DwarfCast 75 – Lemons Commentary DwarfCasts Posted by Ian Symes on 21st August 2016, 12:59 Subscribe to DwarfCasts: RSS • iTunes Our countdown to the launch of Series XI – whichever of the two launch dates you choose to acknowledge – continues as we present our commentary for the third episode of Series X, Lemons. Recorded a few weeks after the last two commentaries, join Jonathan Capps, John Hoare, Tanya Jones, Ian Symes and TORDFC’s Jo Sharples as we propose an alternative ending to the Shakespeare running gag, have a remarkably prescient discussion about the option to watch Red Dwarf on UKTV Play (despite recording this in May), debate the canonical status of Still Open All Hours, speculate about Doug Naylor’s arse, and attempt to establish whether or not Jesus Christ really existed. Let’s see if this room full of atheists can sort out that thorny problem once and for all. All this, plus the latest news on Series XI, as six new photos are released and we launch an appeal for someone, somewhere to tell us what to do about the UKTV Play thing. DwarfCast 75 – Lemons Commentary (39.7MB) Join us next weekend when, by remarkable coincidence, we’ll be discussing the episode of Red Dwarf that follows this one.
Entertaining as ever, but Lemons remains my least favourite episode of the series. Sorry. (In fact, looking back at the complete list I submitted for the Silver Survey, I actually only placed it in 52nd place. Behind Back In The Red part two, just ahead of Nanarchy. I may well revise my views in the coming weeks, but it still ranks sixth of RDX episodes)
>Let’s see if this room full of atheists can sort out that thorny problem once and for all. A runner fit for a blade!
I dont rate Lemons highly either Si. It disappointed on broadcast because i thought there would be more reason to meeting Jesus than the story they actually chose. It has grown on me since I’ve realized how good an idea the invention of bags stuff is in terms of time travel and technology is to someone from early AD. But it’s no more significant than meeting the wax droid of Caligula or Ghandi. Tanya very interesting point about the rube jab. Looked it up, and while you are right about birth defects, it does seem to be part of MMR vaccinations for both sexes. If it wasnt I was going to say Lister has given birth and had defects!!!! so maybe he didnt want that to happen again should he give birth to a fourth child.
Enjoying these. Re the NORWEB vs. eBay discussion: I agree with John’s points but also think it’s partly that Holly, as played by Norman at least, can get away with contemporary references like that in a way the other characters can’t. Maybe it’s funny for him to refer to recognisably mundane or even parochial things like Berni Inn, QPR, Felicity Kendall because it works well with the conceit that a genius computer looks and sounds like a very ordinary bloke. Partly it’s Norman’s deadpan delivery that makes it work of course.
I think the eBay joke works because it’s such a long-running, well-known website. I can think of so many gags that don’t work anymore (Ishtar, Run For Your Wife, etc.) because they faded into obscurity. eBay is something that has stood the test of time and will no doubt age better than a hell of a lot of classic Dwarf jokes. Same with Wallace and Gromit (That line got a BIG laugh out of me when I first watched it, it was so unexpected!) It’s not like Rimmer said he was gonna get his photo taken with Jesus and stick it on Instagram, hashtag no filter. Plus, it was just a quick throwaway gag, not a major punchline or plot point. In 50 years’ time I don’t think anyone will be scratching their heads. They’ll probably be confused about Dave having a TV channel named after him.
Well, presuming that bit in Back In The Red is supposed to be a Pingu pastiche, European claymation seems to have a long shelf life generally in the future.
Looking at that picture on this page makes me think of a missed gag. LISTER: Why are we all sitting on this side of the table? RIMMER: Well, if we sat on both sides, we’d have to look at each other. CAT: Yeah, we’re trying to eat here!