Minder

Arthur Daley is a name that has become synonymous with shady deals, for this cowardly but loveable rogue specializes in less than reliable, marginally hooky produce dished out at a bargain price. Whether it is mutton-dressed-as-lamb motors from his used-car showroom or crates of appellation noncontrollée from his lock-up, Arthur has the knack of twisting suckers' arms and getting them to buy. Of course, they soon return the goods, or the law intervenes to ensure that Daley's pockets are once again as empty as when they started. But this trilby-sporting, cigar-chewing master of Cockney slang is never far away from another "nice little earner".

Arthur's right hand is Terry McCann, a former professional boxer and occasional jailbird. Now on the straight and narrow (as far as Arthur will allow), McCann - one of life's losers - is easy meat for Daley, who pays him a pittance and promises him the earth. Hired out as a commodity by Arthur to be a bodyguard, bouncer, fetcher or carrier, Terry nevertheless is always there to protect his guv'nor from someone with a grievance - and such people are not hard to find.

Off duty, the pair can be found in the Winchester Club, run by its genial steward, Dave. This refuge from "'er indoors" (as Daley refers to his wife) is also the setting for many "business" meetings. On the side of justice are policemen Chisholm, Rycott and Jones, whose sole aim is to catch up with Arthur Daley, the crook with the Teflon finish.

In 1991, the series returned without Terry, and Arthur instead relied on his second cousin's son, Ray, to make sure that his schemes and scams could continue apace. Pursuit this time came from coppers Morley and Park.