Auf Wiedersehen Pet – Series 3
When we last saw the lads it was 1986 and they were being chased by Spanish Police whilst aboard Ali Frazer’s yacht.
In 2002 the series was revived for a six part run, this time it was made by independent production company Witzend Productions for the BBC.
The original writers and all of the surviving cast returned, joined by Noel Clarke as Wayne’s son Wyman (Gary Holton died in 1985).
The characters all appeared to have moved on; Moxey was no longer a wanted criminal, Oz had given up drinking; Neville and Barry were both successful businessmen. Dennis, however, was employed as a drug dealer’s driver.
The special effects depicting the demolition of the bridge were so realistic that many people believed it was really being demolished, forcing the BBC to add a caption to the last episode reassuring them that it was still there.
Despite some initial scepticism that the reunion would not work, the show was an immediate hit. In a break with series one and two the show went out on a Sunday Evening as opposed to Fridays.
Summary
The lads are re-united when they arrive in Middlesbrough for Oz’s funeral, only to find that Oz is not dead. He’s used his fake funeral as a way of calling the lads together again.
Oz has had a spell in prison and whilst there has come into contact with a corrupt politician. who has a plan to dismantle the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge and sell it on elsewhere.
He plans to use the lads as labour and cheat them out of the profits, until a Native American from Arizona (played by Gordon Tootoosis) turns up to announce that he would like to buy the bridge for the benefit of his tribe’s casino, and flies them to his reservation to reconstruct the bridge.
Each episode except the first featured a re-cap of the previous episode’s events in a voiceover from Dennis, a feature not continued in the fourth series.
Clips
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Cast
Tim Healy
Jimmy Nail
Timothy Spall
Noel Clarke
Kevin Whately
Pat Roach
Christopher Fairbank
Bill Nighy
Gordon Tootoosis
Details
Channel: BBC1
Written By: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais and Franc Roddam
Produced By: Witzend Productions for BBC1
Original Transmission: 28th April 2002 – 2nd June 2002