Minder

There are some shows that people really want to return, but know that she probably shouldn't come back as they'll be pale imitations of the original version.

This remake (or continuation) of 'Minder' is a good example of this.

It's not bad actually, but it suffers hugely in comparison to the original show.

Shane Richie does well, but his character is basically just Alfie Moon (his Eastenders character) under another name.

Crucially the writing isn't great, and the plots aren't the best.

It's a noble effort, but it just didn't capture the public's imagination in the same way as the original.

I've never liked Shane Ritchie so I wasn't expecting to like this Minder re-make. But, actually, he's quite good in the role. It may not be as good as the original but they've done well by not making it too similar.

The plots aren't brilliant but this is light entertainment, and doesn't need to be too closely scrutinised. The main characters are likable and sufficiently different from 'Tel' and 'Arthur' that comparisons aren't a big problem. And the 'Minder' in this series isn't quite such a pushover for Archie Daley as Terry was for Arthur. The episodes also got stronger as the characters developed.

All in all, a reasonable hours entertainment that doesn't require too much concentration. You need to give it a chance and watch a few episodes.

One of the problems of remaking an old series, is that we often forget how awful the original series was at times. Even the classics took a while to get going, and the original Minder was no different. It took many years for George Cole and Dennis Waterman to get into our national blood.

The story lines where implausible, but it was sheer escapism into the lovable rogue world of wheeling and dealing. Recall this was the era that Arther Daley and Del Trotter where part of the staple diets of the UK.

So a remake of Minder was always going to be a daunting task that wasn't going to win the hearts of many straight out of the gate.

Shane Richie plays a very good Archie Daley and is more in the vein of the original George Cole's character than we probably care to remember.

This was an enjoyable romp and I look forward to see these characters get comfortable with their surroundings.

Don't be quick to judge, as nostalgic series are often best left to our memory.

While the 21st Century version of the classic 80s comedy-drama 'Minder' was always going to have a lot to live up to, the first episodes gives cause for optimism.

There was outcry amongst fans when TV personality and sometime TV presenter Shane Ritchie was cast as Archie Daley, nephew of the infamous Arthur, but while Ritchie is not much of an actor, he gets an 'A' for effort here. If anything, he should tone down his 'cheekie-chappie' enthusiasm, in favour of portraying a veneer of reputability, but, as the series will take time to hit its stride so will Ritchie.

The plot exists to be disregarded - an entirely nebulous storyline fulfilled its purposes of introducing us to the principals, via a series of non-descript villains. While Petra (who I take to be a relative of the gravel-voiced Dave, proprietor of the Winchester Club in the George Cole original) is a spirited character and looks set to be a series regular, it was Lex Shrapnel who gave the standout performance. Carrying the show with an understated hard edge and an air of seen-it-all-before weariness, he already seems as able a Minder as either Dennis Waterman or Gary Webster.

It was during the commercials that I stumbled across Waterman on the other side, and while I thought I would be pining for his gravelly tones and acknowledge considerable presence, I feel that the show, in its infancy, will survive without him.

As far as pilot episodes go, this wasn't bad and seeing as the pilot is usually the worst episode, i imagine that this can only get better. If you watch it as a standalone series and don't compare it to the original then its pretty good. Richie and Shrapnel don't try to copy Cole and Waterman and the characters aren't supposed to be Arthur and Terry which is a plus as no-one could do justice to those characters apart from George Cole and Dennis Waterman. The show is fast paced, mildly amusing and well filmed. Some of the supporting cast's acting leaves a lot to be desired (whoever played the Gold brothers were absolutely awful) but they're only in the pilot (i hope)but Richie and Shrapnel put in a decent enough performance. All in all, its pretty good, just don't compare it to the original.