Quote: Chappers @ 26th July 2017, 11:14 PMWas that Michael Elphick?
That's him. Always worth watching in whatever he was in. Likewise Pat Roach, who shows up all over the place, from Indiana Jones to Minder.
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Page 6
Michael Elphick was a real bastard in that. He also starred in Boon, Three Up Two Down and I remember the first thing I saw him in he was a Stevedore in Holding On and then Private Schulz.
Just having a quick look at Series 1, Episode 9, to see Elphick. Very quickly drawn in to want to re-watch the lot. This show was as close as I came to a soap opera addiction. Very educational for a non-Brit, the various accents, and the British culture of pissing wages on wall.
It was brilliant. Fantastic writers and - at the time - a team of unknown actors. The only one I'd heard of was Gary Holten as singer of the Heavy Metal Kids.
A true Comedy Drama with everything so believable.
The first series in Germany is my favourite TV show. Raw, gritty and hilarious. It was the most real out of them all and that just made the comedy all the better. If they'd never made anymore after this I think it would still be a much-loved iconic classic. There's some episodes I prefer to others but I don't think there was a weak one in the 13 episode run. Everything came together effortlessly. And Oz was at his absolute best in this series. What a character.
For me, the second series was disjointed and inconsistent, and lacked the edge of the first. That said, there's some good episodes and very funny moments while they're in the UK - rubbing up against the pub landlord and staying at the manor, Oz reconnecting with his son... but once they go to Spain, I think it takes a nosedive and never recovers. There's no roughing it, not enough culture clash, no Wayne in the interior scenes, and several partners tag along which just gets in the way of the banter and fun. Moments like the lads going to the wrong villa or Oz at the Marbella hotel are too few and far between. They rarely resemble Auf Pet to me. There's a moment in Quo Vadis Pet where they're talking about Wayne and you can see Tim Spall's miles away, and Jimmy Nail's eyes are red from crying as Gary Holton's death is obviously getting to them. It's all a bit depressing really. Then it all just peters out with no real conclusion. I can slap on a DVD and watch any 1980's Auf Pet episode any time but the Spanish ones I only watch if I'm going through all the show.
The later ones have some good moments/episodes especially in Arizona. I like them in their own way after accepting them for what they are but it had simply been left too long to fully re-capture the same feel and magic of the 80's ones. I wish they'd done a third series in the 80's but Holton had died so it wasn't meant to be.
Quote: Matt79 @ 10th May 2012, 6:03 PMI have recently watched the opening scenes of Series 2 Episode 1 and I always wonder whether the scene where Barry asks the German worker to take a photograph of the seven was a deleted scene from the end of Series 1.
I can't imagine that they would have shot the scene especially for Series 2, unless they used another location as the building site had become Albert Square when they started filming Series 2.
They used another location. Neville looks much older, Oz's black eye isn't black enough and Wayne's hair's all wrong. Barry isn't even wearing the yellow shirt he should be. They obviously filmed it because Barry gets them together so portrayed him as someone who enjoyed his time in the hut all of a sudden. It doesn't work or fit really. They should have just portrayed it so that he started realising how much the bond between the lads meant to him after they'd split up. Would have made more sense. He even says it himself "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone".
Just watched a couple of them I think from series one. It really does have a lovely laid back feel to it that makes it easy to watch and it is a bit soap operaish in a good way. The actors are all so good and mostly very well known now unsurprisingly. I was a little bit surprised at how good Gary Holton was and how integral his character Wayne was to the stories.
It's so long since I've seen it I've forgotten what trades they all did but I had an idea Barry was a chippy and Wayne was a plumber but watching the building site scenes it seems they were all brickies except maybe Moxy who I'm sure must be a plasterer because he just looks like one.
Today's football result reminded me of the time that poor Geordie Neville had to pretend to be a Manchester United supporter. I bet he's really pleased today!
Quote: Kenneth @ 27th July 2017, 6:31 AMVery educational for a non-Brit, the various accents, and the British culture of pissing wages on wall.
Yeah I enjoyed the accents watching it again. 3 geordies, one scouser, one brummie, one cockney and one west country yocal.
It would've have been even better for a couple of the geordies to be replaced with say a Manc and a Yorkshireman to get a full set but I expect that wasn't their priority.
You're forgetting the sub-characters; their wives. Os's wife was brilliant.
And Neville's wife Brenda was quite tasty. 
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 13th February 2018, 9:53 AMAnd Neville's wife Brenda was quite tasty.
What? I'm assuming she was cast on the basis of looking capable of administering severe hen-peckings. This became more pronounced as the show progressed (or transgressed) over the years.
Quote: Kenneth @ 14th February 2018, 3:24 AMWhat? I'm assuming she was cast on the basis of looking capable of administering severe hen-peckings. This became more pronounced as the show progressed (or transgressed) over the years.
Yes! Quite dominating, I saw her as in the bedroom dressed as a dominatrix in black leather and with a whip, severely disciplining me. 
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 13th February 2018, 8:28 AMYou're forgetting the sub-characters; their wives. Os's wife was brilliant.
with her leopard skin thigh length boots. Not the most subtle. I preferred Dagmar.
I fancied Os's bird that said she was a beautician but was really a prozzy in a massage parlour.
And her pimp was the only Turkish actor about back then. He was a Turkish character in everything, including Mind your language.