Give me an R, give me an E, give me a D, give me a Red Dwarf… Special? News Posted by Ian Symes on 10th October 2019, 12:49 There has been an increased amount of rumblings about the possibility of new Red Dwarf recently, and as usual we’ve been kind of ignoring it until something more concrete came along. Most notably, Robert tweeted in a reply to someone the other week that “we start making Red Dwarf XIII in November”, which seemed a little too tight a turnaround to be true. But once again following the usual pattern of these things, a cast member has now posted something that reveals perhaps a little more than they intended, and we can’t ignore it any more. The cast member on this occasion is Danny, who has shared a snap of the other three at what appears to be a readthrough of something… …and that sheet of paper on the table is very intriguing indeed if you blow it up and rotate it 90 degrees counter-clockwise… Is it us, or does that pretty clearly say “RED DWARF – SPECIAL”? Looks to me like it also says either “no 1” or “no 2” in brackets afterwards too. So, not a new series, but at least one special? Yes please, that’ll very much do for now. Danny’s tweet also denies that it’s a new advert, and indeed the script Robert’s holding is far too big for it to be that. No idea how this ties in with Robert stating unequivocally that Series XIII is entering production, but it does seem more feasible that “specials” of whatever description would require less studio time than a full series of six episodes, which makes it more likely that it’ll be up and running by November. Still seems pretty tight to get an audience sorted, but it’s also possible that either a) location filming will be in November with studio dates later in the year, or b) special(s) could possibly be sans audience. After all, they could be anything from standard half-hours (but fewer of them than a regular series), an hour-long special or two, or a full-length TV movie. It could even be the case that this could be turned around in time for Christmas, but the smart money would be on nothing being broadcast until 2020. Also, who’s Greg, and why is Chris drinking his coffee? We most definitely need more information before jumping to any conclusions, so fingers crossed something official will be announced soon. But we’ve reached that time again. Things are happening. Red Dwarf is coming back. Again. Strap the fuck in.
Back to Earth was kind of red dwarf 9 I’d like red dwarf 13 to be called something else. Due to groundless superstition. So a special or specials. Sounds interesting to me. Could be just one or two episodes and still count in the space XIII would. Especially if we get X IV. It’s a quicker way to fuck over birds of a feather for that second place record of adult sitcom with most series. Need to keep ahead of Lee mack as well.
Ah shit, here we go again. If it were to be a Xmas Spec could it even be ready in time? Considering the turnaround on recent series, could something potentially effect heavy be ready in under two months? Then again, if considered an extension of the previous series (i.e reused sets, costumes, elements) maybe it’s possible. Ah hell why am I nit-picking it’s more Dwarf, can’t believe it’s been ten years since BtE and ten years since I became a fan of the show.
Well that’s slightly unexpected, given the amount of XIII talk there’s been. Maybe we’ll have a two-part feature length finale or something? I mean, a series of six stand-alones would be much more preferable. But still – hurray for whatever it is!
Ah shit, here we go again. If it were to be a Xmas Spec could it even be ready in time? Considering the turnaround on recent series, could something potentially effect heavy be ready in under two months? Then again, if considered an extension of the previous series (i.e reused sets, costumes, elements) maybe it’s possible. Ah hell why am I nit-picking it’s more Dwarf, can’t believe it’s been ten years since BtE and ten years since I became a fan of the show. Unless it’s a bottle show with little to no effects work I don’t see how it could be ready for Christmas. Maybe we’ll have a two-part feature length finale or something? I have a feeling this might be it – the last televised Dwarf ever.
Yeah, my unfounded speculation is that this is the end of the show, and they’ve put together something like Back To Earth (in format) that will act as a big send-off. You could sell the finale pretty well on the promise of it being the last Red Dwarf ever, I think.
‘Event’ Red Dwarf has a history of being inferior to run-of-the-mill Red Dwarf (that’s the spirit!), but I’m more intrigued by this than I was the prospect of a full XIII, even at half the length or less. The extra pressure to live up to the ‘special’ moniker and the hope that it’ll be something different to more variations on the hits.
Maybe we’ll have a two-part feature length finale or something? I have a feeling this might be it – the last televised Dwarf ever. I don’t get the impression Doug wants to end the series yet. and i also don’t get the impressions Doug wants to actually write an ending to the series. Just going by what Doug has said in interviews alone. Doug wants to make at least 2 more series, a stage show and also doesn’t want to write a final because he says they are always disappointing.
If it were to be episodes to end the show on, maybe Doug has realised that the gap between series and the indefinateness of them is too great, pushing the cast closer and closer to a point where the fact there won’t be any more Red Dwarf would be decided for them, and not by them. I can kind of see Doug (and the others) wanting to go out on their own terms, rather than do a series, wait and hope there’s another for 2 or 3 years and then end up in a situation where it isn’t possible to make or the powers that be don’t want to commission it. Either way, as everyone else is, I’m excited to see more. And of course, if this does mean more Red Dwarf, then this is potentially the start of a period in time as fans that’ll be even more exciting, with little snippet here and there, speculation, annoucements, releases etc etc. Can’t wait.
Maybe we’ll have a two-part feature length finale or something? I have a feeling this might be it – the last televised Dwarf ever. I don’t get the impression Doug wants to end the series yet. and i also don’t get the impressions Doug wants to actually write an ending to the series. Just going by what Doug has said in interviews alone. doug wants to make at least 2 more series, a stage show and also doesn’t want to write a final because he says they are always disappointing. But with all the cast getting older (there can only be so long to go before Robert in particular is no longer up to getting covered in polyester), and it apparently being harder and harder to get all the cast together, maybe it’s simply no longer feasible for the show to remain an ongoing concern?
I can kind of see Doug (and the others) wanting to go out on their own terms, rather than do a series, wait and hope there’s another for 2 or 3 years and then end up in a situation where it isn’t possible to make or the powers that be don’t want to commission it. I suspect you underestimate how long Doug is willing to wait. it took him 7-8 years to give up on the movie and even then i don’t think he has fully given up on it yet. The cast could be in their 70s and i think Doug would make more Red Dwarf. and it apparently being harder and harder to get all the cast together, maybe it’s simply no longer feasible for the show to remain an ongoing concern? In the behind the scenes video for the AA ad Doug mentions how easy it is now to get everything together. i don’t think Doug quite looks at it the same way.
Back to Earth was kind of red dwarf 9 I’d like red dwarf 13 to be called something else. Due to groundless superstition. Doug Naylor master plan: Step 1: Make a new special which is 2 episodes long, and give it a name but not a series number. Step 2: Immediately afterwards make a new full series of Red Dwarf, and explicitly call it “Red Dwarf XV”. Step 3: Make a Ganymede & Titan account under a pseudonym, use it to find fans who consider the special to unofficially be “Series XIII and XIV”, and accuse them of being stupid in multiple posts: “Oh, so you think an episode which isn’t even a complete story is a whole series now??? What utter gimboids you are.” Step 4: Sit back and watch the profits steamroll in.
It’s got to be a one-off special. Whether it’s the Last One Ever, or the first of many, is impossible to say. I am BEYOND excited. :D (agree with Quinn_Drummer – they have to be careful about their respective ages, schedules and desire to keep going. I’d hate for RD to creak slowly to a halt with no real ending.)
Isn’t that what Doug has said though. he does not want to write an ending? he feels endings often disappoint, so its just easier to leave things open ended. Skipper is that sorta show ending that feels conclusive but also open-ended. its like Rimmer finally could have got what he wanted, been successful and back to earth. but couldn’t bring himself to take it. so everything went back to normal.
Here’s a picture of the cast with Hugh Skinner and Harry Enfield, which I’d stick our life savings on having been a chance encounter outside a studio/office/meeting room that Danny’s using to wind us up.
Here’s a picture of the cast with Hugh Skinner and Harry Enfield, which I’d stick our life savings on having been a chance encounter outside a studio/office/meeting room that Danny’s using to wind us up. You mean we aren’t getting Self Righteous Holly? “Oi! Rimmer! No! I admire your tenacity at repeatedly taking the officer’s exam but if I catch you borrowing my learning drugs again…” Also features Paul Whitehouse doing vending machine accents.
Good news. It is somewhat incredible that such a long running series like Red Dwarf has never made a special episode. I mean you could say back to earth was a special but I saw that more of a mini series as it was shown originally at least in 3 episodes.
I do think, on balance, that an episode like Skipper is a nicer way to end the series than a big “This Is The Last One Ever” finale, as I agree with Doug that those are often disappointing. But either way, it’s new Red Dwarf, and at this stage anything more than we’ve got over the last 30+ years is just an added bonus.
Also, it’s interesting that everyone is getting worked up over the script page that’s on the table, whereas if you zoom in on the document in Bobby’s hand you can quite clearly see the words “Ziggy Briceman” on the front page.
Crossover episode with Taskmaster, Alex Horne plays a deranged AI that makes the crew perform stupid tasks to stay alive.
I do think, on balance, that an episode like Skipper is a nicer way to end the series than a big “This Is The Last One Ever” finale, as I agree with Doug that those are often disappointing. Personally I really didn’t like Skipper at all, so i’d be quite annoyed if the series ended on that. Honestly, i’d prefer something like the ending of the Backwards novel where Lister realizes that he doesn’t need to get back to Earth any more- Red Dwarf is his home, and Kryten, Rimmer and the others are like family to him. Skipper as the final ever episode of Red Dwarf would just leave me immensely disappointed. It’s just like half an hour of clunky fanwank with Norman Lovett sounding immensely bored Honestly, even something like the never-made “Earth” episode of VIII would work as a finale for me, since I think Red Dwarf being what it is, it can sort of do a “this is the last episode ever” finale. It’s not like Seinfeld, where the format of the show and the story (or lack thereof) doesn’t lend itself well to a finale, and you end up with something really crap and disappointing
Or,and forgive me if I’m talking out of my rectum, we could be getting a full series with 2 specials (or however many, though it really looks more like a two than a one) filmed in the same production slot. It would nicely tie together earlier tweets about XIII and the new picture.
That’s actually the most sensible post so far. Given that XIII has been mentioned by the cast, a series broadcast in its usual slot followed by a two-part Christmas special actually sounds quite feasible. I was thinking maybe it would be four 45 minute specials broadcast throughout the year or something. But that seems daft in comparison.
Yeah, a series XIII followed by specials would be my preference. Perhaps it would warm the boys up for the specials if they did a regular series first?
Lemons should have been a christmas special really. i don’t need the Dwarfers meeting Santa or anything like that.
Given how long it seems to take for things to come together in getting new Dwarf going, it would certainly make sense for everyone involved to say ‘if we’re not doing 2 series back to back again, what can we do to make the most of things?’ Also: https://twitter.com/DougRDNaylor/status/1182377921375285249?s=20
We’ll find out in the special that the first special aired in the off years between XII and special 2
i don’t need the Dwarfers meeting Santa or anything like that. You’re talking as if ‘Red Christmas’ isn’t canon or something.
Retrospective “special” Hattie mentioned it last week “see link – https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=IhxMtk8R3IM that’s probably why a few other funny faces are around, such as Harry Enfield, doing clips about the show to camera. Also explains why they are recording into a microphone for voiceovers. Probably an accompaniment to an upcoming “Red Dwarf Night” like we had once about 1998 on bbc2. Hopefully followed by a new series.
Chris’ guarded comments still make it sound like bigger things are about to happen than just the retrospective. Unless by donning the H before the end of the year he just means some in-character links.
I suspect Harry Enfield and Hugh Skinner are there for Windsors reasons and not Red Dwarf ones. Less interested if it’s just links. Particularly as any retrospective show is about two years too late. If it’s a runup to actual episodes, good idea, if it’s not, bad idea.
Don’t early scripts still get given story titles and ain’t just titled “special”. Unless of course, the working title of an episode is ‘Special.’
Special (Part 2) Lister’s new cat, Special, has been transformed into a sabre-toothed tiger by the Time Probe. The crew have to work out a way to return Special to a cat before it rapes one of them with its big teeth.
What if it’s actually Spacial and we’re all stupid? The more I try to focus on the actual text on the page the blurrier it gets
International Women’s Day special The crew find a space corp colony ship in orbit around a dying star, upon boarding they discover a female crew in suspended animation. They wake them up and flush them into space before retiring to the bunkroom for a curry.
I’ll be fair, it does seem as though the retrospective isn’t the only thing that’s going on. Stuff is not just happening but being seen to be happening, which is all I want. I agree a documentary for Christmas with new in character links is likely now, but I’m still not convinced a full proper series is on the way. Maybe if a second wave of the AA campaign is happening too there’s a chance there’s a bit of perpetual motion kicking in. The other possibility is a proper special (one or two parts) double banked with a retrospective for economy’s sake, a la the original Back To Earth plans. That would be good. Still don’t know why they don’t do a proper old school Smeg Ups special for Dave using the last four series. Open goal. Oh! Sudden thought! Was Rob Grant at the AA shoot because they were filming an interview with him on Starbug for this documentary?
I love the idea of a ‘retrospective’ special coming out this year rather than, y’know, last year for the show’s 30th anniversary.
Two specials, each a separate take on a Dwarf finale. One written by Rob following on from Series VI and one written by Doug following on from XII.
I’m just waiting for when we start having the argument about whether the next series will be XIII or XIV.
Depends on whether it’s a series of specials clearly separated from other series, like Back to Earth was, and what number they give the series following it, for what you’d think would be clarification. When someone refers to BTE as ‘IX’ for convenient shorthand, you don’t want to sound like Matthew Holness’ IT guy in The Office pretending not to know what Bruce Lee film Gareth’s talking about because he mixes up the names, or Sam at school pretending he didn’t know what I was going on about when I mistakenly called Kryten’s nanobots ‘nanites’ until I remembered their correct name and conversation could proceed.
If it’s a one off special, it’s a one off special, that shares the series number of the series it was made alongside or, if made in isolation, the number of the series it succeeds in broadcast terms (whichever is closer) unless explicitly renumbered by its creators (example: “The IT Crowd 5.0” for its finale special). If it’s a mini *series*… it’s a *series*. This is a very simple system. Just because Back To Earth is named doesn’t mean it is not numbered. 24: Live Another Day, The X-Files: The Event Series and all of American Horror Story remain numbered as well as named. Back To Earth is a series of episodes between VIII and X, is sold explicitly as “Series IX” in some territories and is known by its sole distributors BBC Worldwide as “series/season 9”. It’s “Red Dwarf: Back To Earth” but it is also, legitimately, “Red Dwarf IX”. They are not mutually exclusive in the same way “Red Dwarf III” and “Red Dwarf series 3” aren’t either. It’s been TEN AND A HALF YEARS. This should not still be a topic of argument…!
With all the rumours of Rob Grant returning after the AA commercial, maybe he felt more comfortable to cut his teeth on a few specials. Particularly since there hasn’t been an episode that Rob Grant worked on since 1993!
If it’s a one off special, it’s a one off special, that shares the series number of the series it was made alongside or, if made in isolation, the number of the series it succeeds in broadcast terms (whichever is closer) unless explicitly renumbered by its creators (example: “The IT Crowd 5.0” for its finale special). If it’s a mini *series*… it’s a *series*. This is a very simple system. Just because Back To Earth is named doesn’t mean it is not numbered. 24: Live Another Day, The X-Files: The Event Series and all of American Horror Story remain numbered as well as named. Back To Earth is a series of episodes between VIII and X, is sold explicitly as “Series IX” in some territories and is known by its sole distributors BBC Worldwide as “series/season 9”. It’s “Red Dwarf: Back To Earth” but it is also, legitimately, “Red Dwarf IX”. They are not mutually exclusive in the same way “Red Dwarf III” and “Red Dwarf series 3” aren’t either. It’s been TEN AND A HALF YEARS. This should not still be a topic of argument…! How many of those explicitly said in the episode that they weren’t the series people were calling them? BTE is easier to type than IX – closer together on the keyboard, and I will deny BTE is IX until my dying day. Just like people who call the PS1 the PSX – it’s not, the PSX was a Japan only DVR recorder hybrid PS2, so press that 1 key.
With all the rumours of Rob Grant returning after the AA commercial, maybe he felt more comfortable to cut his teeth on a few specials. Particularly since there hasn’t been an episode that Rob Grant worked on since 1993! Unless you include Bodysnatcher, he said pedantically
Back To Earth is just Back To Earth. It says so right there on the DVD cover. Look, can’t you see it? It’s there…In all seriousness though, insisting Back To Earth is really “Series 9” just isn’t true. It’s called Back To Earth, so that’s what it is. It’d be like calling Naked Gun 33 and 1/3 “Naked Gun 3”. I mean yeah, it is the third film in the Naked Gun series, but it’s called Naked Gun 33 and 1/3. That’s the title, you know, so that’s what it’s called. That’s how titles work
Not if it was a woman posting, though. Yeah, I was going to say, but I went for the punchy single line response over the accurate but wordier one.
I don’t like to refer to the Red Dwarf novel as ‘Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers,’ to Star Wars as ‘A New Hope’ or to the Doctors Who as if a number is their name, but I don’t mind or really notice when other people do these things. “This is an insane conversation” – [The] Cat, Red Dwarf season 3.
I think we can all agree that Back To Earth definitely isn’t the ninth series of Red Dwarf. That would be Red Dwarf X. Which was followed by Red Dwarf XI, the tenth series. I really hope they hurry up and make a twelfth series soon!
I don’t like to refer to the Red Dwarf novel as ‘Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers,’ to Star Wars as ‘A New Hope’ But there’s like 8 Star Wars films, if you don’t call it “A New Hope” how will people know which one you’re talking about? I gather that the “A New Hope” subtitle wasn’t added until after the original theatrical release, but it’s been on every release since, hasn’t it? That’s what the movie is widely known as, and you kind of need the subtitle to distinguish which movie you’re on about. I mean there’s more logic behind it than calling Back To Earth “Series 9” I suppose, so whatever. It does at least make some sense I suppose, since it was originally called Star Wars. But it’s a bit like numerically referring to Series 8 in a shittily drawn chalk tally chart every time you bring it up, since that’s how the numbering was originally shown on broadcast. Despite the DVD, VHS, book etc. all just calling it “VIII”. You don’t need the chalk tally chart, the chalk tally chart isn’t very good and it’s impossible to write down unless you’re communicating with people via pen and paper and/or actual chalk. Nobody is referring to VIII as “the one we’ll have to get some chalk to write down the correct numerology of”
Back To Earth is just Back To Earth. It says so right there on the DVD cover. Yep, right there on the DVD cover. https://images.app.goo.gl/zgS9fpKAn34dcb5g9
But there’s like 8 Star Wars films, if you don’t call it “A New Hope” how will people know which one you’re talking about? I would assume they’re talking about the one that’s called Star Wars.
How many of those explicitly said in the episode that they weren’t the series people were calling them? It also explicitly says in the episode that Red Dwarf was created by the bloke off Carry On Loving in a dressing gown.
Not calling A New Hope “A New Hope” or at least “episode four” is just deliberately being a massively obtuse nonce boy who is being gleefully unhelpful. Like BT said, there are ten Star Wars movies, so which one are you referring to? I’ve long since grown out of being protective about the names of things, I used to refuse to call Doctor Who “Doctor Who”, because it’s technically The Doctor innit, but these days I’m down to the point of just saying “Star Wars 3” when I mean Revenge of the Sith, because it’s faster and everybody knows what I mean.
I would assume they’re talking about the one that’s called Star Wars. They’re all called Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi aren’t. How is calling a film by its actual name “deliberately obtuse” again anyway? Other than not being in thrall to corporate gaslighting? Do you say ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ as well? Also: “nonce boy”? Who are you, Elon fucking Musk?
Do you say ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ as well? Obviously I call it Indiana Jones 2 because Temple of Doom was set beforehand.
Joking aside, I think my Indiana Jones VHS boxset in the 90s actually referred to them as “Chapter 23”, “Chapter 24” and, “Chapter 25” on the spines because they were trying to plug the Young Indy series. Outrageous.
Not like George Lucas to piss on his own doorstep. He’s usually known for maintaining strictly to the principles of the Dogme 95 Manifesto.
Do you say ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ as well? …Yes? I’m not aware that there is another title for this one, actually. The VHS I had as a kid called it “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the DVD boxset I have on my shelf right now also calls it “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark”. What’s the other title for it? Indiana Jones and the Poachers Of The Big Gold Box? I’m not trying to be an ass about this, just genuinely unaware there even is another title.
I’ve never come across anyone who’s called it anything other than “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. I also don’t see “A New Hope” referenced very often when being talked about as a film, rather than as part of a series. Obviously anyone who says “The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, etc.” is being ludicrously pedantic, but as a standalone film I usually see it called Star Wars. Because that’s the original name of the film.
Never really understood what dramatic difference was achieved by making ‘Temple of Doom’ a prequel to ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ I’ve heard Spielberg and Lucas say that they set it a year earlier than ‘Raiders’ so they didn’t have to include the Nazis but surely they still wouldn’t if they set it in 1938? The story has a different focus anyway. Most people that I know who love all 3 Indiana Jones films don’t even know ‘Temple of Doom’ was a prequel.
I’d always wanted there to be a fourth film but I remember that I once had a feverish dream about an ageing Harrison Ford playing a withered Indy that was hiding in a fridge, Cate Blanchett in a daft wig and cod-Russian accent and some silly aliens turning up at the end. Then I realised that a fourth film probably wouldn’t have been a good idea, after all. Thank fuck I woke up from that one, eh?
If clarity’s needed, I’d say the first Red Dwarf novel, first Star Wars film, etc. Or I just cave in and say ‘IWCD’ because it’s quick to type and doesn’t really matter, not something worth derailing a news thread about anyway. I only apply my preferences to myself. Never watched Young Indy, but (some of) the prequel novels are great.
If I was on a Star Wars forum and everyone was calling it ANH or IV or whatever they do, I’d adapt to that, obviously. Like I’ll say Genesis for Mega Drive if I’m talking to an American, it’s not the name I grew up with, but I wouldn’t want to get into a whole unnecessary thing. Who likes Red Dwarf?
>a massively obtuse nonce boy who is being gleefully unhelpful. Let me lend a hand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film)
That’s not the point though is it? Almost everyone knows it as “A New Hope” or “IV” or something like that. Just calling it Star Wars because that’s the title that was used in 1977 is unnecessarily pedantic, and it just confuses people. “Hey Rotherford, I just saw Star Wars” “Oh yeah, which one?” “Star Wars.” “Yeah, I know that Riegel, but which one?” “The first one.” “Oh, the Phantom Menace?” “No, Star Wars.” It just confuses people, and it’s been known as A New Hope since 1981. That’s what everyone calls it, that’s what’s on the VHS, the DVD, that’s what its known as by pretty much everyone. I don’t want to go slagging anyone off or anything, because at the end of the day it is just a movie, but just calling it “Star Wars” does seem a bit obtuse. I’ve never even heard of anyone calling it that until Warbodog told me about it, so it does seem like a pretty unhelpful thing that only a few people do that at the end of the day accomplishes nothing but confusing everyone
Never trying to be an annoying nonce boy, my whole point (badly made) was we shouldn’t be bothered about what people want to call Back to Earth and things when it’s obvious what they mean in the context of how they say it, just let them have their thing. That went well! Disclaimer: I’ve never known Star Wars (1977) as ‘A New Hope,’ it’s probably a generational thing combined with how far your appreciation of the franchise extends. They only started to really push that title and the ‘Episodes IV-VI’ branding on the releases when the DVDs came out (which I didn’t have), my 90s special edition VHS had the original titles and poster art. I only saw ‘A New Hope’ in the title crawl and just took it as a subtitle, one that’s not evocative of that film for me. It’s a pretty weak title. Note to self: don’t bring up Star Wars again. Should have said ‘Back to the Future’ (BTTF 1 if context needed).
>Almost everyone knows it as “A New Hope” or “IV” or something like that. Nerds may know it as “A New Hope” or ‘IV” but Star Wars wasn’t built on nerds. It was a mainstream success long before fans claimed ownership of it, and the mainstream know the 1977 film as “Star Wars”, which is why if it’s referred to as such in any *general* film discussion, or why it’s referred to as such as in the world’s most widely read encyclopaedia (which was the point I was making). Go up to 5 random people on the street and ask them if they’ve seen A New Hope. The answers will range from “Never heard of it” to “Who the fuck are you?” and maybe one instance of “Oh, you mean Star Wars?”. Either way, the responses wouldn’t be indicative of a discussion about the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time (inflation adjusted). It simply doesn’t have the recognition of any of the other titles in the series. >They only started to really push that title and the ‘Episodes IV-VI’ branding on the releases when the DVDs came out (which I didn’t have), my 90s special edition VHS had the original titles and poster art. Absolutely. The public buying into slice of George’s revisionist bullshit is a very recent development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GalP-3-RcAI >Note to self: don’t bring up Star Wars again. Should have gone with First Blood.
It’s definitely known as ‘Star Wars’ in the mainstream, rather than Episode IV or A New Hope. Just like Back To Earth is known in the mainstream as “oh, I didn’t know they were still making more Red Dwarf”.
It’s definitely known as ‘Star Wars’ in the mainstream, rather than Episode IV or A New Hope. Maybe it’s just a generational thing? Everyone I’ve ever known and everyone I’ve talked about Star Wars with has called it “A New Hope” and the VHS boxset I had growing up called it that as well, so it’s always been that for me and presumably loads of others around my age. I suppose if you grew up when it was known as just “Star Wars” then you’d be used to it Should have said ‘Back to the Future’ (BTTF 1 if context needed). Everyone knows what you mean when you say “Back to the Future” though, don’t they. If you mention Back To The Future in a conversation, everyone will know you’re talking about the first one, because if you were talking about the second one or something you’d go “Back To The Future 2” or “Back To The Future Part II” if you wanted to be correct with the title. It’s the same with First Blood. If you’re talking to someone and you say “Rambo 1” they’ll know you mean First Blood, and not Rambo: First Blood Part 2. Since the third one is called Rambo 3, you can easily just refer to those movies retroactively as “Rambo 1 and 2” and everyone will still get what you’re talking about, With something like “Star Wars” it’s not clear which film you’re talking about, because there’s like 8 of them which all have Star Wars in the title. Even if you said “the first one”, because George Lucas did the really confusing thing of making the fourth movie first and the first movie fourth, you’d still probably get someone who isn’t sure which one you mean.
>it’s not clear which film you’re talking about That’s why I said >when it’s obvious what they mean in the context of how they say it and >If I was on a Star Wars forum and everyone was calling it ANH or IV or whatever they do, I’d adapt to that, obviously Done this already! Probably my fault for explaining things poorly, it’s not like my career is entirely based around explaining things succinctly in writing or anything, but this place is normally my enjoyable procrastination break from that. Oh well, sorry everyone. Ban plz.
Yeah, maybe it’s a generational thing. In my experience, calling it A New Hope out of context of a big discussion contrasting the films is almost unheard of and only ever done by someone wanting to be the more nerdy in a “well actually it was retro-actively called this so it’s now the official name” type way. With something like “Star Wars” it’s not clear which film you’re talking about I’ve never had this. It might occasionally require a “the original” remark, but generally it’s obvious which film you’re talking about because one of them was called Star Wars and the others were called other things.
On an related-to-the-topic-in-question note, I can’t see that anyone’s mentioned tonight’s new cryptic Tweet from Doug, so. https://twitter.com/DougRDNaylor/status/1184582919664406528
OH. OH. BREAKING (ISH) NEWS* https://twitter.com/DougRDNaylor/status/1184599811519078403 *new interesting Tweet
You’ve got to be at least 42 to be able to remember a time when Star Wars was just Star Wars, since the subtitle was added before The Empire Strikes Back, and thousands would have seen it as A New Hope at the end of the 70s. There is nobody in my immediate circle I could talk to who would have ever known Star Wars as just Star Wars, except maybe my dad. And he would still know what I meant by A New Hope. I got disappointed there because today is the 17th according to my phone, and that was posted late on the 16th talking about “tomorrow”, and I thought it was the end of the 17th right now, so I went hunting for information on it and found nothing. But it’s only been the 17th for half an hour so I’m just having a brain fart
Does anyone else think a live show would be horrendously shit or is it just me? Not to mention the moaning from the 99.98% of Red Dwarf fans who wouldn’t be able to attend/fit in the theatre. Make some proper Red Dwarf with the sets and people you’ve gathered and experience gathered while making the rest of Dave Dwarf. Craig doing his posh voice on stage to take the piss out of Robert, Chris Barrie doing Kenneth Williams and impressions of various other dead or octogenarian people, Danny dancing and being forgetful and Robert generally being a bit weird would be alright on a panel at a convention, but I’d rather have Red Dwarf the TV show we all love while it’s possible. Then some novels or something.
“P-C3O” hurts my brain, it;s horrible to hear. I can’t even finish saying it in my head, my brain stalls a little and it just feels wrong. I’m sure I’d enjoy a live show but I’d much rather they do literally anything else. Unless it’s a proper tour and I can go
That’s why I said when it’s obvious what they mean in the context of how they say it Oh, I didn’t see that, sorry Warbo. Anyway, new announcement today then? Either that or “It will be noisier tomorow” meant Doug was vaccing up at 4am and playing really loud thrash metal
I think a live show would end up like the Bottom live shows, a lot of mugging for the audience and frequent ‘mistakes’. Not that it wouldn’t be entertaining, but if it’s a choice between that and more Red Dwarf proper, I think I’d rather have more of the show.
I think a live show would end up like the Bottom live shows, a lot of mugging for the audience and frequent ‘mistakes’. Not that it wouldn’t be entertaining, but if it’s a choice between that and more Red Dwarf proper, I think I’d rather have more of the show. I feel like what it’d be would be so far removed from Red Dwarf as it should be that it wouldn’t be Red Dwarf and would be better rebranded as like “Boys from the Dwarf: Live” or something, just so it’s clear you’re buying tickets to a shitshow not a live episode. It’d probably do really well with the people who think Red Dwarf should be like series VIII and Dave Dwarf though, with the rent a gag, less conversational humour. In 10 years you’d have chabbies saying the best Red Dwarf ever was the live episode where Kryten had a robowank on stage and Lister farted on a woman’s face and suffocated her (before she gets flushed into space, obviously)
Looks like the first reviews for Red Dwarf Live are in then. That was quick. (Re: Star Wars titles. When the crawl was revised for Star Wars – four years later – absolutely nobody suddenly started calling the film by a different name. “A New Hope” was used almost exclusively by Lucasfilm publications and online forums. Likewise, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return Of The Jedi” were always referred to as true titles, rather than subtitles. Absolutely nobody used the episode numbers because they were literally meaningless. The original Special Editions really tried to push “A New Hope” and the episode numbers in (this was the first time “A New Hope” was added to its theatrical copyright title – but it’s important to note that this wasn’t the same film as 1977’s “Star Wars” either, which is still officially called “Star Wars”) and really establish a style guide, but even this didn’t start to truly breach the mainstream until the prequels. And even then, the 1999 film was known predominantly as ‘Star Wars Episode One’ with its true subtitle used less. It wasn’t til Attack Of The Clones I’d say that the triple title penetrated through, and arguably people aren’t really using the numbers for the new ones either.)
Looks like the first reviews for Red Dwarf Live are in then. That was quick. They’re predictions, not reviews. It could be that any live show turns out very different to that, but it’s what I think would probably happen. Let’s hope we’re not holding predictions made on this board to too high a standard though, or we’re all fucked, eh?
I reeeeeeally don’t think a Red Dwarf live show is a good idea. But what do I know? Maybe it’ll be brill. But it probably wouldn’t be.
So what’s with all the Dave morse code business about, then? I mean, we’ve worked out* what it is, but why have they decided to Tweet it? *been told
Surely this is the kind of shit you’d pull to announce a new series of Endeavour. I’d repurpose a QR code to be a QuagaaR code if I was marketing it (this is why I’m not marketing it)
I have to use the numbers for the new Star Wars films because a couple of times I’ve said “The Force Awakens” and people have said “the what?” because the film was so unmemorable lmao. I assume they’re going to wait a bit before revealing, it would be a bit boring to post the mystery and the answer within an hour of each other. What does it say, out of curiosity?
https://twitter.com/DougRDNaylor/status/1184865431137456132 More refreshing twitter regularly tomorrow too then
Anything to be read into Morse code or is that just straight from the vague teaser without having to actually show anything playbook? Could they be picking up signals from our solar system in whatever this is? (Series/special)
Is there anything to be said for Dave launching a curry into space again? They should get a paratha orbiting the moon.
> I mean, we’ve worked out* what it is, but why have they decided to Tweet it? So what is it? (not joking, I don’t see an answer here?)
Someone on that twitter thread says it’s the lyrics (“It’s cold outside etc.”) but I haven’t been arsed to verify it.
I just transcribed the first 10 seconds and got “its cold” so I presume the next 1 min and 15 seconds the rest of the lyrics
Unsurprising, given that TOS updates are always on a Friday. See you at 11AM tomorrow. They’re releasing the mobisodes on UHD Blu-ray.
https://twitter.com/DougRDNaylor/status/1083077054378201090?s=19 Interesting that Doug tweeted this in January, almost seems connected
The other possibility is a proper special (one or two parts) double banked with a retrospective for economy’s sake, a la the original Back To Earth plans. That would be good Yes, Darrell, it would.
I think we’re running on magic beans now. A tour via Phil McIntyre Promotions is still possible, but I’d bet actual money against it returning to TV Yes Darrell, you would.
Please! Please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let’s not bicker and argue over who predicted what or have dissenting preferences about really insignificant things that are treated like hate speech.
I think we’re running on magic beans now. A tour via Phil McIntyre Promotions is still possible, but I’d bet actual money against it returning to TV Yes Darrell, you would. :)
Please! Please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let’s not bicker and argue over who predicted what or have dissenting preferences about really insignificant things that are treated like hate speech. All of this stuff is only meant in a friendly-ribbing kind of way. I argue with Darrell about lots of things on here but in the end we’re both Red Dwarf fans talking about something we enjoy, so none of it is meant to be genuinely mean-spirited. I enjoy his posts as the more pessimistic/realistic side of the coin, which I think makes for a more balanced discussion overall. Anyway, I take it from the above response that he took my post in the spirit in which it was intended.
I just wanted to mangle a Python quote for a change, since my Red Dwarf quotes are a bit exhausted. My friendly-ribbing detector can’t tell whether everything was intended in that same spirit.
I only do it because John and Ian are much too decent and reasonable these days. Someone’s got to be the sociopath pissing on the cake. Can’t have all these model citizens gentrifying the place. Even Sesame Street has a shit-covered tramp that lives in a bin. And tonight, Matthew, I am covered in shit.
I just wanted to mangle a Python quote for a change Oh don’t worry, I definitely read that post in Michael Palin’s voice. Just wanted to be clear for a change that I’m not really as much of an argumentative twat as I probably seem.
Even Sesame Street has a shit-covered tramp that lives in a bin. And tonight, Matthew, I am covered in shit. I think this might be my favourite thing that’s ever been said on this website. And that’s a high bar cos there’s been a lot of gold on here.
If you hazard a guess at literally every possibility under the sun you’re likely to be correct at least once
