Back in 1983 when Auf Wiedersehen, Pet first aired, many people thought Central Television were taking a big risk, I mean, who would want to watch a TV show all about bricklayers?
A couple of the supporting cast were among the detractors, but they were all proved wrong, when on November 11th 1983, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet first aired to an audience of millions, going on to achieve an average of 14 million for the first series. It was an instant hit, and turned many of the unknown cast into overnight sensations.
In 1986, a second series was aired, going on to be one of the biggest hits of the year, with a peak of nearly 17 million viewers for one episode. The second series was blighted by tragedy, when Gary Holton died during the filming of the latter stages. After a very short break, it was quickly re-written, and a stand in double was used for shots where Gary Holtons character Wayne had to be. In other shots, Wayne was simply written out of the scene, and this is very notable in many of the Spanish interiors, which were some of the last to be filmed. The show had a hiatus of 15 years, and then returned to our screens in 2002, and twice in 2004.
For many, including myself, this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest TV drama ever made. It had everything, not only down to the great writing, but the actors too, who created an on screen chemistry which has not been seen since. The closest we have seen in my opinion is Mad Dogs, which airs on Sky1. The show made us laugh and cry, and had touches of laugh out loud moments, that could also make you realise this was almost like watching a documentary.
I will be watching Auf Wiedersehen, Pet for many years to come, it's an absolute joy, and it is also part of my life.
A couple of the supporting cast were among the detractors, but they were all proved wrong, when on November 11th 1983, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet first aired to an audience of millions, going on to achieve an average of 14 million for the first series. It was an instant hit, and turned many of the unknown cast into overnight sensations.
In 1986, a second series was aired, going on to be one of the biggest hits of the year, with a peak of nearly 17 million viewers for one episode. The second series was blighted by tragedy, when Gary Holton died during the filming of the latter stages. After a very short break, it was quickly re-written, and a stand in double was used for shots where Gary Holtons character Wayne had to be. In other shots, Wayne was simply written out of the scene, and this is very notable in many of the Spanish interiors, which were some of the last to be filmed. The show had a hiatus of 15 years, and then returned to our screens in 2002, and twice in 2004.
For many, including myself, this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest TV drama ever made. It had everything, not only down to the great writing, but the actors too, who created an on screen chemistry which has not been seen since. The closest we have seen in my opinion is Mad Dogs, which airs on Sky1. The show made us laugh and cry, and had touches of laugh out loud moments, that could also make you realise this was almost like watching a documentary.
I will be watching Auf Wiedersehen, Pet for many years to come, it's an absolute joy, and it is also part of my life.