Red Dwarf X

[variant]

Craig Charles has been speaking about the imminent return of sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf.

Co-creator Doug Naylor confirmed plans for a new series of the show earlier this year, with Charles previously saying that he would take a three month break from Coronation Street to shoot it at the end of this year.

Speaking on This Morning, Charles said: "It is exciting. The last series was 1998 - and we started it in '87... but I'll be back in the leathers, back in the dreadlocks. Everyone is back on board and they are building the sets now at Shepperton.

"It's going to be like the old days, we are going to rehearse, and record it in front of a live studio audience. Everyone's older, but I could still fit in the costumes!"

He continued: "We all really wanted to do it... the only problem was trying to get some time off Coronation Street, but they've been really good to me and given me the time off. It would've been terrible if they went off to do it without me!"

Red Dwarf ran for nine series, with the cult show featuring Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn.

Red Dwarf X will air sometime in 2012.

Is this old news? I take it that its going to be on Dave?

[Consignia]

Nine series? The crappy specials are now a series are they?

Would it be unfair to write this off from the get go?

[The Roofdog]

It's news that's come around about every 3 months since 1998 isn't it? The frequency with which Robert Llewellyn tweets about a new series of Red Dwarf is directly proportional to the logarithm of the probability of it actually happening. Approx.

[Jemble Fred]

Live audiences – thank fuck! I bet getting hold of tickets for that will be tougher than any Olympic event. I'm up for it though.

[Famous Mortimer]

I think as soon as they announce them going on offer I'll give it a try, be nice to see em all no matter how bad the specials (and the last two/three series) were.

[Duckula]

Is Lovett on board this time?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Is Lovett on board this time?

I think he eventually fucked them all off through the amount of times they'd messed him around. The last comments I read by him he seemed really publically pissed off with them.

[thr0b]

I think he eventually fucked them all off through the amount of times they'd messed him around. The last comments I read by him he seemed really publically pissed off with them.

From what I've read, it was more that he was told that they might need him for the specials, budget/plot depending. And then the budget was low, and the Holly character superfluous to the story, so he wasn't needed. For which he got into a bit of a hissy fit, has decided he hates everyone involved and has said several times that he will never work with them again.

Hopefully this means a return for Hattie Hayridge, who has perhaps more reason to be pissy, what with being dropped from the show in series 6 and then replaced by Norman (who quit in the first place) in series 8. But has not been pissy at all.

[BritishHobo]

Nine series? The crappy specials are now a series are they?

Would it be unfair to write this off from the get go?

I think I recall someone saying in an interview that they were going to go along with the plot of 'Back to Earth', where series 9 had already aired, and it involved Kochanski leaving (thank christ), and skip straight to series 10.

But yeah, I'd say it was to be expected to approach this one with a huge degree of pessimism. The specials were so appalling, it made me a little bit sad to see Lister as a middle-aged man still playing pranks on his bunkmate. Ignoring everything that made the specials so bad (tone felt so very awkward, plot idea was too crazy, weird Blade Runner thing, and that little speccy kid can fuck right off), it's still going to be incredibly odd and slightly depressing to watch a series of Red Dwarf where they're all really getting on in life, and yet Lister is still like a teenager.

[Famous Mortimer]

The specials were so appalling, it made me a little bit sad to see Lister as a middle-aged man still playing pranks on his bunkmate.

This is it, and I've sadly not got much faith in them to do something different / interesting with the characters.

[Hollow]

I have no hope at all that this will be any better than the last three series of the proper BBC series.

Never mind that excrement that Dave shat out two years ago.

It hasn't been any good since the funny one left the writers anyway.

[I accept the terms of the]

It took me ages to realise that I didn't like Red Dwarf. I thought I was a fan who "liked series 1 best". It turns out that this is because I didn't want what Red Dwarf became, I just wanted a sparse, dialogue-based bleak comedy. Aliens and adventures indeed.

[Jemble Fred]

Aliens and adventures indeed.

Aliens have never existed in the Red Dwarf universe. For what it's worth.

[thr0b]

I think I recall someone saying in an interview that they were going to go along with the plot of 'Back to Earth', where series 9 had already aired, and it involved Kochanski leaving (thank christ), and skip straight to series 10.

But yeah, I'd say it was to be expected to approach this one with a huge degree of pessimism. The specials were so appalling, it made me a little bit sad to see Lister as a middle-aged man still playing pranks on his bunkmate. Ignoring everything that made the specials so bad (tone felt so very awkward, plot idea was too crazy, weird Blade Runner thing, and that little speccy kid can fuck right off), it's still going to be incredibly odd and slightly depressing to watch a series of Red Dwarf where they're all really getting on in life, and yet Lister is still like a teenager.

Isn't that part of the inherent bleakness of the concept though? Lister isn't really going to grow more mature, as there's little to make him do so. There's no society for him to fit into, no social norms anymore, it's just him, the Cat and a hologram. Forever.

On Dave's budget, I rather suspect it's going to be something of a move back to the earlier format of things happening mainly on Red Dwarf, rather than planetoids and the like, with just the main cast and the odd guest star.

[Skip Bittman]

That'd be a great idea but it's probably more likely they'll go with garish cheap CGI all over the place to "do all the things we wanted to do with Red Dwarf from the start but were constrained by the primitive technology and that absolutely beautiful handmade model shot on film."

[Key]

Without wanting to add to the deluge of negativity that is this thread, I wonder which solo Doug Dwarf we'll be getting then? The self-consciously epic sci-fi of series 7 and BtE which while a little light on jokes, had some great emotional moments and for the most part engrossing stories, or the series 8 style goofy panto with the crew lurching wildly in and out of character and cock gags a-plenty. I'm hoping for the former but the studio audience may suggest otherwise.

[Jemble Fred]

If it's even vaguely like Red Dwarf fucking VII, I'll finish off the job the despair squid only started. The live audience is the one thing this announcement has got going for it.

[Old Nehamkin]

As many problems as the specials had, and there were lots, I find them hard to hate in comparison to series 7 and 8 because it did seem like a genuine attempt to return to the spirit of series 3/4/5, even pretty much ignoring the events of the last couple of series. It had a good-natured sort of feel to it and the cast seemed to be enjoying themselves. It may have been very light on laughs but it did (in the main) provoke far fewer "Oh fuck off" moments than it has in a while (and to be fair, from what I understand it was commissioned, written and produced in a very short period of time). The return of the studio audience is a definite step in the right direction, it's just a shame that Doug Naylor, as a solo writer, is seemingly incapable of writing a decently funny comedy script. They need to get Rob Grant back or someone else, just as long as it's not just him writing these.

[Key]

I dont think Rob Grant is too much interested in writing for TV anymore these days. Naylor had a co-writer on series 7 and 8 whose CV includes My Hero, Green Green Grass, late 90s Denise Van Outen sitcom Babes In The Wood and several S Club 7 TV movies.

[DJ One Record]

I dont think Rob Grant is too much interested in writing for TV anymore these days. Naylor had a co-writer on series 7 and 8 whose CV includes My Hero, Green Green Grass, late 90s Denise Van Outen sitcom Babes In The Wood and several S Club 7 TV movies.

And another co-writer in 7 who wrote the Spiceworld movie.

[small_world]

It took me ages to realise that I didn't like Red Dwarf. I thought I was a fan who "liked series 1 best". It turns out that this is because I didn't want what Red Dwarf became, I just wanted a sparse, dialogue-based bleak comedy. Aliens and adventures indeed.

I don't want to acknowledge this, but I think it's true for me too. I love series 1 and 2... But it's just a bit shite toward 5 and onwards.. Some really good stuff in those first few series.

Although I do enjoy the sci-fi plots of some of the other series. Stuff like the virtual world, and the galaxy snooker stuff...

[I accept the terms of the]

Aliens have never existed in the Red Dwarf universe. For what it's worth.

Oi. Gelfs, simulants, Despair Squid, Legion, Psirens, polymorphs.

I don't care if they're evolved from or made by humans. If the person watching misses the line about their origin then they would think they were aliens, despite any technicalities!

[kitsofan34]

From what I've read, it was more that he was told that they might need him for the specials, budget/plot depending. And then the budget was low, and the Holly character superfluous to the story, so he wasn't needed. For which he got into a bit of a hissy fit, has decided he hates everyone involved and has said several times that he will never work with them again.

Wasn't it more to do with the fact that when the writers found out they didn't have enough budget for him, they didn't even bother letting him know?

[biggytitbo]

Norman Lovett is a bit of a tosser though isn't he? I'd imagine thy all hate him and that's why he's not involved.

[Johnny Textface]

Oi. Gelfs, simulants, Despair Squid, Legion, Psirens, polymorphs.

I don't care if they're evolved from or made by humans. If the person watching misses the line about their origin then they would think they were aliens, despite any technicalities!

And what about the 'Quagaars' innit?

[Big Jack McBastard]

Provided they don't jump straight back on the Dwane Dibley/Ace Rimmer shit-slide I'll very likely watch it all despite the fact that they should just let it die.

#Sigh#

It's too late to make it better isn't it? It's an ill dog which has shat in our living rooms a couple too many times for a sudden miraculous recovery.

[thr0b]

Wasn't it more to do with the fact that when the writers found out they didn't have enough budget for him, they didn't even bother letting him know?

I suspect the truth is somewhere between the two versions.

[BritishHobo]

Isn't that part of the inherent bleakness of the concept though? Lister isn't really going to grow more mature, as there's little to make him do so. There's no society for him to fit into, no social norms anymore, it's just him, the Cat and a hologram. Forever.

On Dave's budget, I rather suspect it's going to be something of a move back to the earlier format of things happening mainly on Red Dwarf, rather than planetoids and the like, with just the main cast and the odd guest star.

Well aye, I loved that bleakness, but it still allowed for comedy, Lister still being a twenty-something slob, and Rimmer, despite being dead, still being a desperately hardworking overachiever. Never did like Kryten much (suppose that's why I mostly prefer series 1&2, when it was just the three of them and Holly slouching about) but Cat was an... interesting addition. But now it's just a couple of middle-aged men sharing a bunkbed and bickering, with a comedy robot and another 'man' pushing forty who's obsessed with fashion. It's less sad bleak, and more sad pathetic, than anything

[I accept the terms of the]

If it was going to be any good it would address that. The troubles of middle-aged men living in isolation for so long. It would be bleak, it would have great dialogue. It would echo Waiting for Godot.

But it won't be good. It will be self-referential, wacky, unaware of problems with the format and just generally shit.

And the CGI will look shit, just like all Red Dwarf CGI. God, ships in space is one thing that you can actually do convincingly with computer graphics, but nooooooo.

[The Roofdog]

Wasn't it more to do with the fact that when the writers found out they didn't have enough budget for him, they didn't even bother letting him know?

What, they couldn't afford a black polo neck for him?