Almost XIII news

[Ian Symes]

To be fair, the fact that new Red Dwarf is happening now doesn’t necessarily invalidate any statements made prior to now.

[Dave]

I don’t know, I feel like it’s not too much of a stretch to say that the comments reported and discussed in this thread about more Red Dwarf being on the way are probably directly connected to the activity we’ve seen evidence of today.

[bloodteller]

I feel like Dave is correct

[RickLee84]

Doug tweeted last night that it “was quiet. Too quiet. “

He then followed it up with “tomorrow will be noisier”

What is he hinting at…

[Dave]

He’s taken up learning the drums.

[q u i n n _ d r u m m e r]

If Rick Allen can play with one arm, then Doug can play with one leg.

[Warbodog]

Why aren’t these sick people using conventional drumsticks?

[q u i n n _ d r u m m e r]

You’ve just reminded me of this wonderful Youtube video.

Dude does a drum cover of Enter Sandman using dildos

[(deleted)]

I misread “Dude” as “Doug” then and thought ‘well that wasn’t the announcement I was expecting’.

[Warbodog]

That’s set the bar of expectation for today’s announcement. Has to beat a Doug dildo solo.

[Dave]

Doug dildo solo

So to speak.

[Ben Saunders]

What’s funnier, Doug dildo solo or Rob dildo solo?

[Dax101]

I prefered when Rob and Doug share the dildo.

[Dave]

Doug had the sci-fi dildo, Rob had the funny dildo.

[(deleted)]

Rob’s dildo somehow always gets horribly mutilated halfway through.

Doug’s dildo is pretty good but needs someone else to give it a polish when he’s finished.

[Stephen Abootman]

Not sure this is an update on anything (depends how much you want to read into it I guess) but fuck it. As a response on twitter to “Will there be any more Red Dwarf projects in the future?” Doug said “If I was a betting man I’d say: definitely, 100% yes and yes.” In reply to a follow up asking whether he just confirmed a new series he said, “No I just gave you my opinion if I was a betting man. It got the biggest numbers on UKTV in 7 years.”

[Nick R]

Some quotes from Chris Barrie in the Radio Times, as promotion for The Promised Land’s home release:

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-06-09/chris-barrie-red-dwarf-exit/

The article focuses on his limited participation in Red Dwarf VII (and they get the episode count wrong: “appeared in just a handful of Red Dwarf VII’s six episodes”). But at the end he does say something about doing more:

“I don’t really like to think about regrets,” he said. “I look back and think, ‘It was right at the time’. I’d just done a Brittas Empire series before it and kind of the last thing I wanted to do was go back in a television studio.”

He explained: “The Brittas Empire… any sitcom situation like that where you’re playing quite a reasonable sized part is always a fairly stressful sort of… it’s condensed, very hard work. I knew that Red Dwarf was always going to be pretty hard work [as well] and I just thought, ‘I can’t do this now’.”

Having taken a break, Barrie has remained on Red Dwarf as a regular ever since and says he’s now keen to keep Rimmer for as long as possible.

“There’s only Red Dwarf really that I want to do [now] so I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can!” he insisted.

Barrie also dropped hints as to Red Dwarf’s future, revealing that “there’s something” in the works following the ratings success of feature-length special The Promised Land.

There you have it: “’there’s something’ in the works”. Red Dwarf XIII confirmed.

[Stephen Abootman]

I remember Richard Naylor saying in that twitter Q&A he did in April that he might know more soon so entirely possible conversations have taken place as to what could be next.

Also I’m sure that other thread posted about what Doug said on Twitter wasn’t showing up when I did so above, just in case it looks like I didn’t bother to check.

[RickLee84]

When I posted my thread about Doug’s tweet, it seems to be deleted, which I thought was a mod so I just left it, but it reappeared and with comments, so who knows what’s going on. Either way, these positive statements are encouraging.

[Shoes Have Soles]

Something in the works could mean a few things like the documentaries that were supposed to be shown with TPL. Or more AA adverts.

Or remastered series IV to VIII.

[Dave]

There you have it: “’there’s something’ in the works”. Red Dwarf XIII confirmed.

Red Dwarf: Outing XIV, surely.

[Stephen Abootman]

Once again using this thread for snippets of info. Craig interviewed on ‘White Wine Question Time, with Kate Thornton’ said:

“We brought out the feature ‘the Promised Land’ and we were supposed to have made another two features by now, or at least another one and going on to do a third but obviously Covid put pay to all that so hopefully we’ll get to doing it sometime next year I suppose”.

[RunawayTrain]

Once again using this thread for snippets of info. Craig interviewed on ‘White Wine Question Time, with Kate Thornton’ said:

“We brought out the feature ‘the Promised Land’ and we were supposed to have made another two features by now, or at least another one and going on to do a third but obviously Covid put pay to all that so hopefully we’ll get to doing it sometime next year I suppose”.

Interesting. Sheds light on Paul Jackson saying that contracts had been signed that specified ‘how many’ and in what format.

I do prefer a series, but if specials are what’s going to give us more Dwarf then I’m not complaining!

[Warbodog]

I’m happier with the specials route, even if there was an option. I like the prestige of it and the pressure it gives to make it worthwhile. Though with three, the pressure’s off if the middle one’s a letdown.

By the way, how were the tickets done last time? First clicked first served, or the random allocation of XI-XII? I’m living back in Blighty for the first time since Dave Dwarf had audiences and I felt like I missed out. Please make more Red Dwarf.

[Dave]

By the way, how were the tickets done last time? First clicked first served, or the random allocation of XI-XII?

You had to sign up for a random draw, if I remember right. I missed out so I’d love to be in with a chance this time.

[q u i n n _ d r u m m e r]

By the way, how were the tickets done last time? First clicked first served, or the random allocation of XI-XII?

Random allocation. But then they found people didn’t turn up. I got an e-Mail, 6pm of recording day asking if I still wanted to go to call a number and make my way to be there by 7.30pm.

Annoyingly I’d have just about made it had I seen the email at 6 as I would have left the office and go the other way. As it was I was half an hour home and too late to turn back.

I honestly can’t believe they had agreements in place with UKTV for 3 specials. I reckon they had provisional agreements in place with Doug and the cast for 3 specials. But if UKTV has green lit 3, when not announce that at the time rather than saying “we’re making a special and 3 documentaries on a single series budget”

Just doesn’t make sense not to announce “over the next 18months we’ll be producing the 90mins length episodes” of that’s what’s been signed off on.

So presumably Doug was getting way ahead of himself again, got the go ahead from GNP to make 3 specials if he could, he told the cast that’s what they would be doing but failed to tel UKTV of his plans lol

[Dave]

These things are likely to be more complicated than we know. You never know, there could have been a provisional agreement to make more that was contingent on certain success metrics for the first one, or something like that.

[Jenuall]

My understanding of these things is that there are always discussions going on between creators, production companies, station commissioners etc. so I’m sure GNP/Doug have had many talks with Dave about what comes next, but ultimately until it’s all contracted up and scheduled then it doesn’t really mean much.

And yeah what the cast know is always likely to be in “pinch of salt” territory, Doug will have been teeing them up for more no doubt and would have talked about future plans with them, but whether Craig is basing these comments of something loose like that or something firmer with actual contracts being signed is hard to know – I’d wager it was the former.

With the shenanigans going on with Rob’s return to the scene, Doug being ousted/leaving GNP etc. it’s also much harder to know exactly what the truth of the matter is.

More specials would be nice though

[International Debris]

Yes, I imagine it would been more a case of UKTV showing an interest in doing specials going forward, and Doug sorting out the logistics with GNP, rather than three being fully commissioned.

I’d still prefer a series, but I’ll take specials. We’re so much closer to the end than the beginning at this point, and the last four episodes have been either very good, or had plenty of great moments, so really, I’m just happy to take whatever few episodes we have left now.

[International Debris]

That’s the end and the beginning with small letters, by the way, before anyone tries to be hilarious.

[NoFro]

When Dwarf came back I wasn’t really worried about the legacy being tarnished or anything like that as I don’t tend to think in that way. I just thought it would all be worth it if we had one really good new episode. In my opinion we’ve had a fair few. If I take my favourite 3 from XI and my favourite 3 from XII I reckon that’s a hell of a season.

However, I’d also prefer to see a new series because, well, imagine if Timewave was a special and then that was the only new Dwarf we had in a 4 year period. Basically, odds of a good episode are higher when there are 6 chances.

Still, we’re 12 years into an era of Dwarf that could so easily have not existed so anything is a bonus now, really. Has been that way for years.

[Jenuall]

Yeah the special route does leave open the possibility that it’s the only new bit of Dwarf we get for a while and it might be a real stinker (BTE says hi!)

Overall for me I think if you take the X-XII era and cherry pick the best episodes (or even individual jokes/concepts from within episodes) then I think you could put together a run of 6 episodes that just about stands up to the golden era.

But overall the Dave era has been fine, some real highlights, some absolute stinkers, but all in all a much better way to see the show play itself out than VIII was.

[International Debris]

For me, if Doug had spent the amount of time he did on XI & XII and spent it on six episodes, using the time to tighten the scripts and use the best jokes from the other six episodes, it could have been a series we wouldn’t have to make at least some apologies for. Especially with these six:

Give & Take
Officer Rimmer
Krysis
Mechocracy
M-Corp
Skipper

Hmm, this is a well worn conversation eh

[q u i n n _ d r u m m e r]

I’d also disagree with a lot of that list too, and at least say Twentica and Cured deserve to be in any top 6 of those 12 episodes. So there’s no real way of saying “if Doug had only made 6 in the same time we’d have had 6 great episodes” as some might find they don’t like some of that content and we’d be missing some great stuff too.

The only episode that is a real real issue is Timewave. The rest people have niggles over how things like endings resolve and such, but at this point we’re in a phase of the show that is very much the show, this is how it is now and there’s no real way around it.

[Jenuall]

I struggle with XI quite a bit, there are quite a few poor episodes there for me and it doesn’t have anything like an M-Corp or Skipper to elevate it.

But yeah it’s clear what Dave Dwarf is now, for better or worse and I’m happy it has continued to exist in a what is a reasonably solid form for the last decade

[Warbodog]

The giddy enthusiasm in this thread is a joy to behold.

Though it seems things have improved from a couple of pages/years ago, when some of us weren’t really bothered whether it carried on. Maybe it was seeing what they did with the special, and that approach making ongoing production more realistic.

[q u i n n _ d r u m m e r]

It’s kinda funny how TPL kinda addressed a lot of the issues some people have with a lot of the Dave era. Too many plots, not enough time, quick endings, broad characterisation, over the top acting etc. And then people go asking for a series again which presumably would have the same issues as before.

[Dave]

The giddy enthusiasm in this thread is a joy to behold.

Though it seems things have improved from a couple of pages/years ago, when some of us weren’t really bothered whether it carried on.

For me, it’s probably a bit too strong to say I’m “not bothered,” but I just feel like anything further we get at this point in terms of live-action Dwarf is an additional bonus that’s lovely to have, rather than anything that the show owes us. If it ended today then it would still have had a fantastic innings given the second life it’s had on Dave.

Maybe it was seeing what they did with the special, and that approach making ongoing production more realistic.

Yeah I think this is part of it. Most people seem to agree that Promised Land is a high point for Dave Dwarf and if these one-offs are more viable than full series in future then I’d be happy with more in this format.

[International Debris]

It’s kinda funny how TPL kinda addressed a lot of the issues some people have with a lot of the Dave era. Too many plots, not enough time, quick endings, broad characterisation, over the top acting etc. And then people go asking for a series again which presumably would have the same issues as before.

I suppose for me, one of the issues is I find the first half of TPL to be as bad as the worst bits of XI and XII. Just lacking in any decent jokes or focus, and it makes the whole story drag, as if Doug doesn’t actually know how to fill the episode. Maybe doing something like three 45 minute specials would be a good compromise.

I think one thing we can conclude is, no matter the format or plot, everyone’s going to really hate some part of it, and it’ll have some really cringey jokes. These are now givens for any Doug Dwarf episode.

[RunawayTrain]

It’s kinda funny how TPL kinda addressed a lot of the issues some people have with a lot of the Dave era. Too many plots, not enough time, quick endings, broad characterisation, over the top acting etc. And then people go asking for a series again which presumably would have the same issues as before.

Ha, true, I am guilty of that. For me I guess it’s a naive hope that we might get one last decent series – and I actually overall enjoy X and XI, the highs outweigh the lows for me. Also a series has more chances of getting a total of 90mins right ;)

BUT as long as we get the highs along with any lows, not just the lows, I am happy to get more Red Dwarf in whatever format that may be. I think most of us accept it for what it is now, and still overall love it even if it’s not as good as it was in its prime.

[Nick R]

For me, if Doug had spent the amount of time he did on XI & XII and spent it on six episodes, using the time to tighten the scripts and use the best jokes from the other six episodes, it could have been a series we wouldn’t have to make at least some apologies for. Especially with these six:

Give & Take
Officer Rimmer
Krysis
Mechocracy
M-Corp
Skipper
Hmm, this is a well worn conversation eh

Ah, the old “would the White Album be better as a single disc?” question!

Does this mean that Timewave = Wild Honey Pie?

[Author]

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