Dwarf may not’ve got a Radio Times cover (Liam Neeson and Jimmy ‘Can I call you baaaack?’ Nesbit saw to THAT particular hope) but the newest issue, released today, does feature a banner on the cover and a three page spread on Back to Earth.
It’s an ok write up, if a little too heavy on the space puns, and here follows the two highlights:
YOU CAN’T PARK THERE
In the new story, this Earth-bound version of the crew’s little transport ship Starbug has been made by a fan of Red Dwarf – clearly based on a Smart car. “We downloaded a model of a Smart car onto a computer and played with that, adding features to it ourselves,” explains art director Alexis Lemonis. “because it’s supposedly been made by a fan-boy, we made it a bit like ‘Blue Peter’.” And it actually works! “I don’t think it’s strictly street-legal, but we drove it at speed on a racetrack. It stayed smooth as anything.”
Forgoing for a minute the terrifying yet hilarious mental image of Carbug hurtling round a race circuit, this is a VERY interesting little reveal. It looks like fandom is going to be getting the meta treatment along with the show itself, as Carbug apparently belongs to ONE OF US. It seems like a nice enough idea – neatly explaining why the hell it exists – but as with all things of this nature, it has to be done well. Moving on to the rest of the article, then and apart from the cast saying the stuff we’re all quite used to by now, Charles Armitage addresses the thorny issue of the BBC:
They didn’t turn it down; they were never offered these shows. The shows have always been with Dave. It is not a BBC reject.
Interesting wording, there, as we’ve been told the BBC actively refused a series IX, but obviously Back to Earth is a separate thing which GNP didn’t even bother to take to the BBC. And quite right, too.
The article’s worth a look, anyway, even if it’s just for the excellent exclusive images.
Moorish / March 31, 2009 at 12:26 pm / #
Metafiction makes me nervous.
Karl / March 31, 2009 at 12:32 pm / #
Worst headline ever!
Mister E / March 31, 2009 at 1:40 pm / #
It really shouldn’t be that surprising that BtE wasn’t offered to the Beeb, considering the Series IX buggery and them apparently having lost interest in the fanbase their own show helped create.