Minder was a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by the prolific and effective Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television, and was shown on ITV. The show ran for ten series from October 29 1979 to March 10 1994, and starred Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann, an honest and likeable bodyguard (minder in London slang), and George Cole as Arthur Daley, a well dressed but unscrupulous importer-exporter, wholesaler, used-car salesman, and anything else from which there was money to be made (whether it was inside the law or not). They often drank at the local members-only Winchester Club, where owner / barman Dave (Glynn Edwards) acted (often unwillingly) as a human message machine for Arthur, and turned a blind eye to his many shady deals. The series was notable during its heyday for using a wide range of leading British actors, as well as many up-and-coming performers before they hit the big time.

Minder was initially devised as a vehicle for Dennis Waterman, after his success in The Sweeney, though as time passed the emphasis was more on George Cole as the lovable wheeler-dealer. The show had a lukewarm start, not helped by its start having been delayed by a nine-week technician’s strike which blacked out the entire ITV network. In the light of poor audience figures the show faced the axe but an impassioned plea by Thames' managing director Bryan Cowgill to other board members saved the show. By series three the show had become a huge, ratings-winning hit, and for many years the series was seen as the jewel in ITV's comedy / drama crown.

A minder is a person assigned by the government of a nation to accompany a foreign visitor. Minders are commonly used by "closed regimes" such as North Korea to control the information flow between the visitor and the general populace, to structure the visit to limit the visitor's exposure to the society in some way, and to report on the visitor's activities. Minders often have the ostensible purpose of acting as interpreter (often, and less formally, termed a "translator"), guide, or driver for the visitor. Sometimes the minder is not clearly identified as a government agent.

In Iraq under Saddam Hussein, minders were members of the Mukhabarat or main state intelligence organization. In Saudi Arabia, a similar role is performed by the Mutaween or religious police.

Arthur Daley, a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann to be his 'minder', so Terry can protect him (Arthur) from other, small-time, crooks. While Terry is trying his hardest to satisfy his employer's demands, and putting his own life at risk, Arthur is busy exploiting Terry for all he is worth. For, when other people hire Terry's services, through Arthur, Arthur usually keeps most of Terry's share of the money for himself, by misleading the hard-working Terry as to the amount of money, he (as Terry's agent) is receiving on Terry's behalf. Written by David McAnally