I know you've been working on filming dates jno.
In one of the newsagents scenes, there's a TRUCK magazine on the shelves.
I found a copy of the mag with the same cover online and it's dated as May 1979.
Don't know if this helps.
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Post by jno on Feb 26, 2015 4:11:38 GMT
Yep - sure does. Any bit of info helps as there is very little original paperwork still around. I am aware of other private collectors of Minder material who have crossed paths (but never crossed words!) with me since 1997 (willing to pay stupid money for original paperwork) so I know there are others out there that do have lots of stuff similar to what I have paid an arm and a leg for in the past haha! Sadly (for us) they are not putting the info back into the public domain (yet) but I have faith that one day all the little questions and mysteries about Minder will be out there for us to satisfy the hunger for completeness. Filming dates for this one are 'likely' 9th - 20th July 1979 based on all the evidence so far - mags/newspapers in the shop pieced together with paperwork for other episodes and other bits of filming date info. Series 1 is coming together quite nicely ( www.minder.org/filmingdates/ ). Any bits of info, however large or small always help 'go into the mix' and are really appreciated. To me this episode is great but is one of the few that clearly looks more 1970s vibe - street filming, market stalls, chocolate bar wrappers, Terry's clobber etc. Love it - it is much more 'raw' to me. The music playing when Arthur follows Indira is the same bit of library music which features throughout "A Tethered Goat" - called "Overhaul". The only unconvincing scene in this episode for me is where Arthur thinks Kev is doing Indira in with a hammer. The whole hammering just looks unnatural. Mike Brady (Kev) we know of course from other shows. The ubiquitous extra 'Eric Kent' can also be seen in the cafe too as is another extra that looks a lot like but is definitely not Meic 'Taff Jones' Povey. The fight is a nasty one in this episode, the car repossession story a nice addition as is the final scene as Terry clocks the fit bird walking past him and thinks he's clearly still got it! Overall I like this one but it is certainly not the best that series 1 has offer. |
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Post by barrythebook on Feb 27, 2015 7:08:11 GMT
Yes a good episode with , as you say, a very 70's on the street feel about it.
I agree about the scene in which Arthur looks through the basement window and sees Kev wielding the hammer. Very wooden.
The 'owner' of the car which Terry has to reclaim is Graham Stark, who's finest moment surely must be playing Inspector Clousea's downtrodden underling in the hilarious Pink Panther movies.
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Post by terrence on Mar 5, 2015 14:49:09 GMT
What a brilliant little article... Superb!
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Post by barrythebook on Mar 8, 2015 22:32:41 GMT
Very good snippet.
Wasn't Arthurs involvement in a Massage Parlour from 'A Tethered Goat'?
I'd say the photo was from that episode too.
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Post by jno on Mar 10, 2015 20:24:53 GMT
Very good snippet. Wasn't Arthurs involvement in a Massage Parlour from 'A Tethered Goat'? I'd say the photo was from that episode too. Correct on both points barrythebook! The interesting bit is that director Peter Sasdy is mentioned. In series 1 he directed 'The Bounty Hunter', 'OK Laundrette' and 'The Bengal Tiger'. 'The Bengal Tiger' has a lot of scenes filmed around Kensington Olympia ( www.minder.org/locations/S01E07_TheBengalTiger.htm ) so I am sure this is the episode being filmed. Interesting the article appears in October where as we know 'The Bengal Tiger' was filmed July-ish. The timing must have something to do with promotion of the show. Interesting Peter Sadsy says the first one he did was 'OK Laundrette' which conflicts with NickP's info about 'The Bounty Hunter' being first. I think NickP is spot on though, the 'OK Laundrette' paperwork I have matches more or less what he says, plus there are other bits which 'suggest' NickP is correct, which again makes me wonder if this article is series promotion about broadcast episode 1 on 29th October - perhaps? |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 6, 2015 9:01:20 GMT
Next in production order was The Bengal Tiger
Terry is sent down to Arthur's local corner shop when it transpires that the owner, 'Mr Mukerjee', has been getting aggro from some kids in the neighbourhood. Of course when Terry shows up there's more to this than meets the eye, when he almost instantly notices that Mr Mukerjee is being rather fuzzy around the facts of this youth gang that is terrorising his shop.
His sassy daughter asserting a much different version of the events.
Soon it transpires that Mr Mukerjee has welched on a promise and owes a considerable amount of money to a disgruntled businessman, who is not against using force to get what he is owed...
Again, more of a comedy offering this episode, suggesting that even though halfway through the first series, when compared to other episodes, it still hadn't made it's mind(er) up as to how it was going to play itself.
This being Sasdy's third and final stint at the helm. As one would expect, he's a safe pair of hands, but once again the action sequences appear clumsy. Or if not clumsily directed (which they are), at the very least badly edited. Checkout Terry's bruises all over his face at the end, caused in a fight where he only seems to get hit once or twice? Did we lose a lot of footage? It does seem badly handled.
This is very much a Terry driven episode, but we do get Arthur using his innate Private Detective skills again, this time where he follows Shireen Anwar to the arms of her unlikely lover.
Interesting to note is Shireen's (aka: birth name Shirley Hills) age in this. She was supposed to be about 18~20yrs I think, and looks it, but was married in 1966 (to actor Tariq Anwar) and had her daughter (the famous actress - and very pretty - Gabriella Anwar) in 1970. So I reckon she was at least 30!!
And although there's a few other mentions, Ahmed Khalil steals the rest with a tasty, calculated performance.
The locations are great in this, with a restaurant getting busted up, and the newsagents in particular, offering all manner of nostalgic magazines, papers, sweets, books and random stock, for those of us locked in a retro mindwarp to gawp at!
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Post by daz on Sept 18, 2015 13:35:39 GMT
Watched this the other day and forgot how good an episode it was. Saeed Jaffrey always cracks me up, plays shifty characters very well, so fits in well. Mike Grady also makes an great appearance as Kev the QPR supporting boyfriend.
As mentioned above I think it is just the filming in the shop and general locations I like about it. Shops, no matter how small, used to sell loads of stuff back then, other than cheap alcohol and mega packs of crisps and chocolate like nowadays. I used to spend any money I had as a kid buying matchbox cars and airfix models from my local newsagents and I wouldn't ever like to count up how much I used to spend on comics.... happy days.
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Post by thewinchester on Oct 16, 2015 11:04:32 GMT
I done my truck test in a truck very similar to the one on the cover of the magazine, I think it was a Renault R380. I always think of that when watching this episode. I agree a lot of newsagent have followed trends of cheap booze and crisps, my local newsagents that I use to love going to as a nipper although changed hands still sells toy cars and tractor and all that kind of stuff that I loved back in the day. There was always something new an exciting to see in there back then and was wall to wall full of stuff. I love the thought in this episode of Arthur calling in to he's local newsagent to pick up his smokes and papers before going on to his car lot to have a pot of tea (made using milk from glass bottle) and a smoke before a potential punter turns up.
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Post by Celvin on Nov 16, 2015 16:04:16 GMT
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Post by Terry on Nov 16, 2015 17:10:03 GMT
Indira's dad....looks like it....well, at the end of the day its 30 yrs ago....
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Post by daz on Nov 16, 2015 19:54:26 GMT
A good actor who graced a lot of classic television programmes over the years and usually added a touch of quality to whatever part he he played. RIP |
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Post by daytona355 on Nov 16, 2015 20:15:14 GMT
RIP. great character actor
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Post by jno on Nov 16, 2015 20:40:46 GMT
I agree - he is excellent in this episode.
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Dazza
One Of Your Own
Posts: 111
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Post by Dazza on Nov 16, 2015 20:50:12 GMT
Sad news
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Post by barrythebook on Nov 16, 2015 22:48:11 GMT
Quite a career - RIP.
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Post by thewinchester on Nov 19, 2015 2:25:29 GMT
A real interesting guy and amazing actor RIP.
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Post by Albert Wendell on Nov 26, 2015 0:51:59 GMT
He was great in this episode (which in it's self is great) and he was fantastic in Gangsters as Rafiq. RIP.
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Post by mrmukerjee on Dec 21, 2015 10:02:15 GMT
This is one of my favourite episodes (hence the username)
It is quite raw and rough round the edges compared to later episodes from later series.
Highlights for me are the characters Kev (Mike Grady) and Aslam's "minder", Wilson? played by Stanley Lebor. He makes me laugh as here he is as a tough guy, but all I can picture him as is Howard in Ever Decreasing Circles.
Best quote comes from Terry when he calls Wilson "a failed murderer", referring to him having done time for attempted murder.
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Post by barrythebook on Dec 21, 2015 20:53:50 GMT
Highlights for me are the characters Kev (Mike Grady) and Aslam's "minder", Wilson? played by Stanley Lebor. He makes me laugh as here he is as a tough guy, but all I can picture him as is Howard in Ever Decreasing Circles. Lebors' characters in the two programmes couldn't be more different could they but Gradys character was very similar to 'Ken' which he played in 'Citizen Smith'. |
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Post by pr1 on Feb 17, 2016 5:25:54 GMT
A. very entertaining and enjoyable episode with several laugh out loud moments. I liked all the scenes at the news agents and seeing the products. It reminded me of a news stand I knew in 1979 and I'm in America!
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Post by Zimbo on Sept 23, 2016 22:40:14 GMT
This is a very good episode and the relationship between Terry and Arthur is really developing here. They seem much more at home with each other than the previous episodes. Saeed Jaffrey is perfect as the slippery Mr. Muckerjee.
I wonder what the purpose of the Norman Gibbons character is? 2 very brief appearances. Was he going to have a regular role then dropped?
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Post by jno on Sept 24, 2016 12:58:40 GMT
I wonder what the purpose of the Norman Gibbons character is? 2 very brief appearances. Was he going to have a regular role then dropped? It's a good point Zimbo - both this one and the previous episode are both Leon Griffiths so chances are the character is clearly his idea - a local trader that Arthur knows. He has a nothing part in the two episodes he's in. |
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Post by chopper on Apr 28, 2017 10:34:26 GMT
Funny how he bumps into him,in central London so often!.......
Not a bad episode - but a bit week in areas.
I noticed the Matchbox models in the shop - Barry The Book & I would've been drooling over those,back in the day - even now!
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Post by ltd on Apr 28, 2017 18:05:30 GMT
He was great in this episode (which in it's self is great) and he was fantastic in Gangsters as Rafiq. RIP. He was, and it's good to see him and "Khan" winding each other up again, albeit in a different context. Like Daz I used to buy a lot of model kits from my local newsagent, including the gargantuan Airfix Heinkel HE177 which my Dad had to help me with. |
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Post by pr1 on Jun 25, 2017 21:03:27 GMT
This was better than I remember. A good episode that does show signs of the show still finding its way. I agree that Arthur witnessing the "thumping" is a weak spot. Great location filming in some less than glamorous places which just adds to the realism of the show.
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Post by arnie1 on Aug 9, 2017 21:58:52 GMT
The episode starts of really strong and then falters big time. Terry having an existential crisis was a good touch as is Arthurs mocking of him but this aspect is glossed over way too quickly.
I know this episode is from the late 70s early 80s and the writing of characters from asian or black backgrounds was different to what it is now but the levels of ignorance in the episode are pretty shocking. This is a surprise as Leon Griffiths wrote the wonderful "Play for Today - A Passage to England" which mocks these attitudes of ignorance and even has a Pakistani lead character.
In regards to this episode I wonder if the arranged marriage culture/backwards attitude of Mukherjee was heightened and spun in a way for a broader audience to easily understand. I would hazard a guess that Minder would be more accessible to public than say a 90 minute "Play for Today"?
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Post by westldner on Oct 7, 2017 18:07:47 GMT
This episode was put together well. Really made the ending worth while considering what was stacked against each other so well towards the end. I agree that the scenes were so raw for their time. I thought I was on The Warriors film set there in some scenes for a second. The episode starts of really strong and then falters big time. Terry having an existential crisis was a good touch as is Arthurs mocking of him but this aspect is glossed over way too quickly. I know this episode is from the late 70s early 80s and the writing of characters from asian or black backgrounds was different to what it is now but the levels of ignorance in the episode are pretty shocking. This is a surprise as Leon Griffiths wrote the wonderful "Play for Today - A Passage to England" which mocks these attitudes of ignorance and even has a Pakistani lead character. In regards to this episode I wonder if the arranged marriage culture/backwards attitude of Mukherjee was heightened and spun in a way for a broader audience to easily understand. I would hazard a guess that Minder would be more accessible to public than say a 90 minute "Play for Today"? I thought the episode felt like that, it makes this episode feel more closer to what it was like back in those times, then just another late 70s/early 80s episode. |
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