History Special: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

11/10/21 • 56 min

How did TV shape Britain's relationship with the EU? And where do our preconceptions about European countries come from?

Today on the show Beth is talking to historian David Lawton about German stereotypes, World War II references and British Nationalism in the eighties sitcom Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

About David

David is a PhD student at Queen Mary University working on Euroscepticism in Britain from 1970-2000. He has written on culture in the 1980s and has worked on the history of television in the 20th century. He is also a musician in the band Preen.

Previous Episode

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

What would you do if you found out you had a doppelganger? Someone with the same name, hobbies, sexuality and even love for 90s TV as you? Would you totally freak out? Or would you send them a DM and invite them on your podcast?

In a spooky season special of The TV That Changed Me, Beth is joined by her doppelganger Beth Watson (yes, really) to discuss doppelgangers and queer icons in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

About the other Beth Watson

Beth Watson is a theatre-maker, performer & drag king, writer and performer of upcoming Hasbian, and host of Queer Diary: the night which invites LGBTQ+ adults to delve back into their teenage diaries in front of a live audience.

Beth is also a member of The Family Jewels Drag Kings (under the name Dan Load), and co-director of Bechdel Theatre, a grassroots community organization which supports, connects and amplifies people of marginalized genders in and through theatre and performance.

Next Episode

Queer as Folk

Earlier this year, the Channel 4 show It’s a Sin gripped the nation with its heart-breaking portrayal of a group of queer friends living through the HIV/Aids crisis of the early 1980s.

But 20 years earlier, its creator Russel T Davis sent shockwaves through British television with a very different portrayal of an LGBTQ+ friendship group. Queer as Folk was released in 1999 and was an unapologetic portrayal of three gay men living in and around Manchester's Canal Street. The show was ground-breaking for the time and its impact was felt all over the world.

Today on the show we're hearing from Ben and Benja from Bear Back Podcast about the effect it had on their very own coming out stories. Diversions include Kate Bush, Will & Grace and Sam Smith's cover of 'I feel love.'

About Bear Back Podcast

Bear Back is hosted by same-name, transnational couple Ben and Benja who deliver a weekly comedy podcast that explores the cultural quirks of their respective homelands – the UK and Argentina. As two larger gay males, known as bears, both looking back on their life experiences to date, the podcast’s title – ‘Bear Back’ – seems apt. The duo discuss everything from LGBTQ+ culture, food and drink, citizenship, language and public transport – via The Cheeky Girls and the history of the ballpoint pen – all why they navigate their life together in Warwickshire, England. New episodes drop every Friday across all major podcast platforms or you can listen direct via the show's website: https://shows.acast.com/bear-back

Credits

Produced by: Beth Watson

Edited by: Beth Watson

Music by: Iora

Find us on the interweb

Beth Watson: @b.wott on Instagram & @bwatson19 on Twitter

The TV That Changed Me: @tvchangedme on Instagram & @tvchangedmepod on Twitter