The Loneliness of the Long Distance Entrepreneur

"The Loneliness of the Long Distance Entrepreneur" is the first episode of Series 8 of the ITV drama television series Minder. Written by David Yallop and directed by Diarmuid Lawrence, it first aired on 5 September 1991.
Plot
Many times over the previous seven series of Minder, Terry has threatened to go his separate way and get away from Arthur's dubious influence - only to return. But this time, he really seems to have carried out his threat, and Arthur is horrified to discover that Terry has got married and migrated to Australia. Only Dave seems to have been privy to the events, and he was asked not to let on.
As the news spreads, Arthur's enemies come calling and take what they see as their rightful dues, including two cars and a stack of video recorders. And Dave gets a visit from gangsters running a protection racket.
Arthur is now running a seemingly successful new and used car business named 'Daley Into Europe' ('I saw a window of opportunity and jumped straight through it!') and his brother Bert asks him to give his son Ray a job. Arthur is dubious at the somewhat flash young man, until he takes on the protection racketeers with fisticuffs, and leaves them badly battered. He is appointed Arthur's new Minder and 'personal assistant', but on typically vague and less-than-generous terms. As he doesn't have a car, he is allowed the use of a car from the car lot or has to drive a clapped-out Ford Transit van.
Ray also speaks French, which proves valuable when he is sent to Brussels to collect a privately imported VW Golf car that DS Morley has ordered from Arthur at a substantial cash discount. Ray doesn't let on to the dealer than he speaks French, but realises that they are running a drug trafficking racket, hiding drugs within the car's spare tyre. After initially thinking that Arthur was in on the racket, he tells what he overheard and together they are able to demonstrate the racket to DS Morley and DC Park, who would like nothing better than to arrest Arthur for trafficking.
Cast
* Gary Webster as Ray Daley
* George Cole as Arthur Daley
* Glynn Edwards as Dave
* Sydney Livingstone as Bert Daley
* Lill Roughly as Doreen Daley
* Nicholas Day as DS Michael Morley
* Stephen Tompkinson as DC Johnny Park
* Roberta Taylor as Pat Norris (Terry's mother-in-law)

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu