Review of Minder: Specials Vol. 1 Of 2

Introduction

Another highly successful British comedy, Minder spanned ten series and ran for over ten years, and as well as the main series, a number of specials were made - usually festive ones.

Minder is about the comic partnership of Arthur Daley (George Cole) and Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman).

This disc comprises of two of these specials:

Early Years Bonus
This consists of material from the first three series mixed into one episode...a collage of sorts, I suppose you could call it the Minder version of Pulp Fiction. It also features 15 minutes of new footage, and although it is ambitous, it isn`t that enjoyable at all.

Around The Corner
A much better episode, after Arthur gets into a spot of bother Terry comes to the rescue. With banter between the two and the odd action scene thrown in for good measure, it is quite enjoyable.

Video

It is presented in 4:3 Fullscreen, a typical TV-DVD transfer before certain shows began to be shot in far superior widescreen. The visuals are quite good, although the picture isn`t as well defined as it could be.

The episodes are either set in a bar, small apartment or outside - and as mentioned, the odd action set-piece happens outside, with the best one on a dock, and inevitably some of them end up in the water.

Audio

A DD 2.0 track is on offer, and the main audio stream is crisp and clear, and the ambience level is good for an early-80`s production.

The script is good for the second episode, but the `mashed` nature of the first doesn`t sit that well, and therefore doesn`t appeal. However, there are jokes entwined into the episodes, and a few of them are quite amusing, although I wouldn`t actually describe Minder as your typical comedy.

Features

The main extra is `Minder Series Clips` - highlights from the first four series. Good? Not really.

Then we have a `Minder Series Guide`, which basically tells you every episode from the ten series plus the specials, in the lovely static text form.

There is also episode information (taken from the back cover, or vice-versa) and episode and scene selection.

The menus are animated well, with music in the background and clips from the episodes.

Minder: Specials Vol. 1 of 2 is presented in a clear Amaray case with episode information printed on the back cover.

Conclusion

Good if you like the show, otherwise not that entertaining. I fall into the latter category, and whilst the second episode is fairly enjoyable, the lacklustre first episode, and in my opinion, unbalanced tone of the show doesn`t fit together well.

Disc wise, the presentation is OK considering it is a TV-DVD transition, but the extras need some real work.

Overall, worth a look to reminisce on old times, but it seems that Minder hasn`t aged well. As for the disc, don`t hold your breath...