Your weekly Wednesday web preview News Posted by Ian Symes on 18th October 2017, 09:43 It’s that time again – with Timewave due to premiere on UKTV Play at some point tomorrow (we assume after The One Where Everyone’s Kryten airs on Dave), a brief clip has appeared on Youtube, and it’s even briefer than usual, at around half a minute long: Our fond hope is that after last week’s confusion and frustration, UKTV will be clarifying exactly when we should expect to see the episode appear online, preferably with plenty of notice. Will that happen? We’ll see.
I definitely think watching Timewave at 10:53pm on a tablet-sized screen is going to be the optimum way to enjoy it.
has anyone else felt like a lot of the gags in xi and now xii are super obvious, heavily signposted stuff? I feel like i can predict everyone’s lines before they say them
Sort of, but there was a lot of that stuff as early as Series V, I’m noticing now when I rewatch. The Inquisitor, for example, has a lot of recycled gags (trans-am wheel arch nostrils, Rimmer’s time on the Samaritan switchboard, bronze swimming certificate.) They’re all absolutely on-point, suited for the moment and seeped in character, but they’re still recycled lines. Either we just know the characters so well or the writing is getting lazy No comment
I feel like i can predict everyone’s lines before they say them I feel like I can predict everyone’s lines just after they say them
I have a sneaking suspicion Timewave will be THE episode causing the most discussion… With Johnny Vegas dressed in a pink police uniform, how could it not???
In isolation thats weak, a tiny variation of the shorthand sci fi for dummy’s exposition gag that the show established in TV language, and that is so strong on TV today as a thing that shows like dr who and life on mars etc today use it as trope of comedy all the time (ey wimey). It will probably be fine when viewed in the wider show as a minor gag setting up whatever a time wave is.
I have a sneaking suspicion Timewave will be THE episode causing the most discussion… With Johnny Vegas dressed in a pink police uniform, how could it not??? Because you will be arrested. The whole of G & T will be going down to floor 13 with Nigel after tomorrow guilty as sin, only the fans that love everything and just post “hurrah classic dwarf” the moment the titles start and are incapable of forming any deeper opinion will be left. Then hyperdrive will be recomissioned and johnny Vegas will go back to Benidorm bless him.
There is a new interview on denofgeek.com with the Cast and Doug and once again there is a couple of spoilers. One spoiler from skipper sounds like its gonna be a very nostalgic based episode and an alternative universe take on another Red Dwarf Episode. The Movie gets mentioned again and Doug still seems up for making a movie if he gets the chance.
The time wave sounds an awful lot like a dimensional tear. I wonder what colour it will be! I hope it’s a colour that contrasts sharply with black so it shows up against space. (The pavements were wet earlier but they’re dry now.) Assuming the time wave can’t suck the same ship back in time that it just washed up (which seems quite unlikely), exactly how many humans will die this week and how unpleasant will their deaths be?
I read that interview, really enjoyable in that it’s transcribed in such a natural way. At this rate, though, it seems there won’t be much of Skipper left unspoiled by the time it airs! The Timewave clip is a bit Red-Dwarf-by-numbers, but I’m sure it will be much better in context (did RD really invent that subversive, jokey way of referring to space phenomena? The only other contender I can think of is Dark Star, but it’s been years since I saw that and I can’t really remember the details now). The thing I’ve been wondering most about this episode is what Richard Naylor meant when he said it had a ‘bit of Bowie’ about it. Weird to think that it was recorded soon after he died – that seems ages ago now.
The thing I’ve been wondering most about this episode is what Richard Naylor meant when he said it had a ‘bit of Bowie’ about it. Weird to think that it was recorded soon after he died – that seems ages ago now. Polite way of saying ‘yes this one ends abruptly much sooner than you expect as well.’
> There is a new interview on denofgeek.com with the Cast and Doug and once again there is a couple of spoilers. It’s such a joy to hear the constant through line of ‘yes, there will be more.’ I couldn’t be happier that we’re gonna see at least 6 more episodes beyond this. Saying that, I would love a bit of a switch-up…say they special movie-esque episode and then series XIV to follow (conveniently skipping unlucky XIII :p)
Yeah, it’s great to hear that they are obviously planning more (and that the decision seems to be one that they can make for themselves rather than having an external force decide).
It looks like the next series will be no earlier than 2019 (given if there was a 2018 series we’d have heard about it by now given the time between recording and TX). Rather amusing how Dave Dwarf has contrived to narrowly miss the 20th, 25th and 30th anniversaries.
I think the cast might be abit too old now for a big screen movie, but do you think Doug is still holding out hope for an actual Red Dwarf Movie?
Even back in the mid-nineties, I couldn’t see the appeal of a Red Dwarf movie. I wish everyone would let it die, interviewers included. I get the impression that Doug was burnt out by all that bullshit and is happy just making the TV show while it continues to be enthusiastically received.
but do you think Doug is still holding out hope for an actual Red Dwarf Movie? Until we get the Red Dwarf Movie Scriptbook, I think we can assume that he hasn’t completely given up the idea.
Back when Red Dwarf was getting 8 million viewers on BBC2 in the late nineties, a feature film was a viable prospect. It’s now getting about 1.5 million viewers on Dave about two decades later. I think the ship may have sailed. The only other comparable thing I can think of is The Inbetweeners, and that was getting more than twice RD’s figures on E4 and presumably had a smaller budget than any hypothetical Dwarf movie would today. Doug would also presumably have to rework the script to accomodate for the ideas he cannibalised for “The Beginning”…
Series 12 – 3/6 ‘Time Wave’: A futile and unnecessary movie pitch is washed up from the 20th century. The film was always a horrible idea, now it’s more ludicrous than ever. Were they (ie a production team, I suppose) looking to recast it if it ever went ahead, though? I love our guys but I can’t see ‘starring Robert Llewellyn’ drawing the attention of the casual cinema-goer.
Series 12 – 3/6 ‘Time Wave’: A futile and unnecessary movie pitch is washed up from the 20th century. The film was always a horrible idea, now it’s more ludicrous than ever. Were they (ie a production team, I suppose) looking to recast it if it ever went ahead, though? I love our guys but I can’t see ‘starring Robert Llewellyn’ drawing the attention of the casual cinema-goer. Considering the movie would basically have been a bigger, better version of The Beginning, I’m not sure it would have been ‘horrible’ at all… and yes while certain studios were interested in it if they recast, that was never Doug’s plan. We saw young Rimmer in flashback in The Beginning and we can assume we would have seen young Lister as well, if the movie had gone ahead, but the main part of the movie would most certainly have been Chris, Craig, Danny and Robert.
A lot of fans point to the stuff in The Beginning being the movie now done. The writers involved from Doug, Andrew and even Richard have made opposite statements about the how much of that 30 minute show, actually comes from a 90 minute or more movie script of which there were various incarnations and drafts for varied budgets. I think there was even some comment that the character arch for The beginning was new. So it’s possible only opening scenes from one version of a script have been clipped out and many movie scripts are still only a small rewrite away from being workable still. Which would also explain why houge’s map doesnt massively go anywhere plot wise. Though lemon’s operation scene also comes from one movie script and was originally holister’s cock. It was always the case that the Red Dwarf movie was a good idea if done well. One set up by the progression of series VII to more film look and drama strands. Doug and originally Rob were inspired by movies like Alien etc, and parody some film ideas on a smaller screen, the show could have delivered something in the sci fi arena on a big screen like monty python managed with life of brian, very funny comedy scenes and a high production value of film design making something really special. Doug didnt survive the process the film and funding never made it, and we have to thank what that gave us in the remarkable that it ever got made back to earth, and then the rebirth of the full blown audience sitcom. How linked they are, and how well the show is doing on TV. A movie isnt really something worth that sacrifice anymore unless an idea and definite money is sooo good and so tempting to try that they all feel they should go for it. A series or two more far more likely to last out the shows legacy which was once “the cool sci fi comedy that tailed off badly” or ended in “movie hell” and is now “had a good second life on digital tv” Performing monkey I love your idea, and now I want 13 to be a special anniversary thing. and 14 to be called XIV I dont care if the special airs in 2019 and is called the 30th anniversary. As thats the 30th of when kryten joined full time! just fudge it. lol
I can’t help but feel these previews do a disservice. The very beginning of the episode is almost inherently the slowest part, and the previews have to cut off before anything can actually happen. When I watch Red Dwarf, I’m not expecting any of the strongest moments in the first two minutes. I’m expecting a build-up across multiple scenes that culminates in those especially strong moments, i.e. Trojan’s Moose gag, or the first 3rd of Bodyswap. I can’t really think of any Red Dwarf episodes off the top of my head where the opening minute or two would work especially great as a preview for the episode or an isolated clip. Though, to its credit, Siliconia’s opening worked much better as both than most I could imagine. Performing monkey I love your idea, and now I want 13 to be a special anniversary thing. and 14 to be called XIV I dont care if the special airs in 2019 and is called the 30th anniversary. As thats the 30th of when kryten joined full time! just fudge it. lol You could outdo every multi-part Red Dwarf story by simply letting the script dictate the length of the special rather than the other way around. You avoid the sometimes overly quick pace of BtE, and totally sidestep the atrocious padding that defined Back in the Red Part 3 and Pete Part 1. Pete Part 1 is a lot more tedious than Part 2. I will fight you guys on that.
I’ve been pretty much avoiding the spoilers especially for the finale. I do like to think in series XIII the crew meet a mech that repairs Holly but can’t completely restore the core program so some episodes its Hattie, sometimes it’s Norman. :) And maybe an episode where they find the wreck of the Chinnok Blue Midget or something :)
Space Corps Directives aside, I’m not a big fan of jokes that make the JMC or the Corps out to be a bit shit. One of the things I liked about much of the BBC era is that the humor came from the characters, specifically our boys. The JMC terminal giving them the “wibbly-wobbly” report feels not dissimilar from the “Dennis the Donut Boy” gag from VIII, which always annoyed me. But anyway.
Space Corps Directives aside, I’m not a big fan of jokes that make the JMC or the Corps out to be a bit shit. One of the things I liked about much of the BBC era is that the humor came from the characters, specifically our boys. The JMC terminal giving them the “wibbly-wobbly” report feels not dissimilar from the “Dennis the Donut Boy” gag from VIII, which always annoyed me. But anyway. I’m with you, it’s tough being an RD fan trying to piece things like some sort of continuity together and make it canon. Sometimes I wonder if Doug is even bothered with canon. I know he tends to forget stuff but still.. My only explanation would be that even the JMC is feeling the 3 million year senility . Or that Starbug 19 is greatly suffering from self repair problems like in Cured
The JCM being a bit shit doesn’t feel incongruous with the show – but perhaps it’s incongruous with the books? I’ve only just started reading them. I mean what kind of company would entrust the fixing of the drive plates to such a lowly second technician as Rimmer? Only a yoghurt.
The JCM being a bit shit doesn’t feel incongruous with the show – but perhaps it’s incongruous with the books? I’ve only just started reading them. I mean what kind of company would entrust the fixing of the drive plates to such a lowly second technician as Rimmer? Only a yoghurt. I agree I never got that either! Why would a vending machine repair man be entrusted with drive plates?
I really wish the new production team would take some care in building the world of Red Dwarf. Previous to series VIII there never seemed to be a problem. Most of the sets are pretty decent, but they seem incapable of putting in any kind of background sound. Cat’s line in that clip sounds so damn flat, compared to say something like series VI where you’d at least have the groaning engines of Starbug in the background.
The crew having really poor equipment is nothing new to the show like with the budget model Psi-Scan or the lightbulb gag from series 6 but the joke in this clip was pretty poor.
I agree I never got that either! Why would a vending machine repair man be entrusted with drive plates? Z shift were engineers, not vending machine repairmen. They mostly repaired machines in the same way electricians mostly change bulbs and swap switches, but were there for bigger jobs as well.
tennorman, I actually thought on my recent rewatch that some of Series V was pretty lacking in the engine hum/background noise department, compared to other series. I remember it being much better in IV and VI. a consequence of the different directors, perhaps?
