Hypnotising Rita 

Episode Overview

After a paint deal with Mr Sharma goes bad, Arthur realises he has a major cash-flow problem and decides to call in some debts. Arthur decides to reclaim what is owed to him and visits Jimmy Elliot, a single father of two, whose carpet cleaning business has seemingly dried up. When Jimmy can’t pay Arthur what he owes him, Arthur decides to take over Jimmy’s business as a going concern. While discussing his plans with Terry, they are interrupted by hypnotist Dr Walter Sudbury and his young employee and girlfriend Rita, on the run from Rita’s two brothers. With Rita due to inherit £25,000 on her 18th birthday, her brothers are keen to catch up with Sudbury as Rita’s family believe he is up to no good. Sudbury asks Arthur for Terry’s help minding Rita and convinces Arthur that as a hypnotist he can make Arthur business man of the year.

Meanwhile, Rita’s mother Joany informs Terry that Sudbury is corrupt and had previously been a dodgy insurance salesman. Terry soon begins to change his opinion of Sudbury. In order to offset Terry’s fee, Sudbury hypnotises Arthur into believing every cigar he will smoke from now on will taste like burning rubber. When Rita’s inheritance doesn’t work out and Sudbury discovers there is no money, he soon disappears, leaving Terry to pick up the pieces with Rita. In the meantime, Arthur’s new carpet cleaning business is taking off, with Terry designated as the one doing all the work.

Cast

Glynn Edwards as Dave, Donald Sumpter as Sudbury, Nicola Cowper as Rita, June Brown as Joany, Ray Burdis as Jimmy Elliot, Renu Setna as Mr. Sharma ‘The Glass’, Frank Williams as Mr. Chicory, Margery Withers as Lady in Flat, Sally Faulkner as Clare, Sheila Mathews as Mrs. Boswell, Michael Redfern as Driver, Charles Rea as Spriggs, Tony Calvert as Benjy, Vincent Allen as Barney

Facts

This is possibly one of the weakest Terry McCann episodes of the entire run – the main villain of the plot Sudbury vanishes just after half-an-hour into the episode and is never seen paying for what he has done wrong. This is very unusual for Minder, with most stories reaching some sort of conclusion. Sadly this story’s conclusion is left off-screen with Terry simply passing the address of Sudbury on to Rita’s mother, played by June Brown, known to most as the character Dot Cotton from BBC’s ‘EastEnders’.

Actress Nicola Cowper who plays Rita is possibly best known for playing DS Helen Diamond in four series of the BBC’s police drama ‘Dangerfield’, between 1996 and 1999. In real life she was involved with a T McCann (Tony) who was jailed in April 2008 after being found guilty of murdering a 33-year-old man and was subsequently sentenced to serve a minimum of 21 years imprisonment.

Double Take

Ray Burdis who plays single father Jimmy Elliot previously appeared in #2.6 Not A Bad Lad, Dad and Margery Withers who played the widow in the high-rise flat whose carpet Terry cleans, would later appear in #9.11 The Great Trilby.

Bloopers: None found.

Title: A reference to the 1983 film ‘Educating Rita’.