The Kochanski Effect

[Phil]

Red Dwarf in The Onion…specifically in an AV Club article about “The Darrin Effect,” which refers to a recast within a television show or series of films. the two Kochanskis rank #8.

Kristine Kochanski, the love interest in the British cult science-fiction comedy Red Dwarf, underwent a curious arc, with a downgrade in personnel attending an upgrade in character. Originally portrayed by charming Scot Clare Grogan, Kochanski had been written as little more than a lust object for Lister. A few years into the show, however, the writers decided it was a tad unseemly for their hero to essentially engage in holographically aided masturbation fantasies with a woman who’d been dead for millennia, and decided to retcon Kochanski’s character so that she’d once been Lister’s actual girlfriend. This led to a welcome expansion of her personality and an improvement in her screen time (eventually, an alternate-universe version of Kochanski joined the Red Dwarf’s crew), but unfortunately, she was replaced by Chloë Annett, an inferior actress whose supermodel looks didn’t mesh well with the Everyman-ish Lister.

Go ahead, kids…rip into it.

The full list: http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/the_darrin_effect_20_jarring

Topic

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

“inferior actress”.

Wait, “inferior actress”?

Clare Grogan’s Kochanski got a whole lot less screen time in the series, and–not to impugn her acting talent–the character of Kochanski wasn’t actually meant to do a whole lot at the time except be Lister’s lovelorn fantasy/goal, so it wasn’t necessarily a particularly taxing role. Furthermore, the writing for her character was solidly consistent, because Grant and Naylor were the only writers for the show. How the writer of this piece can compare that to Chloe Annett’s Kochanski, who was required to become a full character and engage with the others and grow a backstory (while the actress coped with some fairly inconsistent writing and difficuly in establishing just what character she should be, particularly in VII) is quite beyond me.

Also, “supermodel looks”? Maybe it’s just because of my having a vagina and all, but I thought that in terms of Kochanski’s “looks”, the recast was more of a lateral move.

I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why, but the whole remark–“inferior actress with supermodel looks” felt rather unfair. Maybe it’s a snide insinuation that Annett was a bimbo? I never got that impression from her in interviews.

[Pete Part Three]

The fact that I have little time for the character is preventing me from getting too annoyed about this. I’m surprised with the comment though as it’s the character that’s dodgy; not the acting.

As Arlene mentions, the fact that the character of 7 and 8 was so bizarrely inconsistent, Chloe clearly had her work cut out. I don’t ever find her particularly bad though and there’s nothing in Red Dwarf to suggest she’s an inferior actress compared to Grogan.

[pfm]

Doug would be the first to admit that he didn’t write Kochanski very well, especially in VII. In VIII it didn’t matter if her character was crap because there was no material where it needed to be anything else. Everyone was just along for the ride in VIII. I was hoping in the Movie that she would be more like the book version.

Regarding the casting of Chloe. I would have preferred it if they’d actually cast someone good at comedy.

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

For what it’s worth, I didn’t mean to come out sounding full of Rigtheous Nerd Raeg ™ ; I was more confused by this piece than anything else. It’s just that comparing the two incarnations of the character and the demands each placed on the actresses portraying them is–well, beyond apples and oranges, really.

[Seb Patrick]

It?s just that comparing the two incarnations of the character and the demands each placed on the actresses portraying them is?well, beyond apples and oranges, really.

This.

But, that said, I do think Chloe is a better actress than Clare. As evidence, I present the following two lines of dialogue :

“That doesn’t excuse my other four senses!”

and

“Don’t worry about us, GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!”

Oh, and lest we forget… IS THAT MEAT?!?!?!?!?!?

[Seb Patrick]

Incidentally, it’s otherwise not that bad an article. Although I’d like it if they’d pointed out with the Billy Dee Williams/Tommy Lee Jones thing that Williams only took the role in the first film because he was promised (contractually, and everything) the opportunity to play Two-Face in a later film, and subsequently got absolutely shafted.

[John Hoare]

Oh, and lest we forget? IS THAT MEAT?!?!?!?!?!?

Blah blah blah it’s in character blah blah blah wait until I get to my Ted reviews blah blah blah.

I think *every* incarnation of Kochanski has been crap. It’s just there’s a hell of a lot more riding on it in VII than anywhere else.

[Dave]

>?Don?t worry about us, GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!?

?Don?t worry about us, GET OUT THAE BAELT WHILE YOU CAN!?

[Phil]

I have nothing against Grogan, but it does puzzle me that anyone would consider her a superior actress to Chloe. Arlene rightly points out that both actresses were operating under completely different obligations to the greater show, so the comparison IS irrelevant. But I have trouble with how easily they dismiss Chloe. I’ve never thought of her as a bad actress in the slightest. In fact, I quite like her. She’s a talented girl. She deserves a better appraisal than she got from that article.

>Williams only took the role in the first film because he was promised (contractually, and everything) the opportunity to play Two-Face in a later film, and subsequently got absolutely shafted.

I’ve heard that they dumped him because they didn’t want to have to rename the character Blackface.

[Seb Patrick]

>I?ve heard that they dumped him because they didn?t want to have to rename the character Blackface.

Alright, Colin.

[Turk Thrust]

> I have nothing against Grogan, but it does puzzle me that anyone would consider her a superior actress to Chloe.

To be fair, Clare does have a much more impressive CV imo. In the show though I agree it’s because she had less to do and she appeared in better series that her version of the character is generally more popular.

> Doug would be the first to admit that he didn?t write Kochanski very well, especially in VII.

But Doug has also said that Chloe played the character much more uptight and unlikeable than was written which is hardly a ringing endorsement.

> But, that said, I do think Chloe is a better actress than Clare. As evidence, I present the following two lines of dialogue :
?That doesn?t excuse my other four senses!?
and
?Don?t worry about us, GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!?

The line, “We’re not friends any more.” immediately springs to mind.

[Pete Part Three]

>But Doug has also said that Chloe played the character much more uptight and unlikeable than was written which is hardly a ringing endorsement.

There didn’t seem to be anything else to her character though. Say what you want about her performance in VII, but it’s more interesting than the bland non-entity in VIII.

[Zombie Jim Undead]

> Say what you want about her performance in VII, but it?s more interesting than the bland non-entity in VIII.

Dunno about more interesting but it’s certainly more irritating.

[peas_and_corn]

Are you guys aware that The Onion is a satirical, joke newspaper?

[John Hoare]

The A.V. Club section is non-satirical, though, which is where this article comes from.

[Phil]

I’m hoping that peas_and_corn just made a satirical, joke post.

[pfm]

> but it?s more interesting than the bland non-entity in VIII

You mean Cat here, right?

[ChrisM]

Actually Cat had a little bit more to do in series 8. Going into nursy mode so he could see Lister in hospital. And the famous Archie moment… And the dance thing. Extremely cheesy, and not many fans’ cups of tea, but he was certainly doing something. With his legs anyway.

I’m not sure his quick willingness to don shameful outfits (nurse costume, and the Dwayne Dibbley stuff) was entirely in character mind you.

[Jonathan Capps]

I don’t think a single thing anyone did in VIII was driven by their original characters. It’s all a big mess.

[ChrisM]

>I don?t think a single thing anyone did in VIII was driven by their original >characters. It?s all a big mess.

I dunno. I thought Cassandra was a good story that held up well compared to other series. And the characters seemed pretty well on form.

And the whole Rimmer/Lister relationship (for want of a better word) was back, much like it was in the early series. Particularly in Back in the Red anyway.

[Jonathan Capps]

> And the whole Rimmer/Lister relationship (for want of a better word) was back, much like it was in the early series. Particularly in Back in the Red anyway.

The only thing about the original relationship that was back was the vague setting. They may have been on bunk beds, but the characters were hugely distorted.

[Phil]

A followup article about less jarring recasts.

http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/what_about_seinfelds_dad_11/

It’s exactly as satirical and jokey as the first installment.

[pfm]

The original list contains the all-time ultimate recast – Aunt Viv in Fresh Prince!! It was even referred to in one of the opening episodes of a later season, I think Will says to her ‘you’re playing the Mom this year?’ or something. Like it says on the list, she was hardly ever in it once it changed to the new actress.

Something more current, obviously, is Rachel Dawes mysteriously changing from that bint out of Dawson’s Creek (who was IMO unfairly ripped for her performance in Batman Begins) to Donnie Darko’s sister who likes who likes doing nude scenes – but not here, sadly (or not). Maggie did a great job anyway, but I would definitely have preferred Katie Holmes back if only for continuity. The change isn’t THAT jarring because they’re similar, but I bought her connection with Harvey Dent much more because both of them were new. Her scenes with Bruce didn’t resonate as much as they would have done with Holmes still there. Incidentally, she CHOSE not to do TDK as opposed to what everyone assumes, that Nolan didn’t want her back.

[ChrisM]

I didn’t think Katie Holmes performance was bad in Batman Begins either, but I did find the character irritating. I.e. it was more of a script thing. She just came across as a right self righteous little mare. To be fair she was doing it to poke Bruce into bettering himself (not realizing his playboy image was an act) but even so.

The character. Not Katie. No doubt much of peoples dislike of her is because of her connection to her husband and so willingly accepting Scientology, but I do think people are unnecessarily cruel in their criticism of her. (I confess I sniggered at her robot portrayal on a comedy sketch show a while back. I forget the name, but it was ripping the, er, mick out of Tom Cruise. They portrayed Penelope Cruz as a Mexican too. )

[TheLeen]

Well, I never liked Katie Holmes, even before she got together with Tom Cruise, so meh.

(Although Pieces of April is a good film.)

[Nakrophile]

> The original list contains the all-time ultimate recast – Aunt Viv in Fresh Prince!! It was even referred to in one of the opening episodes of a later season, I think Will says to her ?you?re playing the Mom this year?? or something. Like it says on the list, she was hardly ever in it once it changed to the new actress.

It was Jazz who said something like “you look a little different, Vivian,” in the first episode of series four. Cue lots of that really irritating obese black lady laugher really loudly.

Janet Hubert-Whitten, the first one, was loads awesome, although Daphne Maxwell Reid (the second one) did kind of grow into the character after a while, even if she was clearly not as good and not in it as much.

I’m still waiting for series five and six to come out for fucks sake. Hurry up!!!!!11

[Nakrophile]

Oh yeah, and based on Dwarf, Chloe is a better actress, but that’s hardly fair. Or interesting.

[Author]

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