The Dessert Song

Episode Overview

Following the purchase of pickled walnuts from shop owner Mario, Terry and Arthur rescue Charlie, a Greek Cypriot as he is being attacked on the street. They accompany him back to Charlie’s cousin’s restaurant upon which Arthur and Terry become involved in a dispute over the restaurant’s ownership – restaurant owner Christina had a Turkish Cypriot father, whose relatives believe it is not suitable for her to be running the restaurant. Christina’s late husband’s brother Omar believes he should be able to take over the restaurant and Christina with it. Christina tracks Arthur down to the Winchester Club and asks Arthur for Terry’s help minding the restaurant.

Cast

Cast: Glynn Edwards as Dave, Diane Keen as Christina, Peter Bland as Charlie, Daniel Hill as Johnny, Godfrey James as Omar, Michael Angelis as Nick, Ian Barritt as Hildritch, Bruno Barnabe as Mario, David Sinclair as Harry, Jonathan Hackett as Drunk in Pub

Facts

Facts: Diane Keen, who plays Christina in this episode has appeared in many other TV and film roles over the years, including the first ‘Sweeney’ film, ‘The Cuckoo Waltz’, ‘Brookside’ and more recently the BBC soap ‘Doctors’. In this episode we see a lot of scenes at the first Winchester Club and at the rear of Blythe House in Hammersmith, which features throughout series 1 and 2 of Minder.

Filming Dates

August 1979 (likely).

Double Take

Godfrey James (Omar) also stars in #8.10 Too Many Crooks. Ian Barritt (Hildritch) also stars in #9.11 The Great Trilby.

Bloopers: Watch carefully at the start of this episode after Charlie is rescued by Terry. The car the attackers drive off in is the same blue mark II Ford Cortina (even with the same registration plate) that Freddie Fenton drives in #1.5 The Bounty Hunter.

Title: ‘The Desert Song’, a film with several renditions released during the 1940s and 1950s.

German Title: Charlie, die Löwe von Zypern.
Episode 5 of 16 shown in Germany on ARD.