Craig Charles interview

[SkyAndSun]

Just about to read this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/mar/16/craig-charles-interview-red-dwarf

Apparently CC talks about drugs and his return to Red Dwarf.

Topic

[Dax101]

damn! no one should have to pay thousands for new teeth

[Seb Patrick]

Good piece, and the teeth bit made me chuckle.

[SkyAndSun]

I was interested in his reluctance to return to RD until he read the scripts. Red Dwarf was of its time, etc. Wonder if that reluctance would affect a future series?

[thomasaevans]

That was a good piece. So theres a book on the way?

[si]

> becoming a household name by starring in the BBC2 sci-fi drama Red Dwarf

Drama? Makes it sound almost sophisticated.

[John Hoare]

That *is* a surprisingly good interview. I’d argue with the “low-budget sets and ironic pastiche” stuff, but then I always do, and it’s at least phrased slightly less irritatingly than most.

Weird to think that Craig thought Dwarf was “of its time and place”, though. Not quite sure what he means by that. I can’t see much of the good stuff in the show that irrevocably links it to the 80s/90s. The same scripts would work now, with very, very few changes to the pop culture references. Or does he mean something else?

[pfm]

> Or does he mean something else?

I definitely think it’s c) something else, in this case. More like it’s “of it’s time and place” in his head. It’s a show that’s in his past as opposed to being something current. The stuff he did for the DVDs probably pushed it further into his past, and with the movie being a no go it’s likely he thought that was it for Dwarf, finito. Maybe his attitude was that it should be left alone because they could never be as good as they were in those days. Doug obviously persuaded him differently.

As far as Dwarf beyond BTE is concerned, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that BTE will end with Lister either dead or, more likely, left behind somewhere, leaving open the option of new episodes without Craig. This would be due to his Corrie commitments, of course. Maybe if they did a 6 part series Craig could do the last two of them, or something. They find Lister towards the end of the series. Yes, Red Dwarf is massively about Lister, but if they were struggling to make it due to Craig’s schedule, I would say they should try and go for it without him, as long as it wasn’t a permanent exit for Lister.

[peas_and_corn]

That sounds like a prettty good idea there, have a series around them finding/rescuing lister or just leaving him somewhere for whatever reason.

[Dax101]

as alot of storys were centered around lister, i dont think red dwarf would work without him, it barely worked without Rimmer

a replacement character would be added and fans wouldnt be happy.

i honestly cant see a series 9 happening, if anything they will just be more specials for when craig gets time off corrie

[ChrisM]

Nice Metro article clip in the news section.(thanks for posting it Seb.)

Chris Barrie: “This could be the beginning of the rekindling of our adventures in space.”

I know that future Dwarf is a consideration (depending on how the specials fare of course.) but after Craig’s mention of Dwarf, ‘being of it’s time’, it was nice to read something more optimistic.

[Carlito]

I wouldn’t want to commit to wanting more Dwarf until April 12th, no matter how the episode ends. It’s about quality not quantity. If these episodes are mad good, then I’d say 1000% I’d love more. If we end up getting a pale shadow of the show we loved, especially after we’ve had cast, crew and writer all raving about it for months, then I’d say it’s time has passed.

Most (not ALL) comedy people have a finite shelf life of funniness, inventiness and relevance. When that time has passed them by, it’s very very hard to recapture the humour and perspective that once made them so good.

I’m sure everyone can name a comedian or writer or comedy performer they once loved, whose prime body of work still stands up today, yet of whom they often ask the question “when did you stop being funny?”

[Carlito]

As for future episodes, if BtE is amazing and more are on the horizon, I think they should schedule it around Craig Charles if they need to. As long as Craig hasn’t quit outright, Lister is as vital to the show as Rimmer. Theirs is the main, show driving dynamic.

The whole is better than the sum of the parts. RD without Rimmer, didn’t work. RD without Lister, won’t work.

[hummingbird]

> RD without Rimmer, didn?t work. RD without Lister, won?t work.

This.

[SkyAndSun]

Have to agree. They need Lister and Rimmer. Hopefully CC still wants to do it and he’s able to do it; assuming BTE is good and someone (Dave, BBC, someone else) wants to pay for more.

[si]

I tried to post that Metro thing yesterday evening (better quality too – taken from the e-metro ;P), and nothing happened. Boo.

[Stabbim the Skutter]

> “Twenty grand teeth. That’s weird. So where was I?”

I can’t believe I only just got that! :O

[Danny Stephenson]

I still dont get it.

[Jo]

http://www.myparkmag.co.uk/articles/television/craig-charles-blames-corrie-.html

“Craig Charles has blamed ‘Coronation Street’ for making him a drug addict.”

I think that’s a bit of a leap!!

[ChrisM]

Agreed. I read the article and I didn’t interpret it that way.

I got the impression that the strain of working on Coronation Street, coupled with the death of his father was part of the reason he turned to coke, but to interpret that as blaming the soap is indeed taking it too far. There are other ways to deal with stress after all.

Classic example of journalists taking something small from a statement and putting a whole other slant on it.

[Jo]

And as ever the Daily Star can be relied on to jump on the bandwagon…

“CORRIE TURNED ME INTO A CRACKHEAD”
http://tinyurl.com/dailyshit

[Tarka Dal]

Ah well. So Corrie fires him. What’s he going to do then? If only there was some old hit show he could fall back on. Hmm.

[si]

>I can?t believe I only just got that! :O

I only got that this morning as well. Shocking.

[Pete Part Three]

I had to google it.

[clem]

> ?Twenty grand teeth. That?s weird. So where was I??

I can’t get this either. Somebody explain please.

[si]

Featured interview/Tenth Doctor’s first words.

I kicked myself.

[pfm]

‘Barcemolar’

[Author]

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