Trivia: Jimmy Nail's girlfriend, Miriam, (now his wife) heard about the auditions for Auf Wiedersehen Pet, and suggested that he try out to be an extra. (Nail had already had a brief appearance as an extra in the 1971 movie "Get Carter"). At the time (1982), Jimmy was in a band called The Crabs and he used to perform in a dress and hobnailed boots. Nail reportedly turned up late for the auditions, had to double park his car, and was very rude to the casting director holding the auditions. Little did he know then that his "bluntness" was exactly what the casting director was looking for...
Trivia: The "Dusseldorf building site" that features extensively throughout the first series was not in Dusseldorf at all. It was not even in Germany. A replica of a German building site was constructed on the back lot at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. When filming of the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet was completed in early 1984, the site was levelled and it became Albert Square, Walford, London, E20 - the home of the Soap Opera "EastEnders" to this day.
Last Rites - S1-E10
Trivia: During shooting of the episode 'Last Rites', Pat Roach (who plays "Bomber" Busbridge), broke his foot doing a stunt. This real-life event had to be 'covered' by having it written in to the script, and therefore this episode has a pile of bricks landing on the unfortunate West countrymans foot.
Trivia: Both of the series one opening and closing title songs ("Breakin' Away" and "That's Livin' Alright") are exactly the same length in duration to the second. Both were sung by Joe Fagin, who had a top ten hit with the songs (as a "double A-sided" single - although "That's Livin' Alright" got the most airplay) in late 1983.
Trivia: During filming the first episode, the production crew had to hire a coach load of prostitutes from Hamburg's red light district for the 'brothel' scene. On arriving at the sets, the producers discovered that most of these were actually transvestites. Also, during the filming of the same episode, a coach load of British squaddies for a nearby camp were hired to play the parts of the pub goers. Unfortunately the beer supplied was real which led to drunken chaos, and a chase involving gun toting German police.
Trivia: During the first three episodes of season one there is actually another worker in the hut, not just the 'magnificent seven'. The extra character never speaks and is only seen rarely in the first few episodes, before being removed altogether.
