Shittest Props?

[Jenuall]

Now the show has always done really well in terms of punching above its weight in terms of getting the most out of the budget (after all they did have very little to go on, as confirmed to us by Doug “no money” Naylor on multiple occasions) and as such there are numerous examples of really impressive and creative props and gadgets on the show. 

But this isn’t a thread for those, this is you opportunity to highlight the things where the limits were pushed too hard, where the budget straining could be seen on screen, or which you think were just plain shit!

I start with a couple that triggered the creation of this thread for me. First up – the TIV headsets from Better Than Life:

Clearly just some 1980s bicycle helmets with some LEDs and wires/antennae shoved on top!

Also loses points for almost certainly just being the same helmet that Rimmer is wearing in Parallel Universe – props team probably got a bulk discount!

And keeping the theme with headsets/helmets – the absolute state of the brain scanner thing that Lister uses in Thanks for the Memory:

Got their money’s worth out of those LEDs didn’t they! This time seemingly strapped to more of a BMX style helmet, maybe someone had a contact at a bike supplies store?

I’ve got a bunch more examples I could share but thought I’d throw it open to others to post their views on Red Dwarf’s Shittest Props!

Topic

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

What was humanities obsession with furry or inflatable dice in the 80s?

[Dave]

What was humanities obsession with furry or inflatable dice in the 80s?

Weirdly even in the ’80s it was actually a deliberately kitsch retro throwback to the 1950s when they were first sold as car ornaments. Supposedly it has its origins in something that WWII pilots used to do for good luck.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Ah that makes some sense.

[Nick R]

The licence plate said “FRESH” and it had dice in the mirror.

[Dave]

The licence plate said “FRESH” and it had dice in the mirror.

The song that taught me that “mirror” only had one syllable.

[Technopeasant]

[Ben Saunders]

The song that taught me that “mirror” only had one syllable.

There’s also “show me the bedroom floor/show me the bathroom meer” from Feeling This by Blink 182

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

What do you expect from a nation that pronounces squirrel ‘sqirl’

[Warbodog]

It was Murder Most Horrid for me.

Now let’s all have a glass of ornj drink.

[JEMesis]

I had a look at the other ornamental dice to see if they’re as ropey as those ones, and it looks like they used that same pair in BTL. 

The ones in Parallel Universe, however, look quite a bit better, and possibly inflatable rather than furry, which makes sense as they’re in place of the banana. 

Are there any I’ve forgotten?

There’s dice in Carbug.

[Ian Symes]

I distinctly remember Caprice (of Celebrities Disfigured fame) presenting The Big Breakfast, and being mocked during every newspaper roundup for her pronunciation of the Daily Meeer.

[Author]

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