Minder (2009) - Season 1 Episodes and Ratings

'Businessman' Archie Daley, nephew of Arthur, is being leaned on by the deeply unpleasant Gold brothers, a pair of property developers, to bribe single mother Petra Bennett whose pub stands in the way of their planned local redevelopment scheme. Councillor Conway,a bent politician, also stands to gain by the scheme. Archie meets Jamie, a young taxi driver down on his luck and tries to rope him in to the plan. Jamie, however, has scruples and persuades Archie to concoct an elaborate scheme which will expose the villains to D.I. Murray.

Archie agrees to provide the wine for the wedding of Roxy, the daughter of old school chum Maurice. Maurice fears that Neil, the groom, might stand Roxy up so Jamie is employed to stalk him and discovers him in conversation with Teddy B, a notorious loan shark. Things do not look good, especially when Neil fails to turn up for his own wedding. Archie and Jamie track him down and find that he is not in debt; Teddy B is his father whom he wanted to keep away from the wedding. On the other hand it is the apparently successful Maurice who owes money to the loan shark. He is bankrupt and suicidal and it is down to Archie to stop him killing himself.

Whilst buying furniture from financially-stretched pensioners Anita and Brian Richardson, Archie discovers a piece of graffiti on the bedroom wall-paper which he has authenticated as being the work of Banksy, who was once the Richardsons' lodger. He displays it at a tatty art exhibition of his own where a glamorous gallery employee tells him it is worth a fortune and exhibits it for him. Unfortunately the Richardsons come clean to Archie, explaining that it is one of many forgeries perfected by Brian and given to a middle man whom they only know as 'Picasso' who sold them on for them. When things got uncomfortable, thanks to the earnest fraud officer Inspector Willoughby, Picasso disappeared. Willoughby now believes he knows the identity of 'Picasso' - Archie Daley. Jamie must retrieve the false Banksy from the gallery before the deception is discovered.

Archie attends the will reading for a former business associate, Harry Grant, who owed him several thousand pounds. Almost all of Harry's money is to be left to his beloved cats, annoying his ex-wife Liz, son Hugo and young Irish widow Maria. Archie believes that Harry hid some stolen diamonds before he died but none of the interested parties claim to know of their whereabouts. A visit to sham medium Vlad the Impostor gives Archie a clue that the diamonds were "worn by girls." Harry referred to his cats as his girls and the one he loved most died recently and was buried in a graveyard. Maria recalls that Harry may have buried the cat in a diamond-studded collar, so everyone rushes to be the first to get to the cat's last resting place.

Archie is invited to play poker with millionaire Felix Cornell after arranging the security for a charity fashion show given by Felix's trophy wife Eve. Inevitably he loses and must hand over a Porsche he is 'minding' for a thuggish friend, due to arrive in London in a few days. He passes Jamie, a good car player, off as Mr. De Lisle for a return game at the Cornells' mansion. The game begins badly but certain revelations lead to Eve saving the day for Archie and Jamie.

Archie needs cash to stop Delilah,his estranged wife, from exposing his dodgy dealings and hits upon the perfect revenge plan. Jamie, a former boxing champion, will train wannabe Ryan Doyle to beat up-and-coming fighter Carlo Rocks, Delilah's toy-boy, in the boxing ring and Archie will bet on the victory. Delilah gets Ryan out of the way and it is down to Jamie to re-place him in the ring, though he is horrified to learn that Archie expects him to lose. Ultimately Archie must ask Delilah for a favour to keep his young minder on board.