Hyperdrive Site Online! News Posted by John Hoare on 4th January 2006, 00:16 http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/hyperdrive/With actor and character profiles, info on the first ep, and… a preview clip! First impression: slickly made, and could actually be very funny. But impossible to judge on a clip that short. Apparently, trails are now being broadcast – it starts on January 11th on BBC TWO. Oh, please be good, please…
I think it looks like it might be alright. I’ll largely be tuning in for that cast, especially Eldon, but it looks like it could be a laugh. It looks like it’s more obvious and simplistic than Dwarf, and certainly far more of a sci-fi spoof rather than a sitcom that happens to be set in space (which is always what I’ve maintained Dwarf is, at least in its early series). So, in fact, it basically looks like it’s going to be what lazy meeja types who’ve never seen Dwarf always think that Dwarf is. Either way, I doubt it’s going to last particularly long, nor will it end up garnering the sort of fanbase that RD has; but it could provide some laughs along the way. The character profiles are quite amusing in a “silly” kind of way, and I get the impression that will pretty much be the tone of its humour. Which is no bad thing if it’s done right.
Nick Frost and Kevin Eldon being given starring roles in a sitcom is a Very Good Thing Indeed. I hope the script lives up to the casting.
> I need to write my ‘Red Dwarf is not a spoof’ article at some point. I hope the full title will be “Red Dwarf Is Not A Spoof, But It Does Homage With Wit”. Cos while I agree that the SHOW has never been a parody, within it there is much spoof. Aliens, Terminator, some more explicit than others – but Holly’s ‘death’ in Queeg, the final scene of Camille, Ace’s first theme in DJ…all heavy parody moments. But yeah, unfair to tar the entire show. The Simpsons does movie spoofs better than anyone and nobody call’s that show ‘a parody of sitcoms’. (Which, okay, it also does occasionally parody.)
There’s a 5 minute preview of it at 9.55pm Friday on BBC2. It might just be a showing of the online clip or it could be something more interesting.
Having watched it again, I think the clip looks pretty good, actually. I’m looking forward to it. And you’re right, Andrew, I was going to address that.
> Cos while I agree that the SHOW has never been a parody, within it there is much spoof. Aliens, Terminator… Don’t forget Men In Black.
> And, er, Resevoir Dogs. Yes…but sadly that’s the worst and most unsubtle and obvious and blatantly crap homage/parody ever. I really like Reservoir Dogs. The Alien homages in the series are MUCH better. Look…because it’s from VIII it doesn’t count so I don’t even know why I’m letting it bother me. Maybe it’s because Dwarf became a parody of itself…
