Tv drama: new and old

I watched the final episode of “THE NIGHT MANAGER” and was disappointed.

Aside from the acting of Hugh Laurie as Richard Roper, the amoral arms dealer, there was little to engage and no improvement on the original. It bore all the formulaic trademarks of modern drama; incessant gizmos – mobile phones and laptops – clever-clogs women and poor acting performances, notably by the Spanish speaking cast.

So in desperation I rewatched “MINDER” on ITV4.

This had everything which “THE NIGHT MANAGER” lacked, viz. humour, crispy witty dialogue and the chemistry between the archetypal loveable rogue (and ducker and diver) George Cole as Arthur Daley and Denis Waterman playing Terry McCann. A hark-back to “HAZELL“and “BUDGIE”  McCann is the decent working class hero. In fact you can go back further to the Ealing Comedies for the mocking of upper class snobbery and patrician values often as not disguising dishonesty.

I understand from a colleague  who worked in Thames at the time that “MINDER” was produced by the formidable Verity Lambert and Euston Films.

Could it be made now? Denis Waterman might be persona non grata for his violence towards his widow Rula Lenska and 25% of the cast would have to be diverse. It reminded me of a comment made to me by an adman I knew well around that time: “‘We drank too much, philandered but we made great adverts …”.

The two programmes reflect how much free-to-air television has declined as it was not just “MINDER” but “THE SWEENEY“, “RUMPOLE” and “BERGERAC“, to name but four, ‘back in the day’.