North East TV shows you've probably forgotten, Educating Oz - the largely forgotten Auf Wiedersehen, Pet television spin-off, The Tyne Bridge under construction 95 years ago - and the brave men who built it, Tim Healy at 70 - happy birthday to the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet favourite, Tributes flood in for Tyneside rock star and 'local legend' John Miles who has passed away aged 72. Holton also sang the theme tune to 1980s British children's drama, Murphy's Mob, which was produced by Central Television. The original actor who played Mark Fowler in Eastenders committed suicide, but can't remember if he was in the show at the time or had been written out ( he was only a semi - permanent character back then I think ) . For me, Gary Holton was one of them.. We have a small favour to ask. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is where Spall became a household name. The remaining cast of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet did not want to make the third series without him. He has also done voiceovers for a WaterAid advertisement. Gary used to come and see the band I was in Bad Detective play at the Clarendon in [citation needed] However this was refused and he fell out with La Frenais as a result, though they later reconciled.[5]. Previously used in electronic news-gathering they were more versatile and cheaper to use than studio-based cameras. Oz tells her he has his own construction business to impress her, and she tells him that she is a beauty consultant, but actually works at a massage parlour for her Turkish boyfriend, as Bomber discovers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. He was an actor, known for Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983), Breaking Glass (1980) and Minder (1979). Where are Byker Grove cast now? [3], Despite some initial scepticism that the revival would not work, the show was an immediate hit. He also had roles as Mactilburgh the scientist in the film The Fifth Element, the prisoner Murphy in Alien 3, and the Player Queen in the Franco Zeffirelli version of Hamlet, opposite Mel Gibson. We also made a video on the locations of An American Werewo. After obtaining the guerrilla leader's satellite phone whilst he is asleep Neville manages to call for help to Brenda, and as a result the army and the Australian embassy locate them. The Complete Brand New Series was released on DVD & VHS on 18 November 2002 by VCI. In 1977, he dated singer Stella Palmer, with whom he performed his cover version of "Somethin' Stupid" in 1973. His work has resulted in five BAFTA nominations (three in total for A.W.P., one for Spender, one for Crocodile Shoes), a Golden Globe nomination (Best Original Song Still Crazy), an Ivor Novello nomination (for Aint No Doubt) and numerous other awards and nominations. This page was last edited on 15 March 2023, at 21:46. Roach died on 17 July 2004 of throat cancer at the age of 67. Hammersmith in the early eighties.He came and spoke to me,and was a really great guy. John Ritter - I didnmt even no he had died! From July 2013, Drama picked up the rights to rerun the series as part of its schedules. 2023 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. The second series of 13 episodes in 1986 saw the boys reunited, initially to help Barry complete extensive building work on his new home in Wolverhampton. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids (19721977), worked with Casino Steel (19811984), and played the part of Wayne (a.k.a. The Dennis and Oz characters were reunited for a one-off educational sketch for Tyne Tees in 1986. Registered in England. The programme followed the lives of the unlucky Porter family, husband and wife Ben and Bill Porter (Gary Olsen and Belinda Lang), a caterer and a plumber, and their teenage kids, Jenny Porter (Clare Woodgate for series one and two and then Clare Buckfield), and David Porter (John Pickard). This was not apparent with the repeats of the first two series. He was a cheeky urchin and lovable rouge. It starred Tim Healy, Kevin Whately, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Christopher Fairbank, Pat Roach and Gary Holton, with Noel Clarke replacing Holton for series three and four and the two-part finale. The songs were released as a 7" single, and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart in January 1984. Examples of this include various characters enquiring about Wayne's whereabouts, only to be told that he was chatting up a girl in the next room or that he had gone away for the day. It won the National Television Award for Best Drama, and a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Drama. Its important to point out that the band name Heavy Metal Kids has nothing to do with heavy metal the music genre . [4] Soon after leaving education at Westminster School, he joined the Old Vic Theatre Company, and from there he went on to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford. The script was changed to explain his absence by stating that "Wayne" was out on the "pull" somewhere. He began his working life as a folk singer and plays the guitar. Some of the cast made an appearance on Comic Relief's Red Nose Day 2003, in which they find a suitcase full of money in a Miami hotel room and assume it belongs to a drug dealer who wants to shoot them; it actually belongs to U2 who invite them to their penthouse. The "building site" used for most of the filming was a set created on the backlot of the former ATV Elstree Studios at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire (then owned by Central). [7] He had been a drug user for several years after experiences through the music scene and was addicted to heroin, a habit he had quit some time after the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet had been broadcast. [8] They eventually rescripted the series, such that in every indoor scene that originally included Holton, excuses were made for his absence. In 2000, the first series was ranked #46 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, in a list compiled by the British Film Institute. They didnt offer him the job as they didnt want another alcoholic as frontman. Central to the groups on-screen shenanigans were a trio of Geordies - bricklayers Dennis, Oz and Neville - brilliantly played by the relatively unknown Tim Healy, Jimmy Nail and Kevin Whately. Following the end of the ninth and final series of Lewis, Whately announced his retirement from acting. Ken Ashby collaborated with Mackay on "That's Livin' Alright", a song that closed each episode. On 4 November 2012 Whately performed in a radio drama on BBC3 called The Torchbearers. The characters all appeared to have moved on: Moxey was no longer a wanted criminal; Oz had given up drinking; Barry ran a seemingly successful business exporting out of date food and Lada cars back to Russia (in reality smuggling drugs into the country, a fact Barry was unaware of); Neville and his wife Brenda, ran a building company called Nevenda Homes supplying pre-built homes from Scandinavia to DIY home builders. He also played Parson Nathaniel in War of the Worlds alongside David Essex at the Dominion Theatre, London in 2016. The ruins shown on the end credits were the actual ruins of the hut that was used for filming. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. He later became a regular in the fourth series in 2011. Gary Holton (Wayne Norris) Tragically Gary, right, died when he was just 33 (. However, the closing credits were accompanied by Mark Knopfler's song "Why Aye Man", taken from his album The Ragpicker's Dream. London) in the UK television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983-1985). 47 tracks (147:42). Actor Gary Holton, who played Wayne Norris, died of a drugs overdose in 1985 while filming the second series, leading to a somewhat watered-down appearance in the last few episodes. In 2013, he was Eric in the Sky Living Sitcom The Spa for one series. It was a bit morbid actually, after the actor had died, the character wasn't written out for quite a while, and Hilda had to keep calling upstairs for him in the script. If youd like to join in, please sign in or register. In Raiders of the Lost Ark he played two roles, the first being giant Sherpa who fights Jones in the bar in Nepal, the second a Luftwaffe airman who fist-fights with Jones before being killed by an aircrafts propeller blades on the airstrip in Egypt. We went to Welshpool in Wales to locate Gary Holton's grave and made this video of what we found. The other major characters were Barry, Wayne, Bomber and Moxie, played by Timothy Spall, Gary Holton, Pat Roach and Christopher Fairbank. The boys then move on to Laos and later Thailand,[8] where Barry's Russian ex-wife, Tatiana, turns up to announce that she is carrying his child following a brief "reconciliation" back in the UK. Another series saw the brickies holed up in Cuba, and the final two-hour instalment, set in Laos, broadcast over Christmas 2004 attracting over seven million viewers. He also appeared in an episode of Shoestring filmed in Bristol. Maya Woolfe as Uli (Series 1): A German woman who Oz falls in love with. Such was the attention to detail that the producers imported thousands of bricks from West Germany as these were slightly bigger than those used on English building sites.[1]. The first time I met Gary Holton, sometime during the summer of 1975, I was wearing a pair of electric blue satin (or thereabouts) flairs, a T-shirt and a Bay City Rollers scarf, homemade in a fit of ironic excitement after some schoolfriends and I broke into their show at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens. Goes to show:)), Check out my website dedicated to Gary httpss://garyholtonsite.tripod.com. Gary sadly died of a heroin overdose in October 1985 while the filming of the second series was still taking place. Their punked up version of the Kenny Rogers cover single Ruby, dont take your love to town, was an instant number one hit for Holton/Steel in Norway. ITV 'pull' show for two nights in a row after brutal elimination, The new All Stars series of I'm A Celebrity won't air on ITV on either Saturday or Sunday night this weekend, Every food hygiene rating for businesses on Newcastle's Westgate Road - from five to zero. The club we were at wasnt really jumping and we thought it sounded like fun, although neither of us had much singing experience. Billy Cronin 1 episode, 1984 Herbert Norville In recent years he has appeared on the likes of Lorraine, Pointless Celebrities, and Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway, as well as starring in the two-yearly Sunday For Sammy show. Site by. It was filmed in 2001 and aired in 2002, with audience figures of over 12 million. It was a huge success and the British public wanted more. Healy also recorded many voiceovers in radio commercials. He had died from an overdose of alcohol and morphine, with traces of diazepam and cannabis in his system. Director Zackary Adler Writers Zackary Adler James Edward Barker Andy Conway Stars Olga Kurylenko Gary Oldman Amit Shah See production, box office & company info Watch on Freevee Watch Free on Freevee Welcome to the Digital Spy forums. Having lived in London for many years, Jimmy is still involved in the Sunday For Sammy events, which he helped co-found in 2000. Lesley Saint John as Vicky: Girlfriend of Ally Fraser and then Oz (Series 2). Lots of Garys old mates have agreed to talk to me about him. city centre grit under threat, Lorella Meets the Obsolete: Dinamo single review, The Damned: DARKADELIC review ALBUM OF THE WEEK 2, Saint Agnes The Black Heart, Camden live photo review, Gaz Coombes: Club Academy, Manchester live review, Foo Fighters announce new album But Here We Are, Robert Lloyd / Janet Beveridge-Bean: Black Cat, Dark Horse album review, Duran Duran: AO Arena Manchester live review, Davey Woodward & the Winter Orphans: Mystic Science -album review. The lack of commercial success led to the break-up of the band and Holton returned to acting. Holton was offered the role of villain 'Nasty' Nick Cotton in the television soap opera EastEnders, but he turned down the role and it was instead given to Holton's friend John Altman, who bore a strong resemblance to him, and would go on to succeed him as the lead singer of the Heavy Metal Kids. His solo music career seems to consist of one off appearances. Holton made his screen acting debut in 1979, when he played the character of Eddie Hairstyle in the television movie The Knowledge with Michael Elphick and Kim Taylforth. The last episode of Series Two, Quo Vadis Pet began with an introduction from Tim Healy who played gaffer Dennis to dedicate the episode to Holton. The name derives from William Burroughs novel Nova Express, in the novel there is a character called the heavy metal kid, heavy metal as in any metallic chemical element that has a relatively high density and is toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. They said his character he had won the lottery and got on a world cruise. Yes and also a long time ago 'Jerry' in Corrie. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (German pronunciation: [af vidzen pt]) is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. Two years later, he co-starred in the film Still Crazy. "They had to put Valiums in Bonham's brandy to calm him down, it was embarrassing," he says. RIP Gary, loved ya. [6] The character Norris liked his women, music and drink, which was similar to his off-screen personality.[6]. Interesting. Gary Holton And Casino Steel* Gullkassetten 81 - Gary Holton And Casino Steel (Cass, Comp) Home's Musikk: HMC 10001: Norway: 1981: Sell This Version: Image Title Label Catalog Number Year In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory Actions They were amicably separated from 1981 and remained friends, though they were still not divorced at the time of his death. This was followed in 1994 by Crocodile Shoes, which he also created and starred as musician Jed Shepherd. It was the start of their careers - Geordies Tim Healy, Jimmy Nail and Kevin Whately joined Timothy Spall, Gary Holton, Pat Roach and Christopher Fairbank to play Dennis, Oz, Neville, Barry, Wayne, Bomber and Moxie in the hit TV series - here we look at what they did next, Sign up for free to get the latest North East news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Healy has had a role in Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimers show Catterick and in November 2013, he filmed a cameo in the first episode of the second series of the BBC sitcom Hebburn. The story sees the remaining six working in a British Embassy somewhere in central Africa that is about to be overrun by rioters. Holton had a blood alcohol level of 199mg and a morphine level of 0.8mg per litre (0.5mg per litre is considered invariably fatal). Some location filming was conducted in Hamburg,[3] despite the fact that the series was set in Dsseldorf. Ying Tong John as Big Baz: Ally Fraser's minder. GaryWayne Holt (born May 4, 1964) is an American musician from the San Francisco Bay Area. Not a soap but John Ritter who played the Dad in 8 Simple Rules was taken ill on set and died later in hospital. Barry Hollinshead as Rodney Osborne: Oz's ten-year-old son. Whately starred opposite Thaw in 32 episodes over 13 years in the hugely successful series that established him as a household name in the UK. In December 1978, Holton stood in for The Damned vocalist Dave Vanian on a short Scottish tour, he also recorded a solo single (which became a number one hit in Norway, a stunning punk-country version of Kenny Rogers's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" with the Boys' keyboardist Casino Steel, with whom he would later write a song simply titled "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" about his experiences in . In 1996, Spall was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, but has since been in remission. Gary Holton was born in Clapham, south London, the first child of Ernie and Joan Holton, and grew up in Kennington. Ernie Kestle 1 episode, 1984 Michael Deeks . The final episode of the second series, broadcast after Holtons death, was dedicated to his memory. The final syllable represents Old English tn 'enclosure', 'settlement'. They used to be drinking buddies and shared the same dealer. From 1979 he was married to model Donna Campbell. Previous Article Next Article Metal Singer Updated On March 26, 2023 Davey Muise Gary and Casino used to party hard and by 1980 both Gary and Casino had an alcohol problem and Gary was dabbling in drugs. While acting on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Holton had only two other roles. Healy was a welder in a factory and served part-time in the 4th Battalion the Parachute Regiment (Territorial Army) before embarking on his acting career. Some people come in to our lives and make a lasting impression. Whatelys television appearances include episodes of Shoestring, Angels, Juliet Bravo, Strangers, Coronation Street, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Alas Smith and Jones, Look and Read, You Must Be The Husband, B&B, Peak Practice, Skallagrigg, The Brokers Man, Murder in Mind, Inspector Morse, 2003 Comic Relief Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Lewis, New Tricks, Who Gets the Dog?, The Children and Silent Cry. The series' storyline revolves around a plan by corrupt politician Jeffrey Grainger (played by Bill Nighy), whom Oz had met in prison, to dismantle the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge (a real-life industrial landmark) and sell it for reconstruction in the Far East. Some of the action was filmed on Tyneside - although nearly all of the first series was shot in Germany and at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, in Hertfordshire. Gary and Casino Steel (keyboards/singer/songwriter) became firm friends and drinking buddies. Never knew he had done so much. Holton's funeral took place on 22 November 1985, with a 15-minute service at Golders Green Crematorium in London. The show opened in Chicago but he was replaced when ticket sales dropped. The opening and closing credits for the first two series were each accompanied by songs performed by Joe Fagin. He is the owner of a Dutch barge on which he and his wife, Shane, sailed around the British Isles as part of a BBC Four TV series Timothy Spall: Back at Sea. After Donna, Holton had a relationship with model Susan Harrison who gave birth to his son Red, in 1983. Nail is an actor, singer-songwriter, film producer, and television writer. "That's England Alright" was released on 5 June 2006. Holton did not receive much credit for this role, nor for his role as an uncredited character in the film Quadrophenia, released the same year. Holton was offered the role of villain Nasty Nick Cotton in the television soap opera EastEnders. His final appearance in the series was as a Gestapo officer in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; however, he appears only briefly, as the characters fight with Jones was cut because director Steven Spielberg considered the scene too long and served as a subplot. His ashes were placed on his grandparents' grave in Maesgwastad Cemetery, Welshpool. His father owned a pub and Gary told me that he would help out behind the bar when he was at home. Although he made a living through acting, his first love was music. Always two sides to a story though. So the story made sense they carried on talking about the character and then had the character die towards the end of the season. and Porridge. He played an uncredited extra in the television series Bulman, in 1985, and also appeared in an episode of Shoestring filmed in Bristol. So I am writing a book about him. He was the frontman of the rock band Heavy Metal Kids, he worked with the group Casino Steel, and he released some solo singles. His Auf Wiedersehen, Pet co-stars attended. Barry 1 episode, 1984 Howard Lew Lewis . Healy starred in the third series of the ITV comedy Benidorm playing a cross dresser Lesley. 2023 Louder Than War. One night in London on a particularly wet night out with Casino Steel, Cas remembers how Gary confided that he was afraid that if he didnt get away from London and the alcohol and drugs, he would die. Subsequently, he starred in supporting roles, including Simon Graham in The Last Samurai (2003), Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter film series (20042010), Albert Pierrepoint in Pierrepoint (2005), Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Peter Taylor in The Damned United (2009), and Winston Churchill in The Kings Speech (2010). Finney? In 2011 Fairbank starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as a pirate called Ezekiel, and in 2012 he appeared as an Australian in Sky 1s Starlings.