Five to Revive Minder

LONDON, July 31: A new
six-part series for the classic drama Minder has been commissioned from talkbackTHAMES to air on
Five in 2009.

The comedy/drama
originally ran on ITV from 1979 to 1994. The new Minder series will star Shane Richie as Archie Daley,
Arthur Daley’s nephew, with Lex Shrapnel taking on the role of Jamie. Refreshed
for a modern audience, each hour-long episode will have a self-contained story
where Archie and Jamie come in contact with everyone from wannabes and
has-beens to villains and cops. Susie Conklin (Cranford) will executive produce the series for Five.

Five’s director of
programs, Ben Gale, said: “I am delighted to confirm this commission, which
retains all the humor and charm of the original Minder. The assembled on- and off-screen talent is
exactly what’s needed to bring this celebrated series to life for a new
audience.”

Johnathan Young, the
executive producer for talkbackTHAMES, added: “Minder is one of the British comedy drama greats. We’re
working with really strong writing and directorial talent to capture the wit
and sentiment of the original series, while exploring the strong bond between
the two leads. We want to satisfy fans of the original, but will also add
different elements in order to excite new viewers.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski