Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

One of the classic series of the 1980s, 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' works well as an ensemble piece, with every character complementing the other - Dennis, the sensible one (Tim Healy), Neville, the nervous one (Kevin Whatley), Barry, the dumb one (Timothy Spall), Oz, the crazy one (Jimmy Nail), Bomber, the tough one (Pat Roach), Wayne, the horny one (Gary Holton), and Moxey, the boring one (Christopher Fairbank). They're brickies on a building site in Dusseldorf, and the interest comes in watching them survive being thrown together.

Two series appeared in the early eighties, with the series being curtailed by Holton's untimely death during recording of series 2. Almost every episode was a winner - laughs, pathos, camaderie, and a real sense of liking of the characters involved. Well written, with a pair of great theme tunes (sung by Joe Fagin), and a good cast of supporting actors (Michael Elphick turns up now and then, Ray Winstone plays an army man AWOL), this drama really couldn't miss.

And the final couple of series reunited all the characters (bar Wayne - we saw his son Wyman, instead) for more laughs and an ultimately touching finale. Highly recommended and, surprisingly, not dated at all.