Television series
Minder
Minder is a British comedy-drama about a washed-up boxer working as a bodyguard for a small-time crook hustling every angle in 1980s London. It's funny and warm despite the dodgy dealings, held together by wonderful chemistry between its leads. Essential viewing for anyone who loves character-driven crime comedy with real heart.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love a double act where the bickering is affectionate and the crime is small-time, the sort of show that plays a dodgy scheme for laughs while keeping a real working-class London grit underneath.
Skip it if you want plot-driven tension or a tidy arc from episode to episode, since each story is a self-contained caper and the rhythm is loose, chatty and often more about the banter than the stakes.
What it asks of you: Ten seasons of hour-long episodes, so it rewards settling in for a long run; the pace is unhurried, the mood flips easily between cheeky and rough, and it needs your attention mainly for the dialogue.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Sweeney1975
ITV's grittier, more violent answer to police procedurals. Features the same London underworld, the same era's moral ambiguity, and Jack Regan—a cop as compromised as Arthur Daley. Brilliant action and dark humour.
But The violence is genuinely brutal for 1970s TV. Some episodes feel dated in ways that make the tone uneven, and it takes itself more seriously than Minder.
Lovejoy1986
Another charming rogue series about a con artist antiques dealer. Same chemistry between leads, same sense that everyone's bent but nobody's truly bad. Ian McShane is magnetic, and the cases are clever without being convoluted.
But It leans more heavily into the cases than character. Some people find the whimsy calculated rather than earned. Less street-level than Minder.
The Professionals1977
A taut action-drama about CI5 agents hunting down criminals. Bodie and Doyle have that same lived-in rapport as Terry and Arthur. Stylish, pacey, genuinely tense when it needs to be, with excellent writing.
But More procedural than character study. The 1970s action grammar can feel stiff to modern eyes. Heavier on spectacle than Minder's intimate humour.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Minder
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Performance.1970
Both films inhabit the same London underworld but from opposite angles: where Minder finds warmth in the grime, Performance finds corruption in the glamour. Both understand that charm and criminality are not opposites.
A rock-and-roll crime film where a gangster hides out with a washed-up rock star in swinging London. Visually hallucinogenic, deeply weird, but captures the same moral murk and sexual ambiguity of the underworld. A masterpiece that rewards repeat viewing.
But Experimental and difficult. The narrative doesn't follow conventional logic. Some viewers find it pretentious or simply unwatchable. Not a comfort watch.
More like this (7)
Callan1967
A spy thriller about an assassin caught between duty and conscience. Edward Woodward's performance has the same lived-in weariness as George Cole. Darker than Minder but with the same sense of a man navigating a corrupt system.
But Genuinely bleak in places. Much less funny—the darkness doesn't relent. Some episodes are slow for modern attention spans.
Rumpole of the Bailey1978
A messy, brilliant barrister taking cases nobody else will touch, defending the indefensible with warmth and wit. The affection for flawed London characters and the way it balances humour with moral seriousness mirrors Minder perfectly.
But Lawyer procedural format doesn't move as fast as Minder's schemes. Heavy on courtroom exposition. Feels more staid, less street-level.
Grange Hill1978
British school drama with genuine grit beneath the education ministry remit. Shows the same London as Minder but through different eyes. Warm, funny, and unafraid of real consequences. Surprisingly sophisticated writing.
But It's a school show—the stakes feel smaller. Younger cast means different emotional register. Less crime, more coming-of-age angst.
The Likely Lads1964
A comedy about two working-class lads navigating life and friendship in the North. Similar warmth and chemistry, similar ear for how real people talk. Less crime, but the same affection for its characters' contradictions.
But Less plot momentum than Minder. The comedy is very of its moment—some jokes don't land. No crime engine to drive the narrative forward.
Killing Them Softly2012
A police drama focused on investigation rather than action. Serious and methodical but with moments of character comedy. Shows the same world as Minder but from the other side of the law.
But Much slower paced. Less charming—the police are genuinely trying to be professional. Can feel procedural and dated even by 1970s standards.
Sexy Beast2001
Like Minder, it's about a man trying to maintain a comfortable life in the margins of crime, but everything he's tried to escape comes calling. Where Minder finds gentleness in the underworld, Sexy Beast finds menace lurking beneath every deal.
A darkly comic crime story about a retired mobster interrupted by a psychopath in an idyllic Spanish exile. Ben Kingsley gives a performance so baroque it rewrites the genre. Funny, vicious, and structurally brilliant.
But The violence is shocking and graphic. The comedy is very dark—no safety net. Pacing is deliberately fractured and will frustrate people who want linear storytelling.
Brick2006
Both centre on a lower-class protagonist navigating a corrupt system through street smarts and loyalty. Both understand that genre archetypes can contain real feeling. Both are small-scale stories that trust the audience to care about flawed people.
A hardboiled noir detective story played by American high schoolers, in a suburban landscape. Sounds gimmicky but it's genuinely brilliant—clever plotting, sharp dialogue, real emotional weight. A complete reimagining of genre language.
But Very stylised dialogue and world-building. Some viewers find the deliberate artifice off-putting. No recognisable stars at the time it was made. Demands your attention.
People
Cast
Writing
- Leon GriffithsCreator