Profiles

The original production of Minder ran from 1979 to 1994, with 10 series charting the scrapes and dramas of Terry McCann and Arthur Daley.

McCann (played by Dennis Waterman) was the honest and likeable bodyguard and Daley (played by George Cole), was a well-dressed wheeler dealer, negotiating his way through the criminal underworld of London.

Dennis Waterman left the series in 1989, to be replaced 2 years later by Gary Webster as Arthur's nephew Ray Daley.

Dennis Waterman and George Cole in Minder

The fact that 10 series were made speaks volumes about the show's popularity and, at its height, Minder was a huge ratings success for ITV.

The comedic relationship between the two actors along with Arthur's malapropisms ("The world is your lobster", etc) have meant the show still remains popular.

Fast forward to 2008 and an 11th series of Minder was boldly taken into production with a new look and modern issues such as mobile phones and contemporary art to deal with.

Despite the popularity of the original show Lex Shrapnel, who will take on a role inspired by the Terry McCann character, admits that he wasn't a big fan of the original show.

"The weird thing about Minder is that I never really did get into it when it was on," said Lex.

 "I was watching The A-Team and Knight Rider and things like Airwolf, they were more what I was into.

"But as soon as I was told that they were doing it again I was very keen to go up for it."

Lex is the son of another Suffolk actor, John Shrapnel, who has appeared in a number of popular films including Notting Hill as the PR Chief and in the 2000 film Gladiator as Senator Gaius.

John Shrapnel

Like his father, Lex is a classically-trained actor and has appeared with the Royal Shakespere Theatre Company in various adaptations of Henry VI.

It was Lex's time with the RSC that prepared him to take on such a well regarded series.

"It was really the perfect thing to do because I was really keen not to do anymore theatre straight off the back of the RSC work.

"That was largely because I had such a good time doing that so I just wanted to get away and do something completely different.

"If I went straight into another play I'd be comparing what I was doing to the experience I'd just had and I didn't want to do that."

"It's amazing that when you think of Minder you immediately picture George Cole, you picture Dennis Waterman.

"These are incredibly iconic figures in British television and you realise how much the programe has really left its mark.

"It was a huge, huge success for an extremely long amount of time."

Lex Shrapnel as Jamie Cartwright

The new show, which was filmed throughout the summer of 2008 and will be screened in early 2009, sees Shane Richie take on the Daleyesque character with Lex taking on the sidekick role.

"I'm not playing the Minder role but it's a new character called Jamie Cartwright.

"Shane Richie is playing the Daley character, he isn't playing Arthur Daley he's playing his nephew Archie Daley.

"I'm not playing Terry McCann I'm playing Jamie who serves the same role and that gives us the freedom to feel that we're not stepping into their shoes, but to create our own characters while remembering that the set up is the same.

"Shane has to be in that Daley character and be mindful of the family trait, and he needs some minding and that's were I come in."

The news that Minder was going to be relaunched brought about mixed responses with some excited at the prospect of the characters dealing with modern issues, while others maintained 'an it's not broke don't fix it' attitude.

The original Arthur Daley was hailed as a true British hero, along with the likes of Derek Trotter and Basil Fawlty.

This legacy has left big boots to be filled, but Lex is confident the new show will deliver.

"I hope that what we've done is capture the essence and the heart and soul of that original show but at the same time we've worked to make it our own and put our own stamp on it, largely by having the new characters."

Lex Shrapnel and Shane Richie

One of the original show's defining features, aside from cigar smoke, cheesey one-liners and knock off cars, was the theme tune I Could Be So Good For You.

As well as starring in the show Dennis Waterman wrote and performed the tune which was a top three UK hit in 1980.

Despite his undoubted skills as an actor, Lex promises that he won't be following in Waterman's musical footsteps.

"No singing from me no, more than that I'm not sure I'm supposed to say but I know it will be in tune.

"It won't be sung by me.

"It won't be written by me or indeed by Shane, who I think was quite keen to do it but we'll have to wait and see.

"I'm sure it wont be long before it all becomes clear"

The new series will be screened on Five in early 2009.