"Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" (1983) TV series 1983-2004

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creator:

Franc Roddam

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

11 November 1983 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The adventures of a gang of British workmen abroad. Combines black and white humour with moments of drama...

Plot Keywords:

Wolverhampton | British | Working Man | Dusseldorf | Newcastle Upon Tyne

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Timothy Spall	...	Barry Taylor (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Jimmy Nail	...	Oz Osborne (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Tim Healy	...	Dennis Patterson (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Kevin Whately	...	Neville Hope (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Christopher Fairbank	...	Albert Moxey (39 episodes, 1983-2004)
Pat Roach	...	Bomber Busbridge (36 episodes, 1983-2004)
Gary Holton	...	Wayne Norris (26 episodes, 1983-1986)
Julia Tobin	...	Brenda Hope (22 episodes, 1983-2004)

Runtime:

50 min (26 episodes) (1983-1986) | 60 min (14 episodes) (2002-2004)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Finland:K-11 (2006) | Australia:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Angel of the North, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England, UK

Company:

Central Independent Television

Trivia:

Actor Gary Holton, who played Wayne Norris, died of a drugs overdose in 1985 while filming the second series, leading to a somewhat watered-down appearance in the last few episodes. As they had filmed all of the exterior scenes with Wayne in them but had not started any of the interior scenes, they decided to dress one of the production team in a wig to look like Wayne for backshots during indoor scenes to keep some form of continuity going. For many of the indoor scenes, he was written out entirely, and his presence was accounted for by explaining he was elsewhere at the time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Drama Connections: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Breaking Away

Classic Comedy

I have enjoyed watching these episodes may times. Well written and brilliantly acted was the blurb on the DVD boxes, and the reviewers are right. The cast are second to none, you believe they are tradesmen working for a living. The supporting characters also have great strength, in particular, Herr Grunwald, Ally Fraser, Brenda, Dagmar, Norma, Joe, etc, etc, etc.

To pick a favourite episode is difficult, especially as even the "weaker" ones are far superior to anything you will see on TV today. But if I had to, I would say my favourite is Suspicion. The sheer delight of Oz going on one over his stolen watch, Neville falling in lust, Wayne not pulling, Moxey fronting up to Oz, Barry absolutely drunk, Dennis poking fun out of Oz because Oz thinks the lads are threadbare and Bomber, well just for being Bomber. Favourite quote from the episode "The sum total of all our possessions wouldn't raise a f*rt at a bring-and-buy sale!"

The first series was set in Dusseldorf, and followed their lives over (supposedly) 6 months. There was a common story theme but each individual episode was stand alone. Series two changed, as it followed their fortunes working for a Newcastle based villain, doing up his Manor in Derbyshire and then building him a swimming pool in Malaga. The third series finds the lads demolishing a famous bridge in Middlesborough, and rebuilding it in Arizona, and finally, the fourth sees them working for the Foreign Office in Cuba.

I had mixed feelings about the revival of the format for series 3 & 4, as sometimes it is better to be wanting more, than actually to have it. But I was pleasantly surprised with the end results, although, not sure how Barry could've changed so much from Methodist prude, to drug taking womaniser.

Still the best thing to have graced the TV screen. Cold & Rainy winter evenings are not so bad, when you surf SKY and see AWP on one of the channels.