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Get It Right - this must be the best TV Comedy-Drama of all-time! From the origins of it's classic first series in 1983 and it's equally enjoyable and 'troublesome' second series through to the welcoming third and fourth series after a 16-year gap, and the final special in 2004 - it's all such glorious stuff from a cast and crew of brilliant writers, directors and actors.

The characterisations are superbly crafted and it's very hard not to love these guys who at one point represented the turmoil of Maggie Thatcher's working-class Britain. There are many wonderful episodes to be viewed throughout the series that not only will have you rolling off the couch, but also reaching for the odd hankie or two.

A much-deserved Award-winner!

This programme is without doubt the greatest comedy-drama Britian has ever produced in my eyes. There isn't 1 single episode that wont make you laugh and every character is played to perfection with there own style of comedy that you will find it hard not to associate with at least one character. Special mention has to go to Jimmy Nail (Oz) and Timothy Spall (Barry) who are both a constent source of enjoyment to watch. The basics of the whole series is, there all working men in a team travelling around the world looking for work. With episodes about them trying to pull women and getting tattoos when there drunk, to being involved with the police and getting in trouble with gangsters, I can honestly say I can not pick a favourite series because each one is outstanding in its own way. If you haven't seen these before, then your missing out and need to rent the 1st series asap. My thought is you wont be disappointed.

One of the classic series of the 1980s, 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' works well as an ensemble piece, with every character complementing the other - Dennis, the sensible one (Tim Healy), Neville, the nervous one (Kevin Whatley), Barry, the dumb one (Timothy Spall), Oz, the crazy one (Jimmy Nail), Bomber, the tough one (Pat Roach), Wayne, the horny one (Gary Holton), and Moxey, the boring one (Christopher Fairbank). They're brickies on a building site in Dusseldorf, and the interest comes in watching them survive being thrown together.

Two series appeared in the early eighties, with the series being curtailed by Holton's untimely death during recording of series 2. Almost every episode was a winner - laughs, pathos, camaderie, and a real sense of liking of the characters involved. Well written, with a pair of great theme tunes (sung by Joe Fagin), and a good cast of supporting actors (Michael Elphick turns up now and then, Ray Winstone plays an army man AWOL), this drama really couldn't miss.

And the final couple of series reunited all the characters (bar Wayne - we saw his son Wyman, instead) for more laughs and an ultimately touching finale. Highly recommended and, surprisingly, not dated at all.

I remember watching the first series of this as a 12 year old boy with my parents and loving every minute of it. 20 years later I own all four series on DVD and still enjoy them as much as I did the first time round. Lets be honest, how many programmes can we honestly say that about?

The first series was pure genius. Relatively unknown actors proving you don't need big names to make some of the most watchable, amusing and heartwarming television around. Since then of course many of the actors have gone on to be household names.

The second series was also great, probably as good as it could ever have hoped to be. The third and fourth series in my opinion aren't as good and I feel have suffered by moving to the BBC. They seem too clean cut and professional, something the lads were never intended to be. However, I still find them very watchable, but that is mainly down to the characters created in the early 1980's.

I doubt there'll be any more episodes now that bomber (the wonderfully understated Pat Roach) is no longer with us. To me this is the end of a TV era.

The first two series of this show, released in 1983 and 1984 respectively were absolutely amazing, so funny and still a hoot to watch today. Sadly the later efforts are seriously lacking in comparison and really shouldn't have been made.

The hilariously mixed bag of characters and politically incorrect story lines and dialogue make it very refreshing to watch. Most of the actors have gone on to fruitful careers especially Timothy Spall who has been in several large production movies. A young Ray Winstone also makes an appearance. 10 out of 10 for the first two seasons and 6 out of 10 for the latter.

Great story lines in all episodes of series 1 and 2. With realistic characters and fantastic acting performances by all the cast of this great show. It was better when it was produced by ITV. This rating is only for Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series 1-2.

If I were only rating series 3-4 that was produced by the BBC, then I would only give it 4 stars.

OK,neck on the block time.Auf Weidersen Pet was,is and probably always will be one of the best television dramas ever made.Nothing,I think,comes close to matching the all-round quality of the acting,writing and technical proficiency.Quite simply I cannot think of one way the first two series could have been improved.

The cast were so believable that you simply forgot they were actors.Jimmy Nail as Oz was one of the funniest and most well rounded characters of that time,although this is no disrespect to the others who were all inspired.

What made the series for me was the way it mixed humour and pathos in equal measure.It really would have you crying one minute and laughing the next.Even watching the videos today,the series has not dated at all and I get as much pleasure watching now as I did when it was first on TV.

I agree that the later BBc series' were not as good.The original two series were very much a comment on the times and the time for the series had definitely passed.Standing on their own,they were good but the act they had to follow and live up to was,in my opinion,too tough.

If you haven't seen either series one or two,do so as soon as possible.Drama this funny,affecting,believable and well-rounded only comes along once in a blue moon so buy and enjoy.

Probably the greatest programme ever. This however only includes the first two series in Germany and Spain. The dynamics between the main characters are amazing. Unfortunately series three and after are not in the same league as the two original series. Don't waste your time watching them

Geordies...salt of the earth characters...bricklayers...beer...Geordies...happy go lucky...adventures working abroad...salt of the earth characters...warm wonderful people...Tyne Bridge (tear in the eye)...brown ale...salt of the earth characters...cute little Red Indians children in Newcastle United tops...emetic...Geordies...salt of the earth characters...

etc etc etc....

Please. This is so poor. And you should know better Timothy Spall. They can't have paid you that much.

As for Jimmy Nail. Well the kindest thing that can be said is that he is every bit as good an 'actor' as he is a singer and writer. Come on Jimmy, the joke's over. 'Crocodile Shoes' and 'Spender' were very funny, unfortunately I don't think they were supposed to be. With 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet' the opposite applies.

Very few things capture a time and spirit as eloquently as this TV series. Germany is the setting for a band of 'brothers' fleeing the mass unemployment and uncertainty of Thatcher's Britain in search of work, money and hope. This TV series contains natural acting, pathos, humour and a gritty realism that manages to combine drama and comedy without an emphasis on sentimentality or bawdy laughs. The series chronicles the debacles of a motley crew of British workers uncertain about Germany, their lives and their futures. Promised a hostel with swimming pool, they end up in a barren hut with no amenities yet friendships are forged and a social life centered on Beck's Beer and brothels ensues. With a memorable soundtrack and performances from relatively unknown actors that inspire, their pursuits become a part of the viewers' lives in a way that very few modern TV series capture. Oz, Dennis, Moxey, Bomber, Barry, Neville and Wayne become personal friends of the viewing public along the way in this story of the working man, ordinary lives and extraordinary situations that although filmed over twenty years ago remain timeless.

Auf Wierdershen Pet was a little before my time but I have watched DVDs of the original several times and it is a very good series. Season 1 in Germany earnt it the it 8 stars of my review with season 2 not far behind in my estimation on 6-7 stars (I particularly liked the music in the cowboy bar the plumber took the lads too, and Jimmy Nail singing - I just wish he'd recorded it properly on one of his CD's)

The later seasons in America and Cuba I watched on TV when they were released, despite a few good moments I thought they weren't that good thought, maybe a 3 star and 2 star respectively. The wooden hut in America looked like a feeble attempt to recapture the feeling of season 1, and when they brought in Noel Clark as Wayne's son it seemed pointless, I didn't feel that they needed anyone else despite lacking the seventh menber of thier crew, but why him? In the original 2 seasons all 7 were craftsmen - bricklayers, a carpenter, an electrician and a plasterer, so how does a DJ fit in?

When the first series of "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" aired in Britain Lady Thatcher reigned the United Kingdom with her iron fist and work was scarcer than ever. As the Dire Straits would later put it in "Why Aye Man", the soundtrack of series 3: Many had no way of staying afloat, so they had to leave on the ferry boat - economic refugees, on the run to Germany... And here we have the story of the construction workers from Newcastle. With that premise the scenario is set for one of the greatest lads centered series that ever hit the television screen. Their journey over the years leads the guys also to Spain, Arizona or Cuba to name just a few locations, but these are just changing backdrops. The camaraderie is the same throughout all the lads' escapades, and that's what it's all about. The character mix is crafted beautifully by the writers and then played exactly by the right men for the jobs. The selection of the magnificent seven ranges from the man of action and thus unofficial leader Dennis (Tim Healy) over Neville, heavily dominated by his marriage vows (Kevin Whatley), womanizer Wayne as his counterpart (Gary Holton), loudmouth and oddball Oz (Jimmy Nail) to the bashful, boring and bumbling Barry (Timothy Spall), the gentle giant Bomber (Pat Roach) and finally to Moxey (Christopher Fairbank), who has his own troubles with the law.

"Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" deals with the working class, portraying the day to day life from laying bricks to drinking in the evening, but it's TV for everyone interested in good drama peppered with working class humor. And the brickies know how to build their stuff on reality. An alternative to artificially constructed, highly polished studio productions, "Pet" features guys that feel like lads, complete with heavy accents, and while it all is very eighties, the first two series definitely hold up and are as engaging as when they aired. Too bad that with the death of a key cast member things went downhill from there in the subsequent episodes made more than 15 years later. While series three still is good, the rest of the episodes cannot compete in any way with the original series. Nevertheless, if you're fed up with crime shows and high budget TV from the US rehashing the most common denominator recipe again and again, then take a nostalgic look back, and join the lads' visit to Germany - 'cause that's livin' alright!

Simply the best British comedy/comedy-drama of all time, nothing more needs to be said. Get it on video, watch it, enjoy it, love it.

Sadly, the Series 2 videos have been subject to several copyright cuts and also suffer from some bad editing around the commercial breaks, but that doesn't spoil the enjoyment too much - maybe the cuts will be restored (my fingers are well and truly crossed) for a DVD release.

Note: It now appears that due to 'technical problems' (i.e. the poor quality of the original broadcast video tapes) the DVD release has been cancelled indefinitely, so for the moment video tapes are the only format option.

Given the riches on television around this time this series had a lot to live up to when it first aired in 1983/1984.

The first and most memorable series was set on a German building site and the scenes involved a POW style lodging hut to house the foreign itinerate workers.

The drama at this point largely focused on the Geordie workers hence the title and the main back stories involved the characters Dennis , Neville and Oz .

They are thrust together with a number of other workers from various parts of England and the stories around the seven of them unfold.

This series is without a doubt the most memorable and the various themes of mass unemployment are played out along with the difficulties settling in a foreign environment.

Every episode is superbly written and each character is developed throughout each episode resulting in a wonderful final episode.

I would say to anybody reading this who hasn't seen this series to go and watch It as it hasn't dated in any way shape or form.

Series 2 had a very tough act following this first series and the gap of two and a half years made it very slow going at the start.

The drama sees the lads reunite first Barry's marital home to do it up and then on to a Derbyshire mansion to spruce up the place for an old folks home.

This is being done for a local criminal who Dennis owes a large of sum of money to and he then gets the lads out to Spain to do up his Villa.

The criminal is played brilliantly by Bill Patterson who blends in so well with the group that he almost steals the show.

The story weaves along strongly especially in the final Newcastle and Spanish based episodes and again to a fantastic climax however the tragic sudden death of the actor Gary Holton whomplayed altered the script and his absence is sadly very noticeable near the end.

Is this one as good as the first , absolutely not however it is still very good despite its very sluggish start.

It has many flaws which cannot be ignored notably Oz has changed into a sanctimonious type which is something he never was in series 1. Dennis seems to also have endless money for beer and cigs and nights out despite being supposedly in massive debt to the criminal he works for .

Oz has also become a bit of a ladies man in series 2 despite the fact he must have stank to high heaven in his sweat stained filthy clothing.

Other than that the series is good and well produced and achieved huge ratings when it went out.

Series 3 which went out nearly 16 years later on the BBC is completely different and beyond comparison to the first two series.

It moves to quickly and rather than tidy up what happened at the end of series 2 dives straight in to a bizarre storyline involving the Middlesbrough transporter bridge and an Indian tribe who wish to purchase it.

The characters have altered so much that it is difficult to engage and they must have struggled to find the characters after so long .

Oz now becomes the leader which is something he never was and the other characters bar Moxey have altered so much it is very difficult to reengage with them.

The final series 3 and 4 are very difficult to follow and beyond far fetched and a far cry from the brilliance of series 1.

I absolutely loved this in my youth and have rewatched them again. The first 2 series are great but series 3 4 and 5 are just silly. Oz always gets the pretty girl, Dennis shouts all the time, Barry gets himself into the most unlikely scrapes and Nev is just hapless.

The first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet stands as one of the finest British TV shows of all time. The wonderful characters and script made stars of virtually all of the cast. If I was reviewing just this Series it would be a sure fire 10/10.

You really don't need to watch the subsequent seasons. It pretty much loses all of the conversational humour and the storylines get more preposterous as it rolls on. Series 2 has a flickering of the old magic but after that don't bother. Be grateful you have 11 hours of Series 1 to cherish and rewatch regularly.. This never gets old. Why don't they make TV like this anymore.

It had been about time that I watched this series, when I began last summer; this April the viewing was concluded, as I reached the sixth and last episode of the recent third series.

To start at the beginning, I loved the first series; it is usually this one that gets the acclaim and from which most popular memories of the series are drawn. The escapades - grounded in some sort of realism, but larger than life - of the seven jobbing bricklayers, on a building site in Dusseldorf, living in a cramped 'hut', have entered the parlance of modern day folk legend. The brilliance of the series is in portraying working-class life in all its complexity; there is an innate sympathy for the characters, whatever their foibles. While Oz is an ignorant loudmouth for a lot of the first series, this is played for winning comedy and it really seems to work when he is softened and something of a reformed character - at heart he is good. There is always comedy, and indeed some quite heartfelt drama, in the relations between these geographically and temperamentally disparate seven characters. Though the basis is firmly in the north east, with Dennis taking on the mantle of leader, Jimmy Nail's immortal Oz being the most well-known character, and indeed three of the seven being from north-east England, the other four play a crucial role in broadening the group. Gary Holton's Wayne is a brash cockney, very much the 'laddish' sort in its original and most justifiable, loveable rogue form. Pat Roach's Bomber is a genial, well-spoken West Country man, older than the others and physically imposing - indeed having behind him some experience of wrestling! Christopher Fairbank's 'Moxey' is perhaps the least prominent of the seven in many ways; as he joins the group slightly later; a weaselly little Liverpudlian who means well but always gets into scrapes, such as serial arson! And, probably the other main comedic focus from Oz, is Timothy Spall's wonderful portrayal of Barry Taylor, a 'radish' from Wolverhampton, with the most amusing west midlands accent. His absurd pedantry and straight-laced nature, along with his pretensions at being more 'cultured' and intellectual than the rest of them are a great source of comedy. He is always the coward, and the source of much jovial ridicule; a crucial epicenter of the group, who really seems to relish their adventures - at least when looking back on them, as in the opening to Series 2.

Kevin Whately is excellent as Neville Hope, the member of the group less bothered about the camaraderie and drinking, as he misses his beloved wife, Brenda. Tim Healy rounds off the group as Dennis Patterson, perhaps the most grounded of the group, who reluctantly assumes the mantle of "gaffer". I really like how the first series combines elements of verbal and physical humour - such as when Michael Elphick's absurdly villainous MacGowan appears - with deeper themes. Thatcher's Britain is of course rightfully exposed, by the very nature of these people having to go overseas for work. Their forging of a team spirit is a counter to the rampant individualism and greed of the 1980s. Also, the low-rent nature of the England that is occasionally shown really strikes you - even more so than today, the north east of England is a very deprived area. You have some brilliant dramatic and comic focus on relationships - Dagmar and Dennis is just the sweetest romance - and friendship. Also, you have the 'Englishman abroad' comedic potential exploited and subverted; this is a maturely written series that treats the Germans with respect and proves Oz wrong. The episode where Neville proves the hero by finding the unexploded bomb is wonderful, where he has tea with a German family. More overtly comical, and possibly the flat-out funniest episode of the first series is where Barry and Wayne are at the hotel, in a misadventure pursuing some Swedish women.

Many have said that the first series marked the show's peak, and it was downhill from there on. I would refute this. Series 2 in my opinion is close to as good, and in many ways even better; it is only perhaps spoiled by a weak, if not bad, final episode. There is a far stronger, serial-narrative thrust to Series 2, with the ongoing plot a real boon. This is made so by the wonderful acting of Bill Paterson as the charmingly witty and despicable Ally Fraser, a gangland boss. Generally, you have the sense of a grand scheme in operation and various adventures and settings. The diversity is a good thing; we take in Wolverhampton in the first episode or two - with Barry a deceptively upwardly mobile figure! And Newcastle, Derbyshire and Spain at various points. The Newcastle episodes, towards the middle, bridge the gap between Derbyshire and Spain beautifully; Oz's character is again deepened, Dennis has some compelling problems and there is wonderful amusement as a petrified Barry experiences Gateshead. "Muggers! Rapists!"

The Derbyshire sequence of episodes is possibly amongst the whole series' most winning; a real autumnal feel is evoked, with much location work and a new setting for the group: the adversity of a cold, empty country house. The disputes with the local pub's landlord, a sour military type brilliantly played by Bryan Pringle, make for superb culture-clash comedy, as do others where the boys are at large in this more genteel area of the country. The escapades such as Oz and Barry's fishing, Barry's hilariously absurd desire to go for "an evening brass rubbing!" in the local church rather than to the pub, are marvelous indeed. Particularly sublime is the episode where the group have to fight off (in a comical exchange) Fraser's bully-boy tactics. Barry's inept kick at one of the hapless, defeated cohorts of Fraser, is absurd and so Barry! All of these episodes are wonderful really, and this is effectively carried through the Newcastle ones and then to Spain.

Unlike many people, I didn't feel the absence of Gary Holton really affected things that much; it was reasonably effectually explained. Much of the Spain stuff is vintage AWP; Fraser comes increasingly to the fore as a genuinely great comic character, Timothy Spall is at his very best, and there's a very nice, languid mood about the whole visit. As I say, only the last episode disappoints a bit; with the conclusion seeming a bit like short change after the preceding 12 episodes or so and their excellent build up. The second series develops all of the characters really well (including Wayne, though of course sadly Holton died during production and is a lesser presence in later episodes), and you feel like you know them as friends almost. The first two series are brilliant television; culturally insightful, with better drama than many dramas and so much richly humorous entertainment.

Now, series 3 came along as many as sixteen years later, and had a very difficult task to in any way measure up to the originals. I was delighted to find that as a series it was frankly as good as could have been expected. Of course, it's not really quite as good as the 1980s series', for a few reasons, but it gives it a very good shot, all told. You occasionally feel things are too different in tone and presentation, but surprisingly seldom really; it is a near miracle that it managed to be as true to the spirit of the original as possible. A few obvious 'differences' are the change of title music - a bland Mark Knopfler song, that grows on one a bit, but is nowhere near the memorable 'rightness' of series 1 and 2's fine opening and closing tunes - such as "Back with the Boys Again" and Series 1's poignant opening titles number. Perhaps more importantly, it is shot on film and appears far more lavish visually, in general; this reflects the changes in British television drama in general since 1986. I don't personally feel this suits the particular feel of the programme, though it's passable when all is said and done; indeed, I recall that Series 2 was that bit more upmarket in the way it was filmed than the first series. In terms of plot, a few things seem very contrived, but generally it is all good enough on that front. The whole Native American plot strand works reasonably well, though it's not quite the set-up of Derbyshire or Dusseldorf. Throughout the series, the lead actors give exemplary performances; which largely makes it all work, along with solid, if possibly less exceptional scripts than earlier series', from La Frenais and Clement. Spall - by now a much more experienced actor - slots right back into the great role of Barry, and it's really quite moving how he develops from out of his initial smug complacency, rich and married to a beautiful Russian dame. Of course, the delectable Tatyana proves to be on the make, and cheating Barry, so he becomes more of a vulnerable character again; when in America, that is all very well dealt with. There's possibly less emphasis on Dennis in this series, and certainly less on Bomber, who nevertheless gets a few good scenes and is quite moving in how he's aged, yet appears to be back to fitness at the end. A slightly different side to Neville - hinted at in the second series - is shown, with his marriage faltering a little; this strand is very satisfactorily concluded. Moxey strangely has lost his stutter, but is as ever an amusing, if minor player. Jimmy Nail is largely very good as Oz, though at times I feel the character is too overly central in proceedings compared to the others. Wyman, the son of Wayne, proves a little unnecessary, just there really to make up the seven; although he's likeable enough, he doesn't really have all that much to do.

The major plus of Series 3 turns out to be the absolutely brilliant comic turn that is Bill Nighy's Geoffrey Grainger; a 'reformed' Jonathan Aitken-type Tory politician, who has been in jail, where Oz helped him out. Nighy is wonderfully astute and precise in his facial and verbal expressions; it really is a sparkling turn that really grows on you; by the latter episodes, he's almost the star of the show. When he comes out to Arizona, it's a sublime sequence of comedy, as this political trickster is finally out-manoeuvred by the boys. Generally, I felt the last three or so episodes saw this new BBC series really hitting its stride; once again, a foreign setting paid off and was interestingly explored. The camaraderie almost fully returned. I was enjoying it increasingly as it went along; bluntly put, what a shame that it could only be a 6 episode series! It seemed as if it was slipping back into the epic gear; and 13 episodes or so always seems the right length for these wonderful characters... so, overall, Series 3 was a success.

I hope I have to some extent encapsulated the appeal of this excellent comedy-drama. "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" is one of television's finest ongoing epic narratives, and one of comparatively few programmes to truly deserve to be billed as equally comedic and dramatic: each of these work beautifully in tandem. It is a genial programme with real depth and grounding in vivid, naturalistic settings, contains detailed, likeable central characters and amusing, always well-judged plots and themes. It is rare in that it seldom takes the easy route, and is yet very popular with a wide audience.

Rating:- *****/*****

When Auf Wiedhershen Pet first appeared in 1983 it truly was a new type of television series. There had been comedy-dramas before, Minder and Shine on Harvey Moon spring to mind, but Auf W had political bite too and unlike the other two series was a true ensemble piece with seven wonderful characters driving the show and also for once not a London setting.

Series One still looks marvellous, it is beautifully acted by everyone and every episode is a winner. At the time such broad accents on TV was a major revelation, as was the unflinching portrayal of men visiting brothels and using their fists to settle arguments.

If series one had a fault, it is perhaps that its only ongoing storyline is Dennis' divorce, which is actually the most tedious of sagas, and whilst Dennis is a most honourable and decent character, as the series goes on the strain begins to wreck him and he becomes something of a monster. All comes good in the end thankfully though! Series 2 I found a huge disappointment. Its still terrific stuff in places, but the trend for more ongoing story lines gives it a rather repetitive feel, and none of the individual stories seem to have much of a conclusion. Work on the manor house in the first few episodes seems to go nowhere, and while the lads' confrontations with the villagers produces some funny moments they are very exaggerated and repetitive. Bill Paterson makes an excellent contribution as the villain of the piece but the storyline is rather dull and for me Auf W was always at its best when dealing with the small everyday business of getting by and doing your best: in fact the lyrics to the theme song of the first series sums up what it was all about capturing best.

What's more Dennis spends most of series 2 in a foul mood and Oz seems to become more gentle and more of a hero.

The BBC series started off well enough but to me collapsed into a far fetched mess.

For me on the strength of the first series alone this is one of the greatest things ever to appear on British television, but it quickly lost its subtlety. And that scene in Series 2 with Oz supposedly unaware of how well he is going to sing is absolutely dreadful!

Auf Wiedersehen Pet

This is a program that I took a while to get around to watching at all. Not for any reason regarding the show, simply from an irrational reaction caused from, working for two long with a particular geordie.

I was pleased to find out how good it was, when I finally got around to watching it, which is only fairly recently. Its got a couple of the best writers in Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, responsible for some of my favourite comedies.

I had mistakenly imagined that all of the builders were geordies, instead of the motley crew of English regional characters. All were excellently played by the actors some of whom went on to become household names. They play their parts to perfection as real blokes in lifelike situations, the show is complete with an ensemble of partners, and work colleagues.

Just rewatching the first two series in 2024. First one even better than I remember over 40 years ago. Second one, which I hadn't seen before, not so good. The acting is still there but the whole story is just lacking. The plot jumps around every few episodes as if the writers didn't know what to do with the characters.

The sense that all these people had to live and work together in Germany and somehow get along is lacking. I've read that even the writers felt that in retrospect.

Also, the first series had 2 cracking theme tunes. This one has some unforgettable songs that I bet nobody remembers now. Kind of sums up the whole series. All a bit sad after what had gone before.