Red Dwarf X – Episode 2 – Set Report Features Posted by John Hoare on 24th December 2011, 21:45 A full episode of Red Dwarf has been recorded in front of a studio audience for the 2nd time since 1998. G&T were there again. This article discusses Red Dwarf X whilst adhering to G&T’s spoiler policy. Please ensure your comments do likewise. You did awfully well last week. Shepperton Studios. Home of The Omen, Gandhi, Alien, and, erm, The Vicar of Dibley. And most importantly, from 1990, home of popular science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf. Yesterday, as we traversed the pitch black muddy pathway into the studios where many a fan has trod, I idly wondered why a major studio would choose such an entrance to send guests through. I think I’ve worked it out now: it’s the ideal place for a murder or two, if GNP spot anyone who looks like they’ll give out spoilers… or just slags things off. I did plan to bore you all for paragraphs on end with a potted history of Stage K, where Red Dwarf X is being shot, but I can’t even nail down the year it was built, so fuck that for a lark. (It was in 1969 or 1996, depending on who you believe.) Red Dwarf has generally been shot on Stage G since 1990 (with D and L used for Back To Earth); Stage K is one and three quarters the size of G. (I really hope the guy who was late because he’d gone to Ealing Studios by mistake wasn’t lying.) Sets were much the same as last week – bunkroom on the right, Science Room/Drive Room in the middle, and two episode-specific sets on the left – one of which looked half-built, and wasn’t for this episode anyway. There were also two corridor sets in a T-junction formation. They are gorgeous – a perfect blend of every kind of set design Dwarf has ever had – with the Drive Room even slightly evoking the one from Series 2, at least for me. One thing that struck me compared to most sitcom sets is how bloody sturdy they looked – something that was put to the test with a derailed action sequence later in the recording… The actual recording itself was a joy. It ran from around 6:30pm to 9:15pm, which to be honest went by in a flash – whilst I’m of the school which would prefer David Croft’s speed of shooting (45 minute episodes of You Rang M’Lord? wrapped up in an hour and a half, as my favourite fact goes), I’m willing to give Dwarf a bit of slack, with the more complicated shooting requirements and experimental multicamera RED Epic shooting. The time was also helped by a fair amount played in as a prerecord – difficult to gauge exactly how much, but it felt like more than five minutes. It was nice to see some continuity provided by occasionally going from a prerecord into something shot live. Ray Peacock was an excellent warm-up – warm, funny, never short of things to do, and free of the obvious material that beleaguers most. And then the main attraction – you just can’t get a better cast in front of an audience than Chris, Craig, Robert and Danny. Robert translating some Brummie git in the audience was bloody excellent – these were cast that got involved with the audience, not skulked about in the shadows like so many audience recordings I’ve been to. (Though please – can Dwarf fans STOP asking Danny to do Tongue Tied?) Moreover, the whole recording felt immaculately organised – every reshoot was for an obvious reason, which is definitely not the case for some sitcom recordings I’ve witnessed. It’s probably the most enjoyable studio recording I’ve been to as an experience. Kryten reacting to a clapperboard is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Though speaking of Kryten, I share the concerns last week about the mask. It’s slightly too loose around the mouth, and almost looks *too* expressive. It does look better on the monitors, though. (The aforementioned Brummie git was not Ian, by the way. He was too busy “rapping”, and offending Ray. Although I’m not sure I’ve seen a more bizarre sight than watching Danny John-Jules say “Ian ‘Ian’ Symes”.) Unlike last week, the episode was recorded in order – although a couple of bits were missing. The first scene with one character had Chris Barrie (excellently) reading in the lines for Craig to react to, as the guest cast member couldn’t make it on the night (though he did appear in pre-records). The other sequence missing was the main action sequence from the episode, which sounds… rather tricky to do. Lest anyone think this is unusual these days, similar things happened with two IT Crowd recordings I went to – and whilst it’s a shame we didn’t get the whole thing, the missing action sequence at least is understandable, and didn’t hurt things too much. (Although there was one question it raised that I can’t reveal here without giving things away.) Incidentally, there were no ship shots – or even storyboards – in sight. Speaking of the shooting, the show is in 25p – or yes, “film look”. Now, with certain programmes – the studio sequences in Series 3 and 4 of That Mitchell & Webb Look, for instance – the studio stuff shot in 25p looks bloody awful, with all the worst artefacts of film and video. Thanks to the RED Epic cameras and a talented crew, however, Red Dwarf X looked very good indeed. A bit dark on the monitors, but I’m sure it won’t look like that in the final grade. (I do have reservations about the industry’s move towards 25p as a whole, but this is less specific to Dwarf, so I won’t bang on about that here.) But enough of all this tot. What did I think of the episode? And the answer… mixed. There are many individual things to be impressed by. There is a standout scene with Craig which was beautifully clever; to say more would ruin the plot, but it’s safe to say that if last week was Chris Barrie’s episode, then this week definitely belonged to Craig. It’s the perfect scene which would have fitted nicely into place anywhere in the first six series of the run – an excellent conceit, and rooted in character. Unusually for Dwarf, the show had three plot lines running at once, which were then dragged together at the end – I’d need to watch the final episode before judging whether the climax entirely worked. Unlike the Craig scene above, by far my favourite strand was one which felt very atypical for Dwarf, in both the concept of the joke and its execution – and it led to the first Red Dwarf moment since VI which had me squealing with laughter. I just hope it makes it to the final episode and isn’t sanitised – doing so would ruin it. Conversely, the other two plots could be viewed two ways – perfect for Red Dwarf, or ideas that rely on mashing together elements from the show’s past too much. I can hear the screams in the comments below already, but to be honest, this wasn’t the main source of my worries with the episode. (Put down your tea, put your best scowl on – I presume this is the bit you’ve been waiting for.) My real problem was that, like VII, VIII, or Back To Earth, I just didn’t feel a lot of the cast’s interactions. It used to be that you’d put Lister and Rimmer in a room and humour would seemingly magically spring forth. Here, even with an audience to bounce off, I sometimes got the feeling I had especially during those opening scenes in Back To Earth – that the moment-to-moment dialogue and characterisation just didn’t work for me. The first and last scenes in the episode ached of this problem especially, but I felt it throughout the show. I should stress that judging an entire series based on one person’s reaction to certain scenes in one episode before it’s even been edited together would be foolhardy at best. Nonetheless, in an episode full of things to admire, and one which is certainly more ambitious than most sitcoms made these days, that problem stuck out to me time and time again. (No doubt other people at the recording will be clamouring below to disagree.) And so, as we left the studio to the strains of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’, was it a Christmas miracle? For me, not quite, despite being – Bodysnatcher aside – probably the best Red Dwarf made since Series VI. It’s quite odd to come out of an episode which features such things as one of my favourite guest cast performances ever, and yet not come out completely elated. But that’s the paradox this recording left in my head; so much to like, and yet moment-to-moment I couldn’t quite get into it. As I make my way to the next episode recording in January, I’ll be watching myself on that dark, lonely pathway. TINY TEASER: Taiwan (VERY) APPROXIMATE SCENE COUNT: 17 (Total so far: 32) SMEG COUNT: 3 (Total so far: 4)
So the overall consensus from the two reports, written by people who in general haven’t really liked Dwarf since 1993, is that it is the best Red Dwarf since 1993? Good stuff.
I don’t know how everyone else feels about it, but purely on terms of jokes I would say it’s probably the funniest it’s been since then. It’s still hard to say in an unedited form etc but it’s defiantly had some good gags.
Thank you, John. A nice little report, and it’s nice to hear (largely) positive thoughts that aren’t gushing. You obviously know your TV/sit-com stuff, and yours is a good voice to hear such things from. Merry Christmas.
Even lacking the History Of Shepperton Stage K, this was very informative! as the guest cast member couldn’t make it on the night (though he did appear in pre-records). The other sequence missing was the main action sequence from the episode, which sounds… rather tricky to do. Lest anyone think this is unusual these days, similar things happened with two IT Crowd recordings I went to Which IT Crowd episodes were they, and which guests/scenes were omitted from the recordings you saw?
“mashing together elements from the show’s past too much.” thats abit of a worry, cant help but think doug takes to much from red dwarf past, he should really leave it alone
>Though please – can Dwarf fans STOP asking Danny to do Tongue Tied? What? That was one of the highlights of my life!
No, I haven’t. And i bet a lot of people from the recording haven’t either. So why should people stop asking him to sing it just because some people have heard it before?
it led to the first Red Dwarf moment since VI which had me squealing with laughter. So, like, a giant baby?
Which IT Crowd episodes were they, and which guests/scenes were omitted from the recordings you saw? Smoke and Mirrors had the entire “Moss experiments making a bra” montage missing when I saw it recorded. (Though the set for it was standing by the side.) And Bad Boys was missing the final reveal shot of it being a class full of kids Moss was talking to. Both times, Graham explained what was missing. (Also missing from Bad Boys was the final scroll text, but that could have been an idea in the edit…)
Good Job on the Report. >probably the best Red Dwarf made since Series VI That sounds Good to me. Hope Everyone has a Merry Christmas.
Thanks for the report. It’s good to read a critical but mainly positive review. And everyone who went seems to agree that it was funny. :)
>No, I haven’t. And i bet a lot of people from the recording haven’t either. So why should people stop asking him to sing it just because some people have heard it before? There’s no need to be so defensive! Everyone who has been involved with Dwarf fandom for the last 10 years (including all the G&T team) have been used to the fan ‘pool’ staying broadly the same, and have sat through several DJs with this request being made every single time. We can be forgiven for assuming that most fans have seen it, but of course the new Dwarf has attracted new fans, which is great, and we’d certainly like you to stick around. For the record, I think it was a good part of a great episode, but am bemused that it’s taken on a life of its own, especially when it was first broadcast in 1988! Danny did a godawful video of it in the ’90s, which has probably helped cement its reputation on this site. Please don’t take our feelings about it personally!
It’s not as bad as people asking Chris Barrie to sing something he NEVER ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY SANG IN THE FIRST PLACE, of course.
> No, I haven’t. And i bet a lot of people from the recording haven’t either. So why should people stop asking him to sing it just because some people have heard it before? This. While I wouldn’t care if I never heard the blummin song again there are fans, old and new, who would love to hear him sing it. Okay, asking him to do the Blue Midget dance would be more original… From what I can gather from my friend who was there (she didn’t spoil it, incidentally, I still know nothing about the story, gags etc. I’ve told her I’ll beat her with a snow shovel if she lets owt slip…not really, but you catch my drift…of snow…) this episode will live or die with the edit, though it was still funny and a great experience. About Rimmer/Lister…I won’t criticise Doug’s solo writing but I’ve often wondered whether Rob and Doug bouncing off each other was the key to those bunkroom scenes’ original success.
> There’s no need to be so defensive! I agree and apologise. I was a wee bit tipsy last night. :) > but of course the new Dwarf has attracted new fans, which is great, and we’d certainly like you to stick around I’m not a new fan, I’ve been a member here for 5 years, I’ve just never managed to get to a dimension jump (as much as I’d love to). Merry Christmas :)
Another great write up. And couldn’t agree more about the mixed feelings. Definitely need to see the final edit before making my mind up fully. I still think the parts we saw recorded fall significantly short of the episode run time. And wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few more scenes that we weren’t told about to insert, as well as the ones we were told about. That said, I may just be remembering incorrectly and/or wrong. It is the first recording of anything I’ve attended and it might just appear that way to me….Can’t wait to find out! I have written my full thoughts about the night’s experiences from my POV over at http://www.reddwarfforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3487
for anyone whose seen the 2 recorded episode plz say its not just full of past references and rehashing old ideas?
Re: The Mask. After Ian’s report last week, someone asked Robert if he’d seen the comments about the mask seeming loose, and he replied that it didn’t *seem* loose… Can’t find the actual Tweet now, sadly. He’s also mentioned that there is “new glue” involved.
I saw the first episode and can honestly say that neither the main plot nor the subplot have been done before in Dwarf.
As I say in the report above, I think one of the plot strands in Ep 2 at least could have been argued to have been done before in various ways – I’m thinking of combining two particular episodes from the shows past – but it wasn’t my main problem with the episode. The third plot was ENTIRELY NEW, and never before done in Dwarf – and was my favourite.
The thing is, it’s sometimes not clear exactly what is a rehashed plot, and what is simply one of Dwarf’s recurring tropes. How many episodes has Red Dwarf done that involve doppelgängers of various sorts? Plenty – and yet are we going to criticise every show that has a split screen after Me2? I do think Ep 2 may have crossed the line slightly with one of the plots, though it’s difficult to discuss it any further until broadcast – but it’s also important not to be over-sensitive about it.
id be ok with a one off episode that did that, i mean just look at emohawk – polymorph 2 it took 3 popular characters and brought them back and i see it as a harmless fun one off episode but hopefully doug doesnt make that a habbit
My opinion on this episode was mixed. There was some REALLY funny stuff. It was a “classic” episode- one that doesn’t rely on too much but a good plot. That said, the plot too greatly echo’d a previous red dwarf episode (it was VERY similar). Also, one other thing I’d say is that Rimmer wasn’t Smeggy enough. I didn’t see last weeks show which sounds like it may have been Rimmer centered, but I feel he’s smiling too much, and just not as much of a cunt as his character should be.
Oh and I’m not sensitive- the plot which possibly crossed the line was by far the funniest part of this episode!
“Rimmer wasn’t Smeggy enough. I didn’t see last weeks show which sounds like it may have been Rimmer centered, but I feel he’s smiling too much, and just not as much of a cunt as his character should be.” he was quite smiley in series 3 (“the way you always smile when your being insulted”), and i think it works better for the character when there are more dimensions to him then just being a GIT i was worried doug was going to play on the moany miserable git rimmer to much and become abit of a caricature
Lets be honest, in ‘Back to Earth’ these characters had been together over 10 years, and so Rimmer was understandably a lot more comfortable around the crew in ‘Back to Earth’ than in the earlier series. You can’t be in that situation and not loosen up. So I imagine if Rimmer is a bit more jovial in the new series, it’s because it’s just following on from what ‘Back to Earth’ started.
Oh and I’m not sensitive- the plot which possibly crossed the line was by far the funniest part of this episode! Oooh, yes, sorry, bad wording from me. Was talking there about the one plot that possibly took too much from previous episodes, and not to be over-sensitive about the repetition. The bit which you’re talking about, I totally agree. By far the funniest thing in the show. Sure it will get a mixed response, but I loved it.
he was quite smiley in series 3 (“the way you always smile when your being insulted”), and i think it works better for the character when there are more dimensions to him then just being a GIT I was definitely reminded of Series 3 Rimmer at certain points in terms of his attitude, yes. And no problem from me on that score there, either.
I didn’t see last weeks show which sounds like it may have been Rimmer centered, but I feel he’s smiling too much, and just not as much of a cunt as his character should be. Without saying too much, anyone worried about Rimmer not being enough of a cunt will have no concerns after at least one of the episodes is broadcast.
Also, episode one is very categorically not a rehash of something else. The main plot centres on something that we have never before seen in Red Dwarf (although we have definitely seen/heard it REFERRED to on numerous occasions), and that we might have expected that we never would see.
I honestly thought the still at the top of the report was the undressed model for the series 8 landing bay.
I honestly thought the still at the top of the report was the undressed model for the series 8 landing bay. Oh, God, I know exactly what you mean! Bloody hell. We’re going to get *really* desperate for photos come Episode 3 unless they release something else…
“Without saying too much, anyone worried about Rimmer not being enough of a cunt will have no concerns after at least one of the episodes is broadcast.” And now on Dave, with strong language from the start, it’s time to continue our new and exclusive series of Red Dwarf, with Episode 5: Rimmercunt.
Re: photographs. Are you not allowed to take pictures of the audience? I’d quite like to see a picture of the dark alley John describes on the way into the shed.
“The main plot centres on something that we have never before seen in Red Dwarf (although we have definitely seen/heard it REFERRED to on numerous occasions), and that we might have expected that we never would see.” OH MY GOD. A contented Norman Lovett? Wow!
I’m pretty certain that I saw a TV actor in the audience for this screening but, for the life of me, can’t think of what his name is or any TV shows he’s been in…. But I’m speculating that, although not in this episode, he may be a guest in any of the others. A tall silver haired chap who was very smartly dressed who is defintiely past retirement age….and has a recognisable face….but not a very memorable name…. It’s probably nothing….ignore me.
I know the guy you’re talking about – the one who skipped gleefully in front of us in the queue when he realised his number was lower than ours right? (Not in an offensive way – rather in a very excited fashion lol) He did look familiar. He was incredibly tall – I’m 6’4″ and he made me feel short. He looked to be in his 60s or maybe even 70s. And his face was not dissimilar to Norman Lovett’s.
Thats the chap. Full head of white hair though. I’ve been searching for a while, even doing Equity category searches…still can’t find his name, an image or think of what he has been in. Corrie maybe? BTW. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up having a guest appearance in one of the episodes, but the last thing I want is for people to say “Yes, he was in our filming…” or “No. Definitely not in the 1st and 4th filming”. It’s a fun speculative thing for me. But I don’t want to know until GNP officially say it is…or broadcast the episodes and he doesn’t turn up….
To be honest, I think he was just a chap who likes Red Dwarf and happens to have a distinctive look. Happy to be proven wrong though, but he was in the holding area with all the other audience members and had a ticket. Surely if he was involved in the production in any way, that wouldn’t have been necessary.
Of course, that’s not to say that he ISN’T a TV actor. But rather that even if he is, I doubt he’s involved in RDX.
I’m pretty certain that I saw a TV actor in the audience for this screening but, for the life of me, can’t think of what his name is or any TV shows he’s been in…. But I’m speculating that, although not in this episode, he may be a guest in any of the others. A tall silver haired chap who was very smartly dressed who is defintiely past retirement age….and has a recognisable face….but not a very memorable name…. It’s probably nothing….ignore me. He was sat next to Ian! I recognised him too, but no idea where from. It’s possible he’s just a jobbing actor who has been in lots of things in small roles. If I manage to remember where I know him from I’ll shout!
There’s loads of actors like that. There’s this one actor, who always plays the ‘fat slob’ role in everything. I first saw him in ‘Spaced’, he played the paperboy at Daisy’s party. Now I see him in everything. Last saw him in ‘The Impressions Show’, but he’s always around. But do i know his name? Nope.
He’s Destiny’s owner in ‘Mongrels’, he’s also the cinema clerk and the Burger bar attendant in Black Books (The Big Lock-Out), and he was also in The Fast Show as the singer of ‘Colon’ with their debut single ‘Kick. In. The. Sun.’ Those are off the top of my head.
Also, episode one is very categorically not a rehash of something else. The main plot centres on something that we have never before seen in Red Dwarf (although we have definitely seen/heard it REFERRED to on numerous occasions), and that we might have expected that we never would see. Now that’s a blatant clue, innit! Now you’ve said that, I’ve now got a couple of theories about what it could be. One is something that was mentioned as one of Doug’s potential storyline ideas in the spoiler section of the last Dimension Jump Dwarfcast; the other is an activity. I promise that I shall return to this thread after it’s broadcast to confirm whether or not I was accurate. (Well, I will if I remember.)
Just out of interest, did enough members of the Dwarfcast attend any or all of the filmings enough to record an episode or six? Just thinking how good it may (or may not) be to record your initial reactions to the recordings including all spoilers, but not release it until after the airing. You know, whilst it is still fresh in your minds…
Nice idea. Now that G&T is firmly entrenched in the minds of all those who frequent this site as part of the entire experience of new Red Dwarf, you have high expectations following the sterling coverage of Back To Earth. A post broadcast instant reaction Dwarfcast, plus a post recording initial reaction Dwarfcast, and to compare the two… you know that’s the kinda shit we G&T fans go for!
Also, episode one is very categorically not a rehash of something else. The main plot centres on something that we have never before seen in Red Dwarf (although we have definitely seen/heard it REFERRED to on numerous occasions), and that we might have expected that we never would see. Now that’s a blatant clue, innit! Now you’ve said that, I’ve now got a couple of theories about what it could be. One is something that was mentioned as one of Doug’s potential storyline ideas in the spoiler section of the last Dimension Jump Dwarfcast; the other is an activity. I promise that I shall return to this thread after it’s broadcast to confirm whether or not I was accurate. (Well, I will if I remember.) I have my thoughts on this, too, and if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then I think this will be absolutely awesome. If not, I’ll greatly disappointed. I want to see how this particular point plays out. *fingers crossed* If it isn’t, there are a couple of other things I think it could be, but I haven’t really felt the need to see it played out in the series.
Just a thought, but would there be any objection to setting up a thread where we can speculate on these kinds of things openly, obviously without anyone who’s attended from giving away any spoilers. Don’t want anything to slip out that shouldn’t, but for me, part of the fun of the build up to the new series is this is the pre-broadcast discussion – sharing ideas on what we think we’ll see/what we’d like to see etc?
Yeah I’d like to hear some speculation myself. A lot of folks are saying, “I think I know what it is and I hope I’m right!”, and it shouldn’t be a spoiler for them to clarify their suspicions. Open up people, I’m curious what you’re expecting!
Yeah, I’d like a speculation thread, too. I don’t want to say something in one of these threads that *might* be close, or even dead on, and be right, then have someone accusing me of giving out info that I truly have no way of having. :/
Ask and ye shall recieve. A post broadcast instant reaction Dwarfcast, plus a post recording initial reaction Dwarfcast, and to compare the two… you know that’s the kinda shit we G&T fans go for! This is a good idea, but I think it might end up being impractical. To get the most out of it we’d have to record on the same weekend, and there’s already a lot of energy being spent composing the set reports to produce something we won’t be releasing for ten months. We’ll do a big spoiler free DwarfCast after all the recordings are done, and of course the post broadcast stuff will heavily involve comparisions between thoughts about recordings and the finished product.
Looking forward to the third set report later, but, my God, please post it at least fifteen minutes before Sherlock starts.
please post the 3rd set report soon, im incredibly curious as i heard mostly posative but 1 or 2 negative comments about the 3rd ep
I’ve seen one negative comment about episode 3, seemed the person found it offensive. Against that are about 30 or 40 positive comments.
Not heard so much ‘negative’ comments, just a few of the opinion that it was ‘weird’ and ‘different’. I’m very intrigued, and can’t wait for the X3 set report. Cappsy’s go today, isn’t it?
I’ve seen one negative comment about episode 3, seemed the person found it offensive. Can’t be worse than Kryten raping Hollister in the Pete deleted scenes, Shirley?
Can’t be worse than Kryten raping Hollister in the Pete deleted scenes, Shirley? Can’t be worse than Kochanski being bummed by Kryten….Oh that actually happened!
Can’t be worse than Kryten raping Hollister in the Pete deleted scenes, Shirley? It may have been tempered by the fact that the guy obviously didn’t like the episode anyway. I’m just not sure how a Dwarf fan could be offended by something in the show, the show has gone in high reaching directions of offensiveness. It would have to go really far to offend a Dwarf fan and considering I’ve seen nobody else make a comment on it being offensive, I’m inclined to think it has not gone too far. I think ‘Tikka to Ride’ proved that Doug is adept enough to tread the right side of offensiveness, that episode could have really been a disaster in the wrong hands but it was so well written that it could get away with the cannibalism and (re-)murder of a respected US President.
People were more offended by some of the logic in Tikka, as they see it. I’m very intrigued about EP 3, seeing Danny say… “Last night was tough but the reward of ‘hysteria’ was worth it. Great guest artists and a great audience. PHEW!!!” did he forget his lines again?
Apparently, he was offended by the fact that Uncle Frank was in it and he came into the bunkroom at night and mistakenly “made out” with Lister thinking it was Rimmer….Lister let him thinking it was just Kryten.
From Richard Naylor on Twitter: Just watched #reddwarf X show 2. Might be too good to not put out as Show 1. Interesting. I still sort of feel one would be a better choice, purely from a plot point of view.
> I still sort of feel one would be a better choice, purely from a plot point of view. Without wanting to spoil, it could well be impossible to swap the two… but not *entirely* impossible. There, I think that’s vague enough.
Without wanting to spoil, it could well be impossible to swap the two… It could? I think i’ve missed/forgotten something along the line there.
There was one line in Episode 5 that has caused me to ponder ever since I saw it and I’m assuming it must have something to do with the events of Episode 2.
> It could? I think i’ve missed/forgotten something along the line there. Now that I think on it, I might have mis-remembered a particular line. Even so, I still hope they keep the recording order.
