BBC commissions new Auf Wiedersehen

In the UK, BBC1 has commissioned a new series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, a follow-up to the hit ITV drama in the 80s about a band of British builders.

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet reunites many of the original cast including Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Kevin Whately, Tim Healey, Pat Roach and Christopher Fairbank, while the original creator Franc Roddam and writing team of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais are also on board.

{The fact that all the original team have embraced it so enthusiastically demonstrates the power that the show still has to excite people,{ said Jane Tranter, BBC1’s controller of drama commissioning.

She added: {It’s moved on, in spirit and in time, and the maturity of the characters has brought a new edge and humour to the storytelling.{

The third series, directed by Paul Seed (A Rather English Marriage; House of Cards) and produced by Joy Spink (The Sleeper), sees the ultimate {cowboy{ builders teaming up once again, and setting out on a journey which takes them from Middlesborough to Arizona.

With Laura Mackie and Franc Roddam executive producing, the cameras start rolling on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet next Monday, and the show will air on BBC1 next year.

The first two series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (26×60' in total), made for Central Television by WitzEnd Productions, proved a ratings hit for ITV when they were transmitted in 1983-84 and 1986 respectively.