Auf Wiedersehen, Pet: Difference between revisions

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''Why Aye, man!''
''Why Aye, man!''


Comedy-drama from the writing team of Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais. Season One (1983-1984) involved seven manual laborers from various parts of the United Kingdom. It was the mid-Eighties and there were [[The Specials (band)|no jobs to be found in this country]], so they traveled to Germany to find work, forming themselves into a tight-knit group amid all the [[Culture Clash]]. They even used ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' title.
Comedy-drama from the writing team of Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais. Season 1 (1983-1984) involved seven manual laborers from various parts of the United Kingdom. It was the mid-Eighties and there were [[The Specials (band)|no jobs to be found in this country]], so they traveled to Germany to find work, forming themselves into a tight-knit group amid all the [[Culture Clash]]. They even used ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' title.


Season Two (1986) featured the same seven re-uniting and traveling from Birmingham to the English countryside to Spain on various building projects.
Season 2 (1986) featured the same seven re-uniting and traveling from Birmingham to the English countryside to Spain on various building projects.


[[British Brevity]] was somewhat averted by these first two seasons, which contain 13 episodes each rather than the usual six. A third season was planned but shelved after Gary Holton, one of the seven principal cast members, passed away.
[[British Brevity]] was somewhat averted by these first two seasons, which contain 13 episodes each rather than the usual six. A third season was planned but shelved after Gary Holton, one of the seven principal cast members, passed away.
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* [[Actor Existence Failure]]: Gary Holton.
* [[Actor Existence Failure]]: Gary Holton.
* [[Anti-Hero]]: Most of the main characters.
* [[Anti-Hero]]: Most of the main characters.
* [[Artifact Title]]: Season One was the only one to involve Germany.
* [[Artifact Title]]: Season 1 was the only one to involve Germany.
* [[Badass Beard]]: Bomber and Big Baz.
* [[Badass Beard]]: Bomber and Big Baz.
* [[Badass Longcoat]]: Oz in Season Two.
* [[Badass Longcoat]]: Oz in Season 2.
* [[Bar Brawl]].
* [[Bar Brawl]].
* [[Berserk Button]]: Never harm or threaten one of Oz's friends in front of Oz.
* [[Berserk Button]]: Never harm or threaten one of Oz's friends in front of Oz.
** Though he also has a bit of a [[Hair-Trigger Temper]] in general.
** Though he also has a bit of a [[Hair-Trigger Temper]] in general.
* [[Big Brother Mentor]]: Dennis.
* [[Big Brother Mentor]]: Dennis.
* [[Book Ends]]: Series One begins with Dennis, Oz and Neville on the ferry on their way to Germany. The second of the hour-long Christmas specials end with the exact same scenario, and Neville gives us a [[Title Drop]].
* [[Book Ends]]: Season 1 begins with Dennis, Oz and Neville on the ferry on their way to Germany. The second of the hour-long Christmas specials end with the exact same scenario, and Neville gives us a [[Title Drop]].
* [[British Frozen Rocks with Penguins and Landmines]]: Where we find Oz and Barry at the beginning of season two.
* [[British Frozen Rocks with Penguins and Landmines]]: Where we find Oz and Barry at the beginning of Season 2.
* [[Brother-Sister Incest]]: Possibly. Kadi and Tatiana are probably only pretending to be brother and sister but it's never actually confirmed.
* [[Brother-Sister Incest]]: Possibly. Kadi and Tatiana are probably only pretending to be brother and sister but it's never actually confirmed.
* [[Bruiser With a Soft Centre]]: Bomber.
* [[Bruiser With a Soft Centre]]: Bomber.
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* [[Continuity Nod]]: In the first episode, Neville acquired an embarrassing tattoo on his arm whilst drunk and couldn't afford to have it removed again. When he briefly appears shirtless in the 2002 revival, it's still there.
* [[Continuity Nod]]: In the first episode, Neville acquired an embarrassing tattoo on his arm whilst drunk and couldn't afford to have it removed again. When he briefly appears shirtless in the 2002 revival, it's still there.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: The 2002 revival had Bomber suffering from a serious illness and Moxey and Dennis struggling with extreme poverty. Also featured drugs, hitmen, organised crime and an illegal immigrant almost forced into prostitution.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: The 2002 revival had Bomber suffering from a serious illness and Moxey and Dennis struggling with extreme poverty. Also featured drugs, hitmen, organised crime and an illegal immigrant almost forced into prostitution.
** Also the various issues surrounding the use of gangmasters providing East European labour on the Middlesborough Bridge contract
** Also the various issues surrounding the use of gang-masters providing East European labour on the Middlesborough Bridge contract
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Often Wayne.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Often Wayne.
* [[Domestic Abuse]]: Vicky is the target of this from Ally Fraser. Moxy comes from a family with a violent stepfather who molests his sister
* [[Domestic Abuse]]: Vicky is the target of this from Ally Fraser. Moxy comes from a family with a violent stepfather who molests his sister
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* [[Happily Married]]: Neville and Brenda (most of the time).
* [[Happily Married]]: Neville and Brenda (most of the time).
* [[The Hedonist]]: Wayne, and in some ways Oz.
* [[The Hedonist]]: Wayne, and in some ways Oz.
* [[House Husband]]: Neville at the beginning of Series 2.
* [[House Husband]]: Neville at the beginning of Season 2.
* [[I Have No Son]]: Oz in series three.
* [[I Have No Son]]: Oz in Season 3.
* [[Intrepid Reporter]]: Nikki Miles.
* [[Intrepid Reporter]]: Nikki Miles.
* [[Jerkass]]: Ally Fraser, Geoffrey Granger, Arthur Pringle and MacGowan.
* [[Jerkass]]: Ally Fraser, Geoffrey Granger, Arthur Pringle and MacGowan.
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* [[Misplaced Nationalism]]: Addressed by Dennis in "Who Won the War, Anyway?"
* [[Misplaced Nationalism]]: Addressed by Dennis in "Who Won the War, Anyway?"
{{quote|'''Dennis:''' After a week they've lost their passports, they've got pissed, lost most of their money, and become ridiculously nationalistic for the country that can't even bloody employ them in the first place!}}
{{quote|'''Dennis:''' After a week they've lost their passports, they've got pissed, lost most of their money, and become ridiculously nationalistic for the country that can't even bloody employ them in the first place!}}
** much parodied in the Cuban ''[[Bridge On The River Kwai]]'' scenes, especially Barry's "Colenel Nicholson" act while locked in the metal hut.
** Much parodied in the Cuban ''[[Bridge On The River Kwai]]'' scenes, especially Barry's "Colenel Nicholson" act while locked in the metal hut.
* [[Mooks]]: Ali Fraser and Mickey Startup both have them. Big Baz could be considered a [[The Dragon|dragon]].
* [[Mooks]]: Ali Fraser and Mickey Startup both have them. Big Baz could be considered a [[The Dragon|dragon]].
* [[Mysterious Past]]: Moxey and Colin.
* [[Mysterious Past]]: Moxey and Colin.
* [[Naked People Are Funny]]: The skinny dip in Spain.
* [[Naked People Are Funny]]: The skinny dip in Spain.
* [[Native American Casino]]: The revival series had a plot involving our heroes demolishing a historic bridge in England, and rebuilding it across a canyon in Arizona to provide access to a Native American casino.
* [[Native American Casino]]: The revival series had a plot involving our heroes demolishing a historic bridge in England, and rebuilding it across a canyon in Arizona to provide access to a Native American casino.
** a ''[[Shout-Out]]'' to an urban legend relating to the sale of the old London Bridge and its re-erection in Arizona as a tourist attraction
** A ''[[Shout-Out]]'' to an urban legend relating to the sale of the old London Bridge and its re-erection in Arizona as a tourist attraction.
* [[Only Known by Their Nickname]]: Oz and Bomber.
* [[Only Known by Their Nickname]]: Oz and Bomber.
* [[Only Sane Employee]]: Dennis, frequently.
* [[Only Sane Employee]]: Dennis, frequently.
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* [[Porn Stash]]: 'Last Rites'.
* [[Porn Stash]]: 'Last Rites'.
* [[Prison Rape]]: Apparently almost happened to Geoffrey Granger. Luckily for him, Oz was around to help.
* [[Prison Rape]]: Apparently almost happened to Geoffrey Granger. Luckily for him, Oz was around to help.
* [[Protagonist Centred Morality]]: When Oz mistreats people he's an anti-hero that you root for. When a character like Herr Grimwald or Arthur Pringle mistreat the group then they are a villain deserving of humiliation.
* [[Protagonist Centred Morality]]: When Oz mistreats people, he's an anti-hero that you root for. When a character like Herr Grimwald or Arthur Pringle mistreat the group, then they are a villain deserving of humiliation.
* [[Really Gets Around]]: Wayne.
* [[Really Gets Around]]: Wayne.
* [[Replaced the Theme Tune]]: It deliberately changed its opening and closing themes for each new series or special.
* [[Replaced the Theme Tune]]: It deliberately changed its opening and closing themes for each new series or special.
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* [[Sexy Secretary]]: Dagmar and Christa.
* [[Sexy Secretary]]: Dagmar and Christa.
** Neville has one to lust over in series three, [[Life On Mars|Annie Cartwright]] no less.
** Neville has one to lust over in series three, [[Life On Mars|Annie Cartwright]] no less.
*** averted in several directions by Dagmar, who seems to be developing a genuine relationship with the unhappily-divorced Dennis - until their night in a hotel is spoilt when the rest of the Brits turn up, having burnt down their hut in a drunken prank gone drastically wrong
*** Averted in several directions by Dagmar, who seems to be developing a genuine relationship with the unhappily-divorced Dennis - until their night in a hotel is spoilt when the rest of the Brits turn up, having burnt down their hut in a drunken prank gone drastically wrong.
* [[Sexy Stewardess]]: Wayne and Barry try to pull two sexy stewardesses in Series One.
* [[Sexy Stewardess]]: Wayne and Barry try to pull two sexy stewardesses in Season 1.
* [[Sitcom Character Archetypes]]:
* [[Sitcom Character Archetypes]]:
** The Big Mouth: Oz.
** The Big Mouth: Oz.
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* [[Third Person Person]]: Bomber.
* [[Third Person Person]]: Bomber.
* [[Title Drop]]: In the closing scene of the final episode, courtesy of Neville.
* [[Title Drop]]: In the closing scene of the final episode, courtesy of Neville.
* [[Took a Level In Badass]]: Between seasons two and three Brenda goes from a simpering housewife to a hard-nosed businesswoman.
* [[Took a Level In Badass]]: Between Seasons 2 and 3, Brenda goes from a simpering housewife to a hard-nosed businesswoman.
* [[Trash the Set]]: Takes place at the end of season one when {{spoiler|Wayne inadvertently burns the hut down}}.
* [[Trash the Set]]: Takes place at the end of Season 1 when {{spoiler|Wayne inadvertently burns the hut down}}.
* [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]]: Barry and Tatiana.
* [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]]: Barry and Tatiana.
* [[The Unintelligible]]: Oz with his strong accent in the first two seasons.
* [[The Unintelligible]]: Oz with his strong accent in the first two seasons.

Revision as of 19:32, 16 May 2016

Why Aye, man!

Comedy-drama from the writing team of Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais. Season 1 (1983-1984) involved seven manual laborers from various parts of the United Kingdom. It was the mid-Eighties and there were no jobs to be found in this country, so they traveled to Germany to find work, forming themselves into a tight-knit group amid all the Culture Clash. They even used The Magnificent Seven title.

Season 2 (1986) featured the same seven re-uniting and traveling from Birmingham to the English countryside to Spain on various building projects.

British Brevity was somewhat averted by these first two seasons, which contain 13 episodes each rather than the usual six. A third season was planned but shelved after Gary Holton, one of the seven principal cast members, passed away.

It was eventually revived for a few years in 2002, Darker and Edgier. With the six remaining members, Timothy Spall (Barry), Christopher Fairbank (Moxey), Jimmy Nail (Oz), Tim Healy (Dennis), Pat Roach (Bomber) and Kevin Whately (Neville) returning and Noel Clarke filling the gap as Wayne's son, Wyman.

The strong accents (especially Geordie), including regional slang terms and the obscure British cultural references, would probably make the series almost completely unintelligible to anyone from outside the United Kingdom.

Tropes used in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet include:

Dennis: After a week they've lost their passports, they've got pissed, lost most of their money, and become ridiculously nationalistic for the country that can't even bloody employ them in the first place!

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Auf_Wiedersehen,_Pet?oldid=1395018"