Two lines and an action sequence News Posted by Ian Symes on 9th November 2019, 12:44 We must say, this whack-a-mole game of spotting details about the Red Dwarf Special is proving to be rather fun. There was a time when major production decisions were revealed slowly and calculatedly in co-ordinated releases, but now you just have to wait for someone to chuck it all on social media, probably not realising that analysing the contents of their otherwise benign posts is incredibly interesting to the hardest of hardcore fans like us. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts and take a look at the short video posted by Danny John-Jules this morning. It’s of him, Chris and Robert strolling through Pinewood and chatting about the filming they’ve just completed. But Chris is in full costume and Robert is in full make-up. Anyone seen @CCfunkandsoul He was last seen ordering a cab and a curry in Iver Heath near @PinewoodStudios “We’re a man down!!” If you see him do not approach him. He’s dangerous, armed with a box full of CD’s and he’s not afraid to use them!! ???? pic.twitter.com/1CsRRciiAK — Danny John-Jules???????? (@DannyJohnJules) November 9, 2019 In anticipation of this possibly being taken down in the manner of Danny’s accidental call sheet photo last week, which incidentally reappeared in cropped form today, we’ve taken the liberty of proving a couple of screen grabs and a transcript. CHRIS: Two lines. DANNY: Two lines and an action sequence. Bobby, you are turning into the Terminator. ROBERT: Ha ha ha ha ha! CHRIS: Well, we did quite a… quite a lump yesterday. ROBERT: You did a big lump yesterday, I know, you did a lot. That were proper, that were. I’m not sure I want to hear about Chris doing a big lump, frankly, though it’s a common problem as one gets older. So from what we can tell, Rimmer’s uniform appears to be the same as it was in XI and XII, although I’ve never been the best at spotting any minor differences. Danny is covered up with a dressing gown and napkins, so no reveal of a new suit, although he did also post a teaser the other day that suggests pink furry pom-poms may be involved at some point. While we’re at it, there was also a photo of Chris’s syrup mid-application, and thankfully it’s a lot more seamless by the time they’ve finished. Well, either that or this Special is a cross-over with Peaky Blinders. But of course, the most interesting feature of the video is probably the latest iteration of the Kryten mask, and while it’s hard to judge on mobile phone footage alone, it looks pretty decent to me, certainly retaining the classic shape from most angles. Although it is slightly off-putting to see him without the outer shell of the costume, with Robert’s real and actual nipple nuts glimpsed poking through the metallic fabric. Unless that’s part of the action sequence.
the new one for those that don’t want to go looking themselves https://twitter.com/dannyjohnjules/status/1193175844551831552?s=21
> Kryten’s stomach and lower arm shells look more weathered and rusty… Hadn’t spotted it til now but you can see the rust in the clapperboard picture, as well as those scratches on his monitor.
Unbelievable Rimmer is STILL wearing his X uniform. I’m hoping still is maybe a flashback sequence or something, cause it’s ridiculous he just wears the same thing all the time now.
On the bright side, Kryten’s new mask is really good and the makeup on all three make them look 10 years younger, still really disappointed on Rimmer’s costume.
Better than his padded ones which made him look like something out of the discount bin at Dunelm Mill.
Rimmers blue costume certainly helps make Chris look slimmer and to a point younger. probably why they kept it. The light blue one in BTE wasn’t very flattering. Plus hard light blue ect.
Doug already set himself up in Series X for the hard light/soft light costume change thing. Blue is just an easier way to say this is Rimmer in hard light.
Craig would have definitely been there for 2 lines and an action sequence if it was 2006. I feel this gag was overlooked by subsequent posters in this thread
He looked purple in Entangled anyway. I’d rather they don’t act like cartoon characters and wear the same thing every season, every time.
What does “Chris’ syrup” mean? Obviously hair/wig, but I’ve never heard the word syrup used in that fashion before
Craig would have definitely been there for 2 lines and an action sequence if it was 2006. I feel this gag was overlooked by subsequent posters in this thread Thank you for the appreciation, I will assume that everyone else is only just recovering from the hilarity of the gag themselves.
>I’ve never heard the word syrup used in that fashion before Cockney rhyming slang – syrup of figs, wig
It’s cockney rhyming slang for wig, based on ‘syrup of figs’. Eh, not surprised about Chris, disappointed though. I wasn’t really expecting a colour change, but maybe a variation in style. Although as this is a one-off special, perhaps the wardrobe budget was considered more useful being spent elsewhere. Or maybe Doug’s just happier with them being like The Simpsons with their unchanging outfits. Kryten’s mask is decent, though. Not dramatically different to the XI/XII one, but more defined and angular, which I think was also the case with the AA one. Hmm, I wonder if the AA ads will be on the DVD.
I think the only difference for Kryten is his “eyebrow”, for XI and XII it wasn’t angular at all, it was almost round at the top of the eye/foreheads area. It made him look like a friendly robot butler from a 90s film. This time they’re sharp and straight and he looks more like Kryten.
Well Arnold, it’s rhyming slang of the cockney variety. Syrup of figs, right, rhymes with wigs. It’s rhymes, it’s slang, and it’s said by cockneys. Hence cockney rhyming slang.
May I be the first to say MOTHERFUCKER CHANGE CHRIS’S FUCKING SHITTY DENTIST OUTFIT YOU STUPID GODDAMN SONS OF BITCHES. That aside, I’m excited.
There must have been a horrendous tailoring accident and now he’s surgically attached to it. Best we can hope for is that the jacket comes off and braces and t-shirt Rimmer sits around for a bit of visual variety.
the new one for those that don’t want to go looking themselves https://twitter.com/dannyjohnjules/status/1193175844551831552?s=21 Nope, missed it. I was too busy having VAR almost give me a heart attack to spot it yesterday. Anyone got a screenshot or a different link?
Or maybe Doug’s just happier with them being like The Simpsons with their unchanging outfits. Hang on. Does hardlight Rimmer wear real clothes? I’d say not, from all the times he’s abruptly disappeared/switched outfits at will/been zapped with a lightbee remote. So if any of the cast are going to wear the same clothes everyday, it makes sense it’s Rimmer, and he’d be a stickler for uniform. The JMC seem to change their uniform slightly more often than Starfleet, so maybe the periodic changes were planned in advance or he’s having them procedurally generated or something.
There are undoubtedly head-canonical reasons you can come up with for the unchanging uniform, but from a creative and visual perspective it does seem a bit of a shame, especially as the current one with the dull blue, no patterning and the bland shoes really feels sub-par in comparison to ones from the past. Especially given that the green uniform in particular had loads of variation: hat, t-shirt and braces, the spotted dressing gown, and so on.
No matter how many times I’ve seen the smeg-ups and so on, it still throws me when I hear Kryten doing an impression of Robert Llewellyn and Rimmer doing an impression of Chris Barrie…
He wears the dressing gown in Samsara and Krysis. I quite like it. I’d argue the current uniform isn’t making him look flattering at all, it makes his head look small to the rest of his body and the tunic stretches down to his legs. It’s honestly crap and I’m sick of seeing it all the bloody time.
He wears the dressing gown in Samsara and Krysis. I quite like it. I’d argue the current uniform isn’t making him look flattering at all, it makes his head look small to the rest of his body and the tunic stretches down to his legs. It’s honestly crap and I’m sick of seeing it all the bloody time. So you want something that makes his head look bigger and a tunic that doesn’t stretch down to his legs? Top hat and boob tube it is.
i’m not fond of the XI dressing gown as it just looks like it’s thrown over the usual uniform in a way that makes it seem so bulky it just looks uncomfortable. Also the same colour doesn’t help: the IV one was red with green spots, which contrasted nicely and, again, made it look more like something a person would wear, rather than a character relying on a ‘recognisable’ costume.
It’s not over the usual uniform, but a button-down shirt. Not sure if you knew that or not from your comment. I thought the IV one was hideous tbh, too loud for someone like Rimmer.
Can I be the lonely voice saying that I like Rimmer’s costume? I know there technically are differences to the III-V era tunic, but surely not enough differences that it can be seen as so objectionable. Unless people really didn’t like those ones either? I think the blue actually works better than the red or the green. Red Dwarf has gone through such a lot of visual changes from VII through to X, with each series looking so dramatically different from another. It’s nice that we seem to have entered a more settled era (akin to the aforementioned III-V) – like they’ve found a look that works and they’re continuing with it. This is obviously pure speculation that this will be the case in this special, based on the glimpses of Rimmer, Kryten and Lister’s costumes, and the Starbug cockpit. Having said all of that, I will now contradict it all completely by saying that I HATE the red sleeping quarters and really hope they’ll change that. It kind of worked in X (although I’d have preferred the photoshopped grey version that did the rounds online at the time) when it at least fitted in with the overall aesthetic of the series, but they’ve abandoned the red look and indeed the grungy look on all the other sets for XI and XII, so it just looks weird. I absolutely love the science room set and the Starbug cockpit, and those are really the signature look of those 2 series. It seems strange that they didn’t just paint the sleeping quarters grey or white (especially seeing as they had to rebuild a lot of the set and repaint the red anyway). So yeah. Rimmer’s blue uniform: good Rimmer and Lister’s red sleeping quarters: bad
Have to say I agree with Arn for the most part. Rimmer’s uniforms are …….just Rimmerish to me. He would undoubtedly wear a uniform and the more uniformy the better. The red sleeping quarters …… well it just seems a bit out of place to me. This was a mining ship and as such would be extremely utilitarian with little to no “extras” as far as art or ambiance is concerned. Now, for my real question/comments. I live across the pond from the majority of you and so will be “left out” , at least at first from this special. (I doubt very seriously if I’ll renew Britbox again for a one off thing.) So…. my question. How long are British TV specials? Will this be an hour long thing or longer/shorter? Any word yet on if and when it will released on DVD?
So…. my question. How long are British TV specials? Will this be an hour long thing or longer/shorter? Any word yet on if and when it will released on DVD? 90 minutes. Depends when it’s on, but roughly 2 months after it’s on the TV.
I know there technically are differences to the III-V era tunic, but surely not enough differences that it can be seen as so objectionable. Unless people really didn’t like those ones either? There are two things that make it worse than the red and green ones for me: one, the actual colour is a lot duller and less metallic / reflective; two, the trousers and shoes combo just looks a bit rubbish. I like the BtE one for these exact reasons.
The current uniform is just a dull, lifeless version of the BtE tunic. I was really really hoping it was going to get replaced this go by something that brought back the reflectivity of the past tunics. It just feels like the store brand version of Rimmer’s costume. It’s basically the same thing but it’s just kinda bland.
With the red sleeping quarters, I get the feeling that they’ve customised it themselves a fair bit, aside from the usual personal effects (Rimmer’s certificates, Lister’s polaroids etc.) and maybe have renovated a larger area by installing beds, the kitchenette, sofa and TV. I used to have the head canon when I was a child that Rimmer swapped out of the khaki uniform as a reaction to his female opposite’s letchery over him wearing such tight trousers. These days I head canon that between II and III they scavenged a derelict Space Corps ship from after their time or had a post pod arrive with upgrades for the holographic system – where Rimmer was transferred to a light bee as opposed to having to rely on Holly and the projection cage – and that maybe also came with an updated clothing pack (like how you get more variations for clothing in expansion packs for The Sims). Alternatively, Rimmer might have started to relax from the idea of upholding Space Corps regulations a bit and decided to start wearing what he wanted. Perhaps in reaction to seeing himself as the captain of Red Dwarf.
If you go back into the whole M-Corp idea then you have to deal with the whole Rimmer being naked to Lister because whatever logic. and i do not think Doug is gonna abandon the JMC stuff. that reset button was likely hit after the episode ended. I think Rimmer has this blue outfit and the BTE outfit because they wanna acknowledge his hologram status and his hard light status. maybe in case doug ever wants to take it away again. Plus when other holograms had appeared on the show, sometimes they also have Rimmers outfit. including the replacement holograms in Holoship.
The M-Corp comment was just meant to refer to the ‘regular updates’ thing, not anything deeper. I think the blue is probably here to stay, largely for the hardlight thing (despite Out of Time and Trojan showing that they can be other colours), but just a redesign from the ‘stick of dull blue’ outfit would be nice.
Plastic Percy: These days I head canon that between II and III they scavenged a derelict Space Corps ship from after their time or had a post pod arrive with upgrades for the holographic system – where Rimmer was transferred to a light bee as opposed to having to rely on Holly and the projection cage – and that maybe also came with an updated clothing pack (like how you get more variations for clothing in expansion packs for The Sims). Isn’t there some throwaway line about the upper decks having been de-irradiated between II and III so they can move into the officers’ quarters and account for the bunkroom set change? I guess that could account for having access to a bunch more loot as well, like a lightbee and a few dictaphone tapes containing holo-outfits.
I don’t remember anything of the sort being mentioned on the show. I _do_ recall that being presented as commonly accepted head canon a number of times.
The only line like that is from Confidence and Paranoia. Either Rimmer finally got around to doing it or someone else did. Didn’t sound like it’d take long, since Lister thought Rimmer had done it already.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that it’s not the Officers’ Quarters, just debating the exact reasons for the move in-universe.
>Isn’t there some throwaway line about the upper decks having been de-irradiated between II and III so they can move into the officers’ quarters and account for the bunkroom set change? The closest we have is Confidence and Paranoia: LISTER: … I went to the Officer’s Block. RIMMER: When?! LISTER: This morning. RIMMER: But it hasn’t been decontaminated! LISTER: You said it had last week! RIMMER: No, I said it was on last Thursday’s daily goal list! LISTER: And you haven’t done it yet?! RIMMER: Tomorrow. It’s on tomorrow’s daily goal list.
I wonder if they actually moved to Kochanski’s quarters so Lister could spend the rest of his life wanking in her bed.
Doug’s clenched fists. Brilliant. Ahh bespectacled Kryten takes me back to the ‘The Beginning’ recording.
Doug clearly running out of ideas and embarrassed by it – XI: Cat needs glasses, XIII: Kryten needs glasses. Shameful. Image reminds me of this:
