Red Dwarf rewatch

[DrGreggles]

The stage show keeps getting mooted, but is there any way it wouldn't be awful? Mugging cast, OTT crowd reactions, just no.

I can only envisage the last couple of Bottom live shows.

[St_Eddie]

Rob's done an interview for reddwarf.co.uk today, about his Holly Hop script, and his future role in the show. A couple of interesting quotes:
"It was an exhilarating experience - like slipping on an old pair of the most comfortable shoes you ever had, and wondering why you haven't been wearing them all the time."

"There are lots of ideas on the table - a stage show, a movie, a new series, spin-offs. Last week we were told of an approach to do an American version again. We'd love to do any and all of them. We want RD flying out of our buttskis. We want to take the diminutive scarlet one on another trip to the stars. Watch this space."

This is all very odd.  I bet Doug is fuming.

[BeardFaceMan]

That's for the Dave stuff, I assume.
Rob is obviously looking away from that.

It's just that Rob mentions a new series in that interview as something on the table, so would he be co-writing with Doug? Can't see him doing a series for another channel with another cast while the Dave version is still being made.

[BritishHobo]

Does this imply the reason for the recent split then is that Grant and others have gained a fresh interest in the possibility of turning the show into a major franchise?

[willbo]

This is all very odd.  I bet Doug is fuming.

doug - "whatever happens, he's a wonderful man, and I'm sure he'll be a wonderful showrunner"

*sees interview*

"what an absolute slag!"

[Mobbd]

When it looked like Rob was back on the scene and that he might even have nudged Doug out, I was elated. Justice for Red Dwarf at last! But I'm starting to have sinking feelings about all of this.

The more I think about the Gloop concept, the more troubling I find it. It is tonally like something from Rob's Quanderhorn radio show. Almost Flubber-esque zany science. Not for me, thanks. Quanderhorn was too "don't press that button! what button? aaaarrgh!" for my liking. I didn't think any less of Rob for it; it was just a different show and that was fine. But it might be a glimpse into his RD.

He explains the gender swap thing in the interview (https://www.reddwarf.co.uk/news/2021/02/19/into-the-gloop-and-beyond/) too. But why not just let the fan cast read the script as if it had been written for the real cast? Why work the casting into the script? It's a weird creative decision.

Q: What was it like working with a cast of fans?
A: Terrifying! For all of us, I think. It could have all gone so hideously wrong.

Why? On account of there being absolutely nothing at stake?

The cover page of that script has a bit of fake legalese at the bottom: "The sending of this script does not constitute an offer of a part therein." Shouldn't that be "Receipt of this script"? It just made me wonder if Rob's actually a bit of a thicko.

Sigh. Anyone got any other feelings? Make me feel better about it please.

[Mobbd]

The script is downloadable here: https://www.reddwarf.co.uk/news/2021/02/19/into-the-gloop-and-beyond/into-the-gloop.pdf

[Mobbd]

I just read the script again. It's not that bad. You can see some classic Rob in there, the voice of Primordial Soup shining through.

There is still hope!

Maybe!

[g0m]

An online comic book club I'm in recently started doing weekly episode watches of a tv show. I thought it'd be a good idea to add a red dwarf episode - i think interesting speculative fiction conceits work well for the book club format, i like sitcoms, most of the other people in the group are american and they've never seen red dwarf, all in all a good fit.

Does anyone have a good episode recommendation for this specific thing? I've tentatively gone with the inquisitor, but I worry it'd have the same issue as going with legion or back to reality - they don't work as well if you don't know the characters

[JamesTC]

I've always felt Demons & Angels was a good first episode. It doesn't rely on understanding the characters as the evil and good versions are very broad. Plus the plot is very Star Trek TOS in its simplicity.

[g0m]

oh, good call on that one. i didn't consider demons & angels because always skip that one on rewatches - not sure why, something about it just ticks me off in a way i can't put my finger on

[purlieu]

It's fairly shallow in terms of its character studies compared to most Dwarf, especially in terms of the Highs who are just generic.
Thanks for the Memory might be a good one, it's a great standalone story with a nice mystery.

[Replies From View]

"There are lots of ideas on the table - a stage show, a movie, a new series, spin-offs. Last week we were told of an approach to do an American version again. We'd love to do any and all of them. We want RD flying out of our buttskis. We want to take the diminutive scarlet one on another trip to the stars. Watch this space."

"Buttski" count:  2

[Replies From View]

Quanderhorn was too "don't press that button! what button? aaaarrgh!" for my liking.

Did he ever reveal which button it was?  Sounds infuriating.

[Replies From View]

The cover page of that script has a bit of fake legalese at the bottom: "The sending of this script does not constitute an offer of a part therein." Shouldn't that be "Receipt of this script"? It just made me wonder if Rob's actually a bit of a thicko.

One grey tick:  sent but not yet delivered
Two grey ticks:  delivered but not yet read
Two blue ticks, unless the wanker has turned this feature off:  read

[Replies From View]

Here's a joke like Doug Naylor would make, ahem:


Rimmer (entering all huffy):  Kryten did you leave this lying around?  What on earth is it.  Looks like a joke page from jokes are us joke shop joke page section

(audience:  laughs)

Kryten:  yes i did sir did you look at it

Rimmer (reading):  what is blue and also red

Kryten:  and now turn the page upside down sir

Rimmer (turning it upside down):  answer:  a whatsapp message????

(audience:  laughs)

Lister (entering):  oh I remember whatsapp from the history channels, wasn't it a messenging service

Kryten:  that's right sir and I believe they got their "tick" colours very wildly confused!  (he points at Cat who has been sitting off-camera this whole time, pulling ticks off himself)

(audience:  laughs)

Cat:  owww!!!

(audience:  prolonged laughter which allows an abrupt shift in tone)

Kryten:  alert, sirs!!  meteor shower up ahead!!!!

[BeardFaceMan]

Needs more GELFs.

[Replies From View]

Needs more GELFs.

It's the first scene of the episode.  Kryten's meteor shower alert will doubtless lead to the discovery of GELFs around the seven minute mark.

[Replies From View]

Scene Two:  cockpit of Starbug



rimmer:  swirly thing alert gentlemen

kryten:  mr rimmer sir, that is cat's bubble bath swirling around near your monitor

cat:  can't have me not being all fresh from a bath

(audience:  laughs)

lister:  i thought cats notoriously hate baths

cat:  what's with you monkeys eat off the floor?  i want me crunchies man mmmmmhmmmm!!!

(audience:  laughs)

lister:  alright cat what happened with all the other cats have they dead are they left yet

(model shot:  starbug lurches left)

everyone:  whurrrrrr

rimmer:  is everything quite all right

(model shot:  starbug lurches right)

everyone:  whurrrrrr

(audience:  laughs)

kryten:  of course!  starbug has become possessed by a telepathic directionality gene or TDG for short!

lister:  say it using english words, krites

cat:  cheap denim cut-outs??????

(audience:  laughs)

kryten:  a telepathic directionality gene!!  every vaguely direction-based phrase we speak using words will be received by starbug as a command going forward

(model shot:  starbug continues going forward)

everyone:  whurrrrrr

(audience:  laughs)

lister:  so what you're saying krites is that with every cluster of space debris we encounter, we should drive through them with a maddening level of disregard at enormous danger to our own lives?

(model shot:  starbug does it)

everyone:  whurrrrrr

(audience:  laughs, and keeps laughing during model shot of Starbug striking a cluster of space debris, going into flames and hurtling downwards)

(model shot:  starbug crash landing on planet)

[Replies From View]

Scene Three (seven minutes in)


Gelf:  hwa ho ho wahakhaha

Rimmer:  oh no

Lister:  it's me wife

(audience:  laughs)

Kryten:  the one you abandoned at the altar sir

Lister:  red hot indian curry, guy, playin pool with planets.  never thought an edible pot noodle

Kryten:  sir?

Lister:  me wife, krites.  never thought an edible pot noodle.  smeg

(audience:  laughs)

(model shot:  Lister, Rimmer, Kryten and Cat are now tied up and being dragged along on a giant sledge by Lister's wife gelf)

(audience:  laughs)

(model shot:  they all arrive at the gelf village)


interior of gelf hut

it has all engine parts on the wall and on the floor.  a big rectangle section of the wall has a sign with 'starbug parts' written on it, and below it a sign that says 'pieces to replace when your starbug accidentally has directionality telepathic circuitry (DTC) installed'

(audience:  laughs)

kryten notices it and gestures to rimmer who sees it too.  lister and cat haven't seen it yet.

now they have.


they've all seen it, good



cat:  sidelong poncho flares????

(audience:  laughs)

gelf:  ahahahahahahfiodhofiahsoifhwoeinvfswnv

kryten:  let me do this sirs for i speak this language fluently.  haufwirbirbjvvjnkdjckjdUIEWfpijKDKKD

(audience:  laughs)

GELF: DOIHSJVNSJDVNNVJVFNVNkjkvkvkvkkkkk

kryten:  ahfihifvnisfnvinfkvnlsdfknvlafnvodfvondf



gelf gives all the parts to kryten and then they all walk off




THE END OF THE EPISODE

[Avril Lavigne]

lister:  alright cat what happened with all the other cats have they dead are they left yet

(model shot:  starbug lurches left)

everyone:  whurrrrrr

rimmer:  is everything quite all right

(model shot:  starbug lurches right)

This is my favourite Red Dwarf scene, maybe ever.

[Replies From View]

Towards the end I was parodying not giving a shit anymore and just wanting to end it


convincing, right?

[idunnosomename]

no because it was funny

[JohnnyCouncil]

Fantastic stuff that.

[willbo]

I once wrote a horrible edgy satire fanfic about Lister and Rimmer arguing about his habit of taking advantage of half-conscious women (before the accident). It ended with the line "if it's good enough for the armies of Genghis Kahn and Alexander the Great, then by jove it's good enough for me matey"

[willbo]

An online comic book club I'm in recently started doing weekly episode watches of a tv show. I thought it'd be a good idea to add a red dwarf episode - i think interesting speculative fiction conceits work well for the book club format, i like sitcoms, most of the other people in the group are american and they've never seen red dwarf, all in all a good fit.

Does anyone have a good episode recommendation for this specific thing? I've tentatively gone with the inquisitor, but I worry it'd have the same issue as going with legion or back to reality - they don't work as well if you don't know the characters

I've always thought of Polymorph as the ultimate introductory episode myself

[Replies From View]

I've always thought of Polymorph as the ultimate introductory episode myself

That's an interesting choice.  I'd have thought people would appreciate knowing the characters more before seeing them in their altered state.


My first experience of Red Dwarf as a child was random episodes from series 4 - I recall Camille and Justice particularly, and both of those presume an understanding of the premise and characters.  I suppose that, unless it's a series 1-2 episode that explains the premise in its opening minutes, any episode is as good as any other as an introduction.

[willbo]

That's an interesting choice.  I'd have thought people would appreciate knowing the characters more before seeing them in their altered state.


My first experience of Red Dwarf as a child was random episodes from series 4 - I recall Camille and Justice particularly, and both of those presume an understanding of the premise and characters.  I suppose that, unless it's a series 1-2 episode that explains the premise in its opening minutes, any episode is as good as any other as an introduction.

I suppose I think of it as an easy introduction to the tone of the show, rather than the characters. Because it has a rather traditional sci fi monster plot but lots of RD humour. So it's a nice transition easing into RD from normal sci fi.

[Replies From View]

Mind you I wonder whether anyone would particularly need 'easing into it'.  As long as newcomers aren't explicably starting out at series 8 I imagine it'd be quite straightforward to grasp.

The factor that I imagine might put some people off nowadays is the fact that it's 4:3 and low-res, rather than a sci-fi comedy.  At the end of the winter term I tried playing The Wrong Trousers to a group of year 6 kids (I work in a school, before you ask), and their reaction was "YUCK!  OLD!!"

[Mobbd]

An online comic book club I'm in recently started doing weekly episode watches of a tv show. I thought it'd be a good idea to add a red dwarf episode - i think interesting speculative fiction conceits work well for the book club format, i like sitcoms, most of the other people in the group are american and they've never seen red dwarf, all in all a good fit.

Does anyone have a good episode recommendation for this specific thing? I've tentatively gone with the inquisitor, but I worry it'd have the same issue as going with legion or back to reality - they don't work as well if you don't know the characters

Future Echoes.

Demons and Angels is probably the worst choice imaginable. It is entirely dependent on understanding the central characters, the high and low versions being deviations of them. It is alter-ego comedy grounded in your knowledge of the characters.