“Ooooooooooh dear”

[PhilPagett]

Sorry to take up valuable space, but isn’t Chris’s delivery of this line, in Out of Time, whilst looking at the future selves through that observation thingy, just the most exquisite delivery of any line you’ve ever heard in a comedy? In two words it sums up the Rimmer-Lister dynamic perfectly for me. Thoughts?

Topic

[Ian Symes]

I’d spell it “Ohhhhhhhhhhh dear” myself.

[John Hoare]

It is a beautiful moment.

[Jo]

I like it when they say ‘Smeg’.

[peas_and_corn]

It’s every second word, duh

[Anonymous]

Look there’s a Cat!

[Jo]

>It?s every second word, duh

Yeah! I like it when they say ‘smeg’

[JamesTC]

Watching Series I yesterday I think Craig saying the line “You keep your underpants on coat hangers” is perfect, never fails to make me laugh.

[Jonathan Capps]

Rimmer’s weary “Holly, what the smeg is going on?” in Backwards is one of my favourite deliveries of a line ever.

[Jo]

Rimmer?s weary ?Holly, what the smeg is going on?? in Backwards is one of my favourite deliveries of a line ever.

Haha! Smeg!

[Tarka Dal]

> Watching Series I yesterday I think Craig saying the line ?You keep your underpants on coat hangers? is perfect, never fails to make me laugh.

I just found myself agreeing with you :(

[ChrisM]

>Haha! Smeg!

Haha! You said it too.

I’m taking off my pirate hat now. Oo-arr me hearties. Cor, is that a mermaid? Look at those eggs….

[pfm]

Just going back to ‘ohhhhhh dear’ for a moment, yes it is bloody brilliant! It’s a line that stretches back across all six series’, a true character moment more like something out of 1 or 2. If Rimmer’s sheer glee in this moment doesn’t make you laugh every single time you watch it then you blatantly deserve to die. Well, not die, that’s not harsh enough…you blatantly deserve to be forced to watch BBC1 sitcoms from the last 5 years back-to-back from now until the day you die (which, I’m sure, will be the same day that you start watching them…)

Despite VI not being my favourite series, OoT does contain some excellent lines and moments (Lister ‘Ever day it’s the same old slog through deep space, there’s no variety. Take Christmas, what did we do Christmas Day?’ Kryten ‘Well, if you remember sir, on Christmas Day we were attack by that pan-dimensional liquid beast from the Mogadon Cluster.’ the way he says it is gold) though in that same scene there’s Cat’s line about Lister going on a ‘fridge-free diet’ which doesn’t even deserve a smile, let alone a laugh. People forget that VIII was almost already here with VI….

[Dave]

>People forget that VIII was almost already here with VI?

Half of the numerals are the same

[Tarka Dal]

> People forget that VIII was almost already here with VI?.

Harsh. Is that really truly? VI has never been my favourite series, but I’ve never considered this kind of comparison before. It’s far easier, albeit harsher to seperate everything Grant Naylor from everything Doug Naylor.

[Ben Paddon]

The only episode of VI that I didn’t like was Emohawk. The Kintawowi stuff is cracking but the rest of the episode just feels like Fan Service. Although in fairness, that might be because the rest of the episode is Fan Service.

[Ridley]

I’m partial to the sincerity behind “Not really… I need it to turn the lights on and off.”

[Seb Patrick]

Never mind single line, best PASSAGE of delivery in the entirety of Red Dwarf :

“You just haven’t met the right girl…”
“No, I haven’t, Lister. I haven’t met the right girl, and some just might say, that the fact that the human race no longer exists, COUPLED with the fact that I have PASSED ON, some just might say that I’m leaving it a little bit on the late side!”
“Well you made a decision, didn’t you? You chose your career over your personal life.”
“Yes, I did. I did, didn’t I? PEARLS of wisdom there from Mr Fried Egg Chilli Chutney SANDWICH FACE!”

[hummingbird]

What Seb said. Absolutely.

[Mr Flibble]

?Yes, I did. I did, didn?t I? PEARLS of wisdom there from Mr Fried Egg Chilli Chutney SANDWICH FACE!?

I particularly like this one.

I note that most of these are Rimmer.

[Phil]

WE’RE FINISHED!!!!

[Pheonix11]

> WE?RE FINISHED!!!!

I’m sure he’s channelling Tim from ‘Brittas’ in that scene

[Ben Paddon]

“In your own time.”

[Ben Paddon]

Also:

“Holly, the thought occurs that we haven’t actually reached Earth. The further thought occurs that we haven’t actually budged a smegging inch.”

[Mr Flibble]

This thread (and reading the 51 best episodes again yesterday) reminds me how great Thanks for the Memory is.

(Popcorn?)

[pfm]

> reminds me how great Thanks for the Memory is.

My favourite episode. Though I admit that it’s probably not the BEST overall Dwarf. Other class ones for me are Kryten, The Inquisitor, Gunmen, The Last Day, Justice, DJ, Queeg, Me2.

[Seb Patrick]

It barely needs repeating that it’s my favourite episode, but I will anyway.

For reasons too tedious to go into, I decided to put myself through watching “Only The Good” yesterday. Comparing Chris’ “drunk” performance in that with his “drunk” performance in TFTM… it doesn’t even seem like the same actor. In OTG it’s a predictable caricature. In TFTM it’s nuanced, believable, and absolutely perfect.

[Pete Part Three]

Stuff like that; I’m wondering whether a hysterical studio audience (as opposed to a mainly unsuspecting one in Series 2) make the actors exaggerate their performances.

[Phil]

I think it’s more down to the fact that the comedy of that scene in TFTM is entirely character based, demanding something very different from the actor than the gaggy physical (character-free) comedy required of the drunkenness in OTG.

In that one instance, at least. Overall you may certainly have a point. It’s like the up-and-coming young rockers that the Stones and The Who were at one point. They played their best stuff then because they still had things to prove and new fans to win over. Once you hit a certain point, though, you’ve got the chance to coast on “greatest hits” material, and the performance can get lazy.

[Seb Patrick]

Stuff like that; I?m wondering whether a hysterical studio audience (as opposed to a mainly unsuspecting one in Series 2) make the actors exaggerate their performances.

Quite possibly. The hysteria during the “period” scene is ludicrous. Yes, the banner is quite funny. But the reaction to the tampon is as if they’d never seen one on TV before. Or, to be more precise, as if they hadn’t seen the exact same joke done much better on The Young Ones a couple of decades earlier.

[Seb Patrick]

(incidentally, if anything, I reckon Craig is actually better than Chris in the “cell inspection” scene)

[Pete Part Three]

I guess that’s part of the reason for the negative view of sitcoms with studio audiences. If the audience is whooping at feeble jokes (as they seem to be on most BBC1 sitcoms these days), it only annoys you more.

[ChrisM]

>But the reaction to the tampon is as if they?d never seen one on TV before.

It’s not just the tampon. It’s the tampon wrapped in a ribbon. And the sheer inappropriateness added to inappropriateness (the banner) which is hilarious. “Would you like to try it on for size?” Dear me.

I can’t really compare it with the young ones as I don’t think I’ve seen that scene. I was never really into The Young Ones. I thought it was awful as a kid, but I saw a couple of repeats as an adult and found it more funny. (I found my tastes changing quite a bit as I’ve gotten older.)

[Pete Part Three]

You’re right, Chris. That is hilarious.

I’m kidding as I’m fully aware of how subjective comedy is but I have a clear memory of watching that scene the first time it went out and being dumbfounded by the audience reaction.

I’m not sure whether this is any funnier than me and mates running up to schoolgirls and asking them whether they were “on the blob today”.

I was 28 at the time…

[ChrisM]

I?m kidding as I?m fully aware of how subjective comedy is but I have a clear memory of watching that scene the first time it went out and being dumbfounded by the audience reaction.

Fair enough. I imagine the extreme reaction was mainly the women though right? As in oh… no… they …just… didn’t…

[locusceruleus]

>(incidentally, if anything, I reckon Craig is actually better than Chris in the ?cell inspection? scene)

The ceiling grate is better than Chris in the “cell inspection” scene.

>It?s not just the tampon. It?s the tampon wrapped in a ribbon. And the sheer inappropriateness added to inappropriateness (the banner) which is hilarious. ?Would you like to try it on for size?? Dear me.

That was just embarrassing, and not in the way they intended.

>I?m not sure whether this is any funnier than me and mates running up to schoolgirls and asking them whether they were ?on the blob today?.

That about sums it up.

[ChrisM]

I’d argue that context is everything really. The embarrassment factor was certainly a big part of what I found funny in the scene but I wouldn’t equate it as quite the same as guys chasing girls around saying embarrassing comments to girls though. The first is pure misunderstanding on Kryten’s part. He meant well and fell miserably. The latter, is just kids being nasty to girls for the sake of it.*

I suppose Lister’s role in the scenario is somewhat like those boys… except his joke again is primarily on Kryten and his gullibility (having deleted all those files on female stuff, in series 7) rather than Krissie (although she of course ended up affected and joined Kryten in his revenge.)

That’s ok though, different views, swings and roundabouts and all that.

*That’s not a judgment on those of you who did that as kids. Many of us have done things we’re not proud of as kids.

[Ian Symes]

I imagine the extreme reaction was mainly the women though right? As in oh? no? they ?just? didn?t?

That’s what women say.

[ChrisM]

Well, ok no literally.

A lot of women like humor concerning ‘body functions’ though. (Don’t believe all that prudishness. They’re all a bunch of mucky mares really. (Not really.) )

Point is, I think they were the ones who reacted most strongly in that scene. Granted, a lot of that was probably shock.

[hummingbird]

> I imagine the extreme reaction was mainly the women though right?

Well, I didn’t find it hysterically funny.
Kryten’s total misunderstanding is great, but the rest is just a little too adolescent.
It’s on a level with the basketball game … yes, we all enjoy a willie joke from time to time, but that was just feeble.
Doug is capable of so much better – cleverer – gags.

Compare and contrast the period scene with, say, Aunt Irma.
Now, *that* is funny.

[ChrisM]

>It?s on a level with the basketball game ? yes, we all enjoy a willie joke from time to time, but that was just feeble.

Damn, you guys keep picking my best bits…

Heh, ok, I wouldn’t go that far. I like a mixture of humor I guess puerile and otherwise.

The Mexican wave was brilliant though.

[Mr Flibble]

Ooh, a Series VIII fan. We should have him stuffed.

(I forget which show that is. Black Books?)

[Pete Part Three]

Fawlty Towers, isn’t it?

“A satisfied customer. We should have him stuffed”

[Mr Flibble]

Yes, it is. Duh. A show severely marred by the poor editing of “The Germans”.

[ChrisM]

>Ooh, a Series VIII fan. We should have him stuffed.

Promises, promises.

It is probably my least favourite series actually. I just found much to like too.

[locusceruleus]

I was thinking the other day that it could have made a lot of difference having Hattie as Holly in series 8, particularly to see what the dynamic would have been between ‘her’ and Kochanski…

[Ridley]

I was thinking the other day that it could have made a lot of difference having Hattie as Holly in series 8, particularly to see what the dynamic would have been between ?her? and Kochanski?

If it was simply Lovett’s role, I’d see her Holly having less to do.

[pfm]

> They?re all a bunch of mucky mares really

This. Yes, this.

[Anonymous]

“It is probably my least favourite series actually. I just found much to like too.” – Chris

This works for me. I thought the tampon joke was excellent for the reasons Chris has already stated. Also in VIII when the Bug is crashing and loses the mid-section and galley, Krytens,”I’m sorry everyone, but we may have to have sandwiches for lunch!” is very funny.

If one word can encapsulate the early Lister/Rimmer dynamic for me it would be Rimmer’s heartfelt, “BASTARD!” during the Quagaars argument.

[locusceruleus]

I’d put Rimmer’s enraged and incredulous ‘Alphabetti Spaghetti?!’ up there with ‘Oooooooooooooooh dear’ too.

[Tarka Dal]

Regarding whooping audiences one thing to remember is that stuff just seems funnier if there’s a whole bunch of people laughing with you. It’s like going to a football match or a concert, the more people the ‘bigger’ everything feels.

Heck a lot of the laughter in Only the Good myself and my mates are part responsible for. Did I ever mention you can pick me out in the drinking scene ;-)
I watch it back now and think the audience reaction is completely over the top. There’s so much audience applause in VIII it’s untrue.

One other factor is that a lot of the Series VIII audience was just like myself, very determined Dwarfers who had tried for a long-time to get those tickets. It was an audience particularly attuned for Dwarf.

Re: The TFTM / OTG comparison. Dare I say it, but has Chris just lost it a bit as a comedy actor? 10-15 years ago I’d have argued that Chris Barrie was every bit as good at delivering a line, or adding ‘X-factor’ to a gag through a careful nuance of facial expression than say Rowan Atkinson. I’m not so sure anymore. Then again I watched Back in Business so perhaps I’m a little bit bias at the moment.

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