Roger Bamford

In Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983), an interruption or a stubborn pause gets time to matter. Roger Bamford and fellow director Paul Seed allow the conversations to stay awkward, rather than hurrying everyone towards the next laugh. We warmed to these men because the time spent being irritated by one another made their friendships feel credible. This is patient, generous direction, and the strongest reason to take an interest in Bamford’s work.

He moved into directing in the early 1980s, with a substantial contribution to the first two series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He also produced the second series, and his collaborators included writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Later directing credits took in Love Hurts (1992), Heartbeat (1992) and A Touch of Frost (1992). His work across British television comedy and drama continued through the 1990s and 2000s, including 38 episodes of Heartbeat and nine of A Touch of Frost.

The useful skill here is knowing how long to leave actors alone with a conversation. In Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, the 50-minute episodes give Bamford and Seed more room than a shorter comedy would offer, and they generally use it well. The cramped company becomes a pleasure because the men are allowed to be difficult without being hurried out of the way. Sometimes that goes too far: an exchange carries on when there is nothing left to learn from it. A firmer cut would help on those occasions.

There is also the sexual and national stereotyping, which can make the programme hard work. Affection for these men should not require us to forgive everything the programme does. Bamford’s attention to the performances is one reason to persist through the less agreeable passages. Begin with Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, prepared for some dated attitudes; the friendships are worth the time.