RIP George Cole.

The veteran actor died this morning aged 90, taking with him Arthur Daley, one of British television’s greatest creations. This role in Minder made him hugely famous in the autumn of his career. The word “minder” is now commonplace but when Minder came out, very few people knew what it meant. And what’s often forgotten that the first series was called “The Minder” and was quite a gritty drama, a vehicle for Dennis Waterman after The Sweeney. But Arthur Daley was such a brilliant character that the emphasis shifted towards comedy and Minder became an enormous hit. It was so popular that the BBC, wanting something similar, commissioned Only Fools and Horses. Which means, ironically, we have Arthur Daley to thank for Del Boy. And we have George Cole to thank for both of them.