I forgot how utterly terrible the series X Kryten mask was.

[Toxteth O-Grady]

I know this was talked about a lot at the time, but my god. Just watched a clip on YouTube and was amazed how botched the mask looked. It was A LOT worse than I remembered.
The nose, the mouth, the dozens of bags under the eyes; it reminds me of Scary Spice from Bo Selecta.
The rest of the costume isn’t much better. It shows way too much neck. And those giant hoops on the shoulders? Eugh.
Anyway, the all the other Dave era masks look decent enough so I’ll stop complaining.

[si]

The bags under the eyes were baffling.

[Manbird]

The nose was a bit loose, but to me that’s…

No. No, it isn’t.

[Katydid]

My least favorite Kryten mask is still probably VIII. I have no idea why, but it just looks “cheap” to me.

Best mask is a toss-up between V, VI and XI/XII.

[GlenTokyo]

Ooooh mi grapes Mr Lister sir

*Sniff* Crabpaste sir

[Hamish]

Best Kryten suit in general is always going to be VI.

[MANI506]

I’m just about to watch X in HD for the first time. I will be staring at Kryten.

[Pete Part Three]

It’s fucking awful. Unfortunately, a lot of websites still insist on using that X publicity shot with Kryten’s ugly beak looking at camera.

Kill it with fire.

[Ben Paddon]

The problem with the X mask is it looks uncannily like really, really bad fanart. Which is baffling, especially considering how ruddy good the mask in BTE was.

[Toxteth O-Grady]

Yeah the BTE mask was remarkably good for what was a cheap production, especially compared to what came in the series after.

For me, the best mask is V’s. It looks the most realistically artificial (i.e.the most like a believable mechanoid, the least like a man wearing a rubber mask).
Best suit is probably VI’s.

[International Debris]

V is my favourite too. It got the angles just right, and allowed Robert’s expressions to come through without mushing up the whole thing (as Toxteth O-Grady says – the least like a man wearing a rubber mask).

[si]

My least favorite Kryten mask is still probably VIII.

I’ve always thought Kryten’s mask was one of the best things about VIII, myself. Nicely defined angles.
V is obviously the most angular, not a fan of VII. The nose on X’s is odd, but the XI/XII mask is a strange one – although it’s a bit less angular, it actually looks very good most episodes, if you excuse the occasional lump (Timewave) or Lister’s mask in Siliconia.

[(deleted)]

Mechocracy and M-Corp are the best the new Kryten mask has ever looked. Trial and error?

[Jawscvmcdia]

What about Kryten from… Kryten?

[NoFro]

I thought it was just me that thought Kryten looked better these last two eps.

[si]

Crap collection of ‘Kryten through the years’ pics.
Kryten through the years…

[Pete Part Three]

Argh. That’s that horrible X photo I was talking about.

[Plastic Percy]

The one mask I’m really not keen on is the III mask. Way too fleshy looking. I’m quite fond of the VII/VIII mask because of the definition given to the edges of the mask in a slightly lighter colour.

[International Debris]

The worst thing about the III mask is how shiny it is.

[Ben Saunders]

Yeah, Kryten always looks really sweaty in III. V and VI probably had the best masks, but VII, VIII and BtE are all good, too. Did they just forget how to make Kryten masks after BtE?

[Jawscvmcdia]

Ben, there was recently an interview with Doug about the Kryten masks:

“We do it in a different way now. They used to have to make a mould and put a load of gunge all over his face. And he’d have straws up his nose and have to keep his mouth closed. And he did get to the point, I think it was the last series, where he said he just had a fit. It was a bit like someone who suddenly becomes afraid of flying. You’ve been able to do this up to a certain point and then suddenly it becomes terrifying. And he said, is there any other way to do this? His face obviously changes from season to season. Because you might put on a little weight and so you have to do it again. So, this time we scanned it and of course he just sat there and the machine scanned his features and then the mask was made from that. It was a much much more comfortable way of making it for him. And it’s not made of rubber latex, it’s made of a kind of silicon now, which again is much cooler, and he says it’s far and away the best mask he’s ever had. Much easier to get on and off. He’s actually very happy.”

So it’s most likely that due to the change in production method, that it makes the mask look slightly different.

Doug Naylor Interview, Part 1: We Chat with the Red Dwarf Co-creator about Returning the Show to its Peak.

[Hamish]

So in short you are all heartless bastards.

[Ben Saunders]

Bah, Bobby’s a moany old git who should just suck it up and go through hell 30 times a series so that has mask looks a bit better. Clearly.

[Katydid]

Yeah, Kryten always looks really sweaty in III.

No shit, you stay cool in that makeup.

[McAleeCh]

Crap collection of ‘Kryten through the years’ pics.
https://bromley001.wordpress.com/2016/08/07/kryten-through-the-years/

Wow, seeing them all lined up in order shows just how much of an anomaly the Series X design is – if you cut it out from the line-up, I reckon you’d have no trouble convincing people the Series XI/XII design is the next step on from Back to Earth – it’s like they ignored all the changes Series X introduced (more neck, odd nose, shoulder hoops). Not that I’m complaining – although I wasn’t that fussed with the Series X design at the time, looking back I much prefer both the current version and Back to Earth’s…!

…Also, I don’t know where you got that photo of the Red Dwarf USA Kryten, but bloody hell, his costume looks so cheap and lightweight! No texture to it at all, and it looks so flimsy unlike the UK costumes of the time. That would definitely have needed sorting out had it gone to a full series.

[McAleeCh]

…Also, for anyone who hasn’t figured it out, here’s a direct link to the full-size version of the above image to allow easier comparison of the outfits:

https://bromley001.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/through-the-years2.jpg

[(deleted)]

Anyone spot the really annoying hairclip/band visible under the top of Kryten’s head throughout Skipper?

(Not a spoiler unless you’re on tenterhooks to find out about what’s next for Robert Llewellyn’s scalp)

[Pete Part Three]

It looks pony, Bobby.

[Author]

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