Minder (TV Series) Uneasy Rider (1993) User Reviews

Bit of a slow build

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 7/10 · 2 January 2024]

"Thank you, God," DS Morley says, as he looks to the heavens after a sweet nick.

"Nuh, nuh, no, Mr. Morley, we're over here," says Arthur, in the car with Ray across the street.

It takes a while to get to that punchline but it's worth the trip.

Premise is good. Daley starts a courier business. The dodgy Warnock brothers come calling and convince Daley to handle some of the shady bits of their own courier business. They use flattery (and lies) and of course Arthur's vanity and greed get the best of him.

Ray gets some nice looks from a tasty bird. And gets to punch another geezer in the boat race.

Naturally, DS Morley is hot on the trail of the Warnocks and Daley. As much as I am convinced Patrick Malahide's DS Chisholm was the under-rated star of the Waterman era of Minder, and I really enjoyed Peter Childs as Rycott, Nicholas Day's portrayal of a competent, no-nonsense copper was the right move for the Gary Webster era of the show. And here, Morley gets a result, which Malahide and Rycott almost never got from their writers.

George Cole gets an amusing set piece with a couple of door-to-door JWs. And Gary Webster's Ray Daley not only deploys his good looks but he also uses his brain to get Uncle Arthur out of a jam.

The bikers/employees got on my nerves. Especially all the yelling by the dispatcher. The creepy boyfriend was even more irritating. But the writers must have sensed it because by the end they had taken up only a bit of screen time.

Uneasy Rider (Jan 21, 1993)

[dovestones · 15 July 2021]

Series 9 Episode 3

Arthur announces his latest business venture, the Daley Post, a courier service. Ray questions the people Arthur has hired, but Arthur tells Ray that a new employee, Rabbit, is London's oldest dispatch rider. Ray tells him the courier industry is very competitive.

The lock-up is busy with couriers coming and going. Trish is working on dispatch, using Arthur's old equipment. Arthur gets a call from Gunter, complaining about some fake London street signs Arthur sold him. Ray is out in London pitching the Daley Post, trying to get new business. Arthur phones D. S. Morley, trying to sell him Daley Post business.

Ray enters Laura Kaye's Modelling Agency. The woman in charge, Susie, agrees to give the Daley Post a trial. Ray admits it's his first account. Then a man, Conway, aggressively enters, looking for someone. Susie tries to calm him. Ray steps in and tells Conway to leave.

Rabbit and Trish inform Arthur there is a problem with his equipment. Ralphy and Keef Warnock pay Arthur a visit. Rabbit tells Arthur they run most of the courier firms that side of town, plus other things.

Susie tells Ray about Conway being obsessed with a model, June Granger, who they used to represent and who once did a nude photoshoot and Conway wants to get hold of the pictures as he is paranoid the newspapers will get them. Ray offers to help if he can.

Ralphy and Keef tell Arthur they have too much work and give him a list of client names. They tell Arthur different courier services have to work together to keep the clients happy. Ray and Susie are going on a date. They stop by Ray's flat and discover Arthur is using it to store Daley Post stock.

At the lock-up, Raplhy and Keef return to give Arthur another list of clients names. Arthur tells them their dissatisfied clients are keeping the Daley Post very busy.

D. S. Morley and D. C. Field show up at the lock-up, just in time to see the Warnock brothers leaving. Morley wonders about the connection between Arthur and the Warnock brothers.

At the Winchester Dave mentions to Ray he thought the Daley Post was a legitimate business. Ray says it is. Dave says he heard Arthur was working with the Warnock brothers. Ray says they supply most of Arthur's clients. Dave tells Ray he is supposed to look after Arthur.

Ray checks the client list and informs Arthur it isn't legitimate. Some of them don't exist. Arthur dismisses his concerns. Ray asks where he will send the bill. Arthur defends the client list and mentions Susie complaining because they have lost her parcel, and tells Ray to deal with her.

Ray returns to the modelling agency and catches Conway trashing the office, looking for the photos. Susie and Laura Kaye are present. Ray throws him out. Susie tells Ray the Daley Post lost the photos. Susie mentions they told Conway they gave the parcel to Arthur. Ray rushes off.

Arthur arrives at Ray's flat and Conway bundles him inside and starts looking through the stock. He tells Arthur to find the portfolio or he will hurt him. Two Jehovah's Witnesses knock at the door. Arthur invites them in. Ray arrives at the lock-up. Trish tells him Arthur went to his flat.

Morley looks at the courier roots on a map. Morley says it's interesting. Field isn't impressed.

Arthur won't allow the two Jehovah's Witnesses to leave. Conway sits quietly, getting annoyed. Arthur tells them he has some bibles n his lock-up and he offers to sell them. Again they try to leave so Arthur insists on reading the bible. Ray finally arrives. He punches Conway. The Jehovah's Witnesses rush off. Conway runs off. Ray notices fake football match tickets in the parcels Conway was opening. They find further fake tickets, plus fake driving licenses.

At the police station Field tells Morley there is nothing to get excited about and the Daley Post will soon go out of business. Morley asks his secretary to phone the inland revenue.

At Ray's flat, Ray tells Arthur the Warnock brothers have conned him. Arthur tells him the stock is meant to be there for one month. Arthur decides it's time to end the Daley Post. Ray wants Arthur to turn the Warnock's into the police. Arthur refuses on principle. Ray tells Arthur to go home and he will handle it. Arthur folds his business. His employees are angry.

Ray and Rabbit drive to an old warehouse, which is the pick up point for one of the fake clients. Rabbit point out a small mail order business. Ray phones Ralphy Warnock and puts in a fake delivery order to be collected. Ray and Rabbit wait for Ralphy's driver to arrive. Ray gives him some sacks of mail and a delivery address.

Arthur drives to the police station and waits outside. The delivery driver shows up. Morley receives a call telling him a dispatch driver is outside asking for him. Morley and Field go outside. Ray joins Arthur in his car and they watch Morley, Field and the delivery driver open the back of the van and look in the sacks, finding fake tickets. Arthur and Ray bet to see if Morley works out what is going on. Morley and Field find bundles of fake tickets . They work out they are fakes from the Warnock's own print shop, delivered in the Warnock's own van. They arrest the driver. Arthur and Ray laugh, then argue over who just won their bet.

Arriving back at the lock-up the fake London street signs have been returned and dumped. A man from the inland revenue, Mr Marks, turns up claiming to have information Arthur is running a dispatch service from the lock-up. Arthur tells him he has been misinformed and ushers him outside. Ray has June Grangers portfolio, which he found down the side of his bed. Arthur tells Ray he will look after the photos. Ray refuses and says he is giving them back.