Wilkommen Back Pet

Red Dwarf guest start Timothy Spall is back on the BBC with all-new Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

17 May, 2002

It was classic telly in its day, but it seems a sixteen year break has not diminished the appeal of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. The show is currently running on BBC1 on Sundays at 9pm with all surviving members of the original cast intact - including Red Dwarf's own Timothy "Twonk" Spall.

Returning to the role of Barry Turner, Timothy has a chance to bring the character's story - again from the pen of top British comedy writers Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais - up to date. He recently told BBCi, "When you see Barry in the series, he's driving a Bentley, smoking a Davidoff cigar and on his mobile phone to his beautiful wife, who's on their skiing machine at home... He dresses in Versace and has all the trappings and smugness of someone severely rich."

Awarded the OBE in 1999, fans may have glimpsed Timothy in a cameo role in Vanilla Sky, or from his work with director Mike Leigh - including Secrets and Lies, Life is Sweet and Topsy Turvy. He will soon be seen in the latest Leigh project All or Nothing as philosophical taxi-driver Phil rediscovering married life after an unexpected tragedy. The film previews in Cannes on Friday May 17th 2002.