Mundane observation dome

[Warbodog]

Do you have any miscellaneous insights on the series that may be worth contemplating for a few seconds before moving on with our lives? Here are some of mine.

1. The four regulars have names that can work any way around, though this would have been more obvious if David Ross had stayed and wouldn’t work if Chris Barrie used his real name.

2. The series’ lax attitude to continuity extends to the setting. Outside of Holly’s distress calls, I don’t think three million years is mentioned all that much after series I and before VI (not sure about later years). Instead, we get the extremely fudged “dead for centuries” and “travelling for thousands of years” – not actual retcons, but suggesting a more conventional setting for casual viewers tuning in and the sort of stories they’re telling. It’s only millions when they need it to be.

3. 200 years of stasis between series V and VI means that the earlier series took place in their equivalent of the early 19th century by comparison (e.g. Blackadder the Third). Since they didn’t run into a long-lived Camille or one of her great-great-etc grandchildren, it didn’t come up.

4. Although Lister is routinely slagged off in the series, he’s spared the level of seemingly authoritative character assassination that Rimmer gets, because the audience is aligned with Lister’s viewpoint most of the time. For example, we see Kochanski Camille belittling Rimmer’s interests, but we don’t get the equivalent of Hologram Camille reacting to Lister’s pickup lines, we’re left to form our own opinions on those. This flimsy point has not been considered much beyond this single example.

5. Cat’s costumes are overwhelmingly referenced more than anyone else’s in the series, but the least discussed by fans.

6. Ace Rimmer and Duane Dibbley were so seemingly ubiquitous in canon and tie-in merchandise through the 90s (Smegazine strips, T-shirts) that they still feel overused today, even though it’s been over 20 years since they appeared. Maybe they’re allowed back after all.

7. Only series III & V and maybe XI & XII (not as familiar with those) don’t have any sense of an arc whatsoever (though IV’s minor Kryten disobedience arc was already fucked up by episode shuffling). Series III is just about the only series where no episode directly references any previous episode, but it still has the Backwards scrolling text and general references to Rimmer having died and stuff.

8. One of the series’ most famous and quoted scenes – everybody’s dead, Dave – is a straight-up 2001: A Space Odyssey homage and would have been received that way at the time, but doesn’t work like that for most people coming to the episode later on or new viewers who are young or don’t watch old films.

9. Sometimes dismissed as lightweight and gimmicky today, Backwards was designed as an innovative interactive experience to reward extracurricular effort. As well as inviting fans to work out the backwards events and filming logistics, Arthur Smith’s eugolonom is teasingly long and “you scoundrels” is clearly a cleaned-up translation gag even before you’ve heard it. Unfortunately, by the time technology caught up with the intent and the ability to reverse media files properly on home computers became commonplace, Backwards Forwards came out and everyone just cheated with the walkthrough.

Imagine the quality of the musings I left out!

Topic

[Nick R]

[Dave]

TOWEDD

[Technopeasant]

This reminded me of a dreadful moment when we thought there was a possibility they were actually doing this. 

You’d take that over the current dry spell. Go on, admit it.

[Hamish]

Written by Rob Grant, and consisting of all the Dibley’s being creatively tortured.

[Jenuall]

I’m sure this has been discussed before but I spent all of 60 seconds looking and couldn’t find a relevant thread so apologies if this is bland repetition, but I was just watching Kryten via the iPlayer and still can’t get over how utterly shite this episode synopsis is:

“Things are fine”? Everybody’s dead The BBC!

[Dave]

I would suspect that synopsis is written to be non-spoilery and preserve the surprise that the crew of the Nova 5 are dead.

Edit: I checked and it’s the same synopsis used in the Radio Times the week the episode first aired.

[Jenuall]

I get not wanting to spoil anything, but you can be non-spoilery in a way that is also not just y’know – wrong!

[Ben Saunders]

From Kryten’s perspective, the synopsis is accurate. 

[Rushy]

I feel like the radiation leak and Nova 5 compete for the title of ‘Red Dwarf event with the most callbacks’

[Warbodog]

I feel like the radiation leak and Nova 5 compete for the title of ‘Red Dwarf event with the most callbacks’

Another contender:

[Dave]

From Kryten’s perspective, the synopsis is accurate. 

[Flap Jack]

Suspended animation? It was deep sleep, you silly old TV listings writers!

Also, you know, the order of events is wrong.

[International Debris]

These are the voyages of the Starship Red Dwarf.

[International Debris]

I get not wanting to spoil anything, but you can be non-spoilery in a way that is also not just y’know – wrong!

I quite like that it’s trying to add to the wrong-footing that leads to the reveal, tbh. There’s an article on here somewhere, I’m sure, but it’s not the only time the Radio Times descriptions were playful, and I really like that.

[Ian Symes]

There’s an article on here somewhere, I’m sure, but it’s not the only time the Radio Times descriptions were playful, and I really like that.

I don’t think we’ve done such an article, but I’ve had a quick flick through Genome and there’s several interesting things from just a cursory glance, so I’ve added it to the list.

[Flap Jack]

It was also a recurring segment on Better Than Life (the podcast), where they’d make fun of the iPlayer synopsis for the episode they were covering. But they gave up on it after a while.

[Ben Saunders]

There was a thread about it, or something. I remember. I remember….

[Rushy]

Another contender

What’s funny is that in Timeslides, Lister is clearly aware that his band was crap. But in every subsequent mention, he treats the Om Song with reverence. 

[Ben Saunders]

I would be the same if I saw my band from when I was 14 or whatever, we were shit but we believed in ourselves and the songs still have a place in my heart despite not being very good.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Having played in a lot of bands, good and band, I can recognise the ones that weren’t great (mostly due to age and experience) but I can also hear songs from those bands that half decent and fun. Might still be a bit shit but there’s something in them that’s a joy and there’s a nostalgic and emotional attachment to them. 

Also, there’s a lot of music that is just a bit shit, but people love it. 

[Technopeasant]

And Lister was going through a depressive spell at the time. What is more puzzling is how Rimmer’s opinion also does a 180, even if it’s mostly to counter Lister at any given moment.

[Warbodog]

Are you suggesting that Rimmer genuinely loved the Om song and was giving young Lister sincere praise?

[Dave]

Yeah, in the pub Rimmer is just trying to stop Lister’s plan from working by praising Smeg And The Heads.

Although I did miss that the first time I watched it and thought the gag was Rimmer liking crap music.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

[Rushy]

Doug Walker is a Red Dwarf fan, so in theory, we could one day see a Nostalgia Critic review about this show. 

[Technopeasant]

Even though in 2025 he’s less relevant than Red Dwarf is?

[Rushy]

Has he ever been more relevant?

[Moonlight]

To Boldly Flee is the best episode of Red Dwarf.

[Technopeasant]

Well, before the mass exodus of channels and the accusations of mismanagement and harassment maybe…

[Rushy]

Well, before the mass exodus of channels and the accusations of mismanagement and harassment maybe…

Doug himself was largely blameless. Not only was he never the CEO or even a manager (the company is entirely run by his brother and another person), but many of the accusations were proven to be exaggerations or simply false. 

[Asclepius]

“Every time I revisit the commentaries on the Bodysnatcher DVD, I’m left asking what smegging bee does Rob have in his bonnet. He seems to get along great with Doug, why not just chill and write something? 

Obviously I don’t know the guy and I’m not saying he has any obligation to write more, but it just seems a bit surreal to me that they still have this natural camaraderie and love for their past work, and seem to have no issue writing new material for Bodysnatcher.

But somehow, a new script is completely out of the question. That just doesn’t compute with my brain lol. 

I think Doug’s even said that he has no idea why Rob won’t work with him. Is Doug really that difficult that Rob cannot bear the thought of doing more than a few scenes with him? “

I think I broke the quote/reply button. So I’ve improvised.

Could be like Harrison with McCartney? Love hanging out, having a meal together, jamming on ukuleles, but wouldn’t go near a recording studio with him or anything in a professional capacity whatsoever.

[Ian Symes]

I think they’re exactly like that, exact for the bit about loving to hang out, have a meal together or jam on ukuleles. 

[Dave]

I think they’re exactly like that, exact for the bit about loving to hang out, have a meal together or jam on ukuleles. 

Also, based on the commentaries clearly Rob would be willing to go into a recording studio with Doug.

[Asclepius]

I think they’re exactly like that, exact for the bit about loving to hang out, have a meal together or jam on ukuleles. 

I have very little way of responding to this valid and fairly epic burn. I’ve even searched for an insult, but instead I’m going with:

[Jenuall]

Just point out the typo in the burn, undercuts it wonderfully 😉

[Asclepius]

Just point out the typo in the burn, undercuts it wonderfully

Ha! If only I read things properly rather than scan-reading everything…!

[Rushy]

Why is the Cat older than Rodon? 

Someone mentioned that it’s referencing the stasis pods, but if that was the case, wouldn’t the Cat be even younger? Why not cast an old man and make fun of how much younger Danny John-Jules is? 

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Relativity

Rodon has spent more time travelling at the speed of light than Cat, and is therefore younger than him 

[Flap Jack]

The Cat isn’t older than Rodon.

[Rushy]

What is Robert trying to do with that Data Doctor performance?

[Warbodog]

[Moonlight]

They look so young in Back to Earth which is funny considering I remember it being striking how much older they looked at the time.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

[Dave]

They look so young in Back to Earth which is funny considering I remember it being striking how much older they looked at the time.

Yeah, weirdly for me it’s the last time they looked like their ‘young’ selves. Even though X wasn’t that long after, it felt like they were allowed to look their age in that, whereas in BTE I think they consciously tried to make them look younger.

[Jenuall]

Yeah I often think that as well – BtE catches them just at the last point where they still just about hold on to their younger features before they really start to look older from X onwards 

[Moonlight]

I remember pointing this out in the server a while back and everyone got really quiet, left the room, and I heard the sounds of faint sobbing.

[Ben Saunders]

the bell tolls

ancient non-Smega Drive image, i just like that it’s in black and white. it conveys the pain more

[Rushy]

In Entangled, the fact that Lister’s oxygen tube is just flapping about unattached when he’s supposed to be in space bothers me so much

[Asclepius]

In Entangled, the fact that Lister’s oxygen tube is just flapping about unattached when he’s supposed to be in space bothers me so much

Confidence made him do it.

[Jenuall]

That’s his hoover attachment

[Author]

Replies