Series 1

[Auf Wiedersehen, Pet]

Since the Convention and Andy Patricks doings with the Beco Site, I have took a real shine to Series 1 lately. I think it's because of also watching 'Private Lives' with the lads man also....

[jet set willy]

Series 1 is still the best series. The hut, and the fact that they were all working rough abroad is what made it such a success. Apart from the scenes in Thorneley Manor in Series 2, none of the episodes that followed series 1 would recreate this atmosphere again.

The best parts of series 2 are without doubt the first half, up until they brick up Pringle's pub as a send off. After that the series runs out of steam. The 2 Newcastle episodes that followed dragged, and were pointless fillers, and the remaining 4 Spain episodes were ruined by a number of factors -

- Holton's death (obviously), making the interior scenes gloomy. You can almost see in the actors faces that their heart isn't in it anymore.

- the wives and girlfriends being included on the trip. Completely takes away the camaraderie of the lads together away

- no roughing it scenes, no bedroom scenes

- the Spanish scenes seem a bit of a wasted opportunity. We could have seen a lot more of the boys getting pissed up in a bar, instead of what we had. The only decent scene in Spain is when they all jump bollock naked in the pool, and getting caught.

- the final episode abruptly comes to an end, in a way which doesn't end the series properly.

[AWP Corsa Tim]

I think Series 1 steels it a tad because we are seeing the lads all get to know one another.. i think if gary hadnt had gone when he did we may have seen Series 2 surpass it..

[RHill]

Strictly speaking, there never was a second series. The second was a serial where the same story continues the following week. Perhaps that idea of it being a serial was the main reason that it was never going to beat series one. Just maybe.

[RHill]

Strictly speaking, there never was a second series. The second was a serial where the same story continues the following week. Perhaps that idea of it being a serial was the main reason that it was never going to beat series one. Just maybe.

Actually I disagree with myself reading that back. I think it works better as a serial. I find there are too many unanswered questions in series one.

[RHill]

Strictly speaking, there never was a second series. The second was a serial where the same story continues the following week. Perhaps that idea of it being a serial was the main reason that it was never going to beat series one. Just maybe.

Actually I disagree with myself reading that back. I think it works better as a serial. I find there are too many unanswered questions in series one.

Bollocks! Seriously, Richard. Do you not think series 1 has more character?

[RHill]

Strictly speaking, there never was a second series. The second was a serial where the same story continues the following week. Perhaps that idea of it being a serial was the main reason that it was never going to beat series one. Just maybe.

Actually I disagree with myself reading that back. I think it works better as a serial. I find there are too many unanswered questions in series one.

Bollocks! Seriously, Richard. Do you not think series 1 has more character?

If you mean as in originality, then yes Richard.

[AWP Corsa Tim]

What you been on eh??? !

[RHill]

haha... Its my way of saying that I still can't decide which series is best after 32 years.

[Auf Wiedersehen, Pet]

Series 1 was remarkable!
Really it shouldn't have worked, bunch of, group of men living in a hut on a building site in Germany. I mean if you wrote that description down on a piece of paper it sounds mental!
But by buggery did it!!

[FoxyMoxey]

Series 1 is still the best for my money. You'd be laughing at situations like the herb garden, the rat, and Barry and Wayne on the pull but in between the hilarious situations you'd have psycho Magowan terrorising the gang, Neville being accused of beating up that woman, Colin talking about his friends dying, and Oz nearly dying to save Dennis... The comedy and drama blended together superbly. It felt the most real out of all them. Series 2's very good but it lacked the grit and edge of the first series, and it's disjointed despite having a continuous storyline running through it. Also, several partners joining the lads on the Spain trip still rubs me the wrong way after all these years. It means the Spain trip is more like a family holiday, and that Dennis and Neville are separated from the group for the majority of the time. Then there's obviously the choppiness of Gary Holton's absence at the latter end of the series.

The later ones injected some of the gritty drama of the first series back into it with the drugs, the hitman after Moxey, Barry going to jail etc but the plots were often so far fetched it felt far removed from the normal every day lives of normal working blokes. On top of that, because TV had become much faster paced since the 80's, and there were only six episodes to a series, so much of that terrific insubstantial banter of the first two series was gone.

There were some great episodes/moments outside the first series, and I'm glad we got the second series, and these last few years I've even started to come around to the later ones and enjoy them for what they are but for me something was always missing.

The first series was lightning in a bottle. It was hilarious, dramatic, gritty, poignant, and consistent in quality.

[Lou]

A good point and very well argued......terry, Terry leather! I think you're going to be a good addition to the team. Pull up a bed son, we accept allsorts in here x

[Tracy]

"Lightening in a bottle." WOW, what a line ! I'll give ya ten out of ten for bottle son !

[racesgirl2000]

Series 1 was remarkable!
Really it shouldn't have worked, bunch of, group of men living in a hut on a building site in Germany. I mean if you wrote that description down on a piece of paper it sounds mental!
But by buggery did it!!

I agree with you on that one, dude