Getting Old – potential for a good story?

[Richey]

Hey guys,

I’ve been on the phone to my big brother this afternoon talking about Red Dwarf X. We’re both incredibly apprehensive about it based on how much we disliked series VIII and HATED “Back To Earth” and my brother isn’t even convinced that he’ll watch series X yet. That aside, we were discussing ideas of what kind of stories we’d like to see in series X and we came up with a scenario that I thought I’d share with you. This is just two old school fans shooting the shit, so don’t take it too seriously, it’s just a bit of fanwank really.

The cast are a lot older now and it does show. That being the case, it presents the perfect opportunity for a strong story with some good comedy, a story about the characters getting old and how each of them deals with that;

– Lister knows he’s not a young man anymore and is becoming increasingly aware of his own mortality. Over the course of the story we could have him going through something akin to a mid-life crisis, trying to drink loads and party all the time like he did when he was younger only to discover that he just can’t live like that anymore.

– The Cat is becoming more and more reclusive as he deals with getting older. Real cats (my own cat included, who is now 20 years old) start to become dishevelled as with age they begin to look after themselves less and spend more and more time sleeping. This would lend itself to some great comedy as we could have The Cat desperate to try and remain cool whilst fighting his natural desire to sleep more and put less effort into his appearance.

– Rimmer’s story is the one that lends itself the most to having sci-fi elements in the plot. Just for the sake of argument, let’s say that Rimmer was originally programmed by Holly to age so that the transition into old age would be easier for Lister. Well, this is Rimmer we’re talking about and he is no longer happy with that situation, so his story revolves around his attempts to find ways to get around the programming and regain his youth.

– Kryten, meanwhile, is also noticing the fact the crew are getting older and starts to panic about being left alone again (just as he was on the Nova 5). You could even have Rimmer in full blown selfish mode trying to convince Kryten to help him because “We don’t have to age! The others will eventually die – which is very sad, tragic really – but not us. We can be the winners!”

The whole story is set on the ship, you’ve got plenty of scope for character development, you’ve got your sci-fi element and a dose of drama and there are lots of places for the comedy to go. So that was our idea. Is it a good ‘un or is it a bag of shite? Speak your brains!

[ori-STUDFARM]

So, we’re going from “The Odd Couple” in space to “Whatever Happened To the Likely Lads” followed by “One Foot In the Grave” and in another 10 years “Last Of The Summer Wine”…..all in space.

Sounds good to me.

[redhead85]

I’d love an episode like that. Honest and funny.

[Richey]

“So, we’re going from “The Odd Couple” in space to “Whatever Happened To the Likely Lads” followed by “One Foot In the Grave” and in another 10 years “Last Of The Summer Wine”…..all in space.

Sounds good to me.”

Well, no. It would be just one episode, not the entire premise of the show :P

[ori-STUDFARM]

Ah, right. In that case, no. It would be shit!

:P

[Richey]

Bugger…

[Carlito]

If anthing, I think Rimmer would be leastbothered about his appearance aging. I could imagine him specifically requesting an older appearance as he gets on in years to look more ‘distinguished’.

Lister kind of brought up the subject in BTE. “I’ve been dead for ages, man. Sitting around, getting old and fat.”

But of your ideas, the idea of Cat adopting the mannerisms of an older feline would probably be the most fun. My cat was 21 when he died and you definitely see them losing their vanity and slowing down as they get older, so it would be perfectly Cat-like for our Cat to do the same.

Obviously I’d prefer it to be played for comic value rather than tragedy…

[UncreativeUserName]

This is quite clearly a theme that should be addressed at least once in the series, and I’m gonna be disappointed if it’s not.
It’s such an obvious direction, but it’s such a GOOD one too. The Kryten thing you came up with is wonderful and I hadn’t thought about that before.

[A Bailey]

It’s quite possible that the Cat is the last of his kind as well, it would be nice to see him and Lister sharing a bond over that fact.

[ori-STUDFARM]

As for Carlito’s suggestion of Rimmer wanting to look older…I disagree. One thing he was obsessed about in the novels was keeping young by stealing every spare moment he had in the Stasis Booths. One of the reasons he objected to Lister’s punishment was because Lister would have gained “time” on him. I’m sure he would see the not ageing as one of the few benefits of being a hologram.

[Carlito]

That’s true – of the book continuity, at least. I never felt the TV Rimmer demonstrated the same obsession. Plus his heroes are the elder statesmen, the generals, the leaders, the officers. I can imagine him loving the thought of growing into that image.

But perceptions change as you age. Maybe competing with Lister or putting up a front as an aid to promotion was important to young Rimmer. But being better than Lister is a big motivation. How would he feel if Lister started playing the age card in reverse. “Respect your elders, Rimmer!”

If Rimmer still looked 25 and Lister looked 45, I think Rimmer would feel intimidated and want to match Lister’s aesthetic age. What could be more satisfying for Rimmer than to crow “look how much better than you I look at the same age” – boosted as he is by the ability to control his own appearance.

Anyway, it makes for fair in-world explanation for Chris Barrie’s ageing anyway.

[ori-STUDFARM]

True. I never got the impression that the future version of Rimmer in Out Of Time was that bothered about his aged appearance. In fact, he looked quite comfortable being the shape and look he was…

[Mr-Stabby]

While it wasn’t a major theme, i think ‘Back to Earth’ did tackle the ageing thing with Lister. If only for a couple of lines.

[Tarka Dal]

Kryten could fall victim to permanent droid rot and spend an entire season behaving like Spare Head 3.

[Plastic Percy]

There’s some good bleak comedy to be had from Lister realising that he’s getting old and that his eventual death (even though he knows he makes it to 140 and suffocates taking off a bra) means the end of the Human race.

[peepingsignal]

The plot could also be used in other ways, maybe the Dwarfers come across an automated Retirement Home which holds them captive due to age scans or something.

[srmcd1]

That actually sounds pretty good. It’s a bit in the same theme as ‘Justice’. And they escape by proving to the machines that while they are physically old, they are mentally young. Something about “you’re only as old as you feel”.

And then Lister throws his back out just as they get back to Red Dwarf.

[Carlito]

Shit, they’re not THAT old!

[ori-STUDFARM]

They’re older than me….and my back goes far too regularly than it should.

[ori-STUDFARM]

Usually after pushing cars around all bleedin’ night! ;)

[Ben Paddon]

It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.

[Author]

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