Minder comedy drama shoots on HDCAM

Minder, which returned in a modernised form in February for a six part run on Channel Five, was used to give character to a network more usually dependent on imports. As Five’s chief executive Dawn Airey says: “ we need a lot more stars”. However, it is far from being a remake of the original and much loved ITV classic, which ran between 1979 and 1994 – and nowhere is that more apparent in the style of filming and production.

While ex-EastEnders actor and entertainer Shane Richie inevitably steals the limelight in the role of Archie Daley, (Arthur Daley’s nephew) – after befriending side kick, Jamie Cartwright (played by Lex Shrapnel), there is a third star ever present on screen.

This is modern day London, lovingly depicted in all its variety, from the glossy green Gherkin, Tower Bridge and Battersea Power station, to Walworth high rises, the markets of Borough and pubs of Bermondsey. Peter Butler, director of photography, whose task it was to capture the spirit and style of the capital said it was shot in high definition with an HDW-750P HDCAM camcorder.

Butler said of the camcorder: “It is a very good camera and has served us well in this.” He explains that it was used because it was owned by the producer, talkbackTHAMES – which has at its core the production business built on former Thames Television – which made the original Minder for ITV.

talkbackTHAMES also makes The Bill and devised Five’s soap, Family Affairs. Although Minder is being broadcast in standard definition across the UK, an HD version is available to facilitate international sales.

Fast, fresh comedy drama

The key issue was to make the production modern, fast, fresh, a comedy drama caper, with an under tone of menace. There are lots of gags, car chases, crashes, stunts and comic misuse of the English language. It is aimed at a family audience, with a skew to young men.

But at around €660,000 per hour, the budget was tight and the work was all on location, with the eclectic mix of urban scenes described above augmented with rented penthouse Docklands flats and warehouse offices.

Minder was commissioned exactly a year ago, before the recession began to bite, by Jay Hunt, Five’s former director of programmes, who stayed only briefly, before being quickly recalled by the BBC to run BBC1. Sean O’Connor, Minder producer, pitched in January, only to find to his astonishment he was in production eleven weeks later.

Airey, who inherited it after joining from ITV was initially sceptical about its value, until she watched episode one and was hooked. It may also chime in with a mood of re-evaluating the past, and audience preferences for long remembered brands. Remakes are currently underway of The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin and The Prisoner. To achieve the right tone, the cameraman used wide angles, as much as possible, rather than close ups.

Butler said: “Light is something you have to consider very carefully. On a television schedule there is no time to wait around for the sun. You have to get on with it, that’s one of the skills you need. Its surprising how very different light can be and how it changes. This was a six days a week shoot, between August and mid October, it was very tough.”

25 March 2009