The New Series Blurb: Discuss.

[si]

Okay, so I know it’s mentioned on the G&T main page, but it’s followed by *lots* of comments about our attempts to get tickets yesterday.

So, that there New Series Blurb. It’s quite interesting, really, isn’t it?

Red Dwarf returns for its first full series since 1999. Lister, Rimmer, Cat and Kryten face six exciting new adventures from the pen of Doug Naylor. The classic crew, the classic ship… with a brand new vision. The universe will never be the same…

It’s this “brand new vision” that intrigues me. What’s it mean? Maybe this is gonna be ‘Red Dwarf – the missing years’? Everybody back on Red Dwarf, no questions asked, just telling good, funny stories, a la, say, Series IV or V? I don’t know. Let’s face it, I’m going to lap it up, whatever happens. I’ve been watching series VII this week, and even that’s got some great moments, you know (not as many as earlier years, maybe, but still…).

Anyway: any thoughts?

Topic

[ori-STUDFARM]

Maybe we’re headed into the same Red Dwarf universe Doug presented us with in The Last Human.

For a long while I hoped the TV series would have the remaining RD crew discovering a populated area of the universe. An area populated by GELF’s and evolved lifeforms of other Earthly creatures. It seemed like a really good idea to me at the time. Now, I’m not so sure. I’d love to see this kind of thing realised on a big screen production. But on a TV budget….I’m not so sure.

[Carlito]

I’m assuming there will be no Holly this time round then?

[si]

If there is, I think it’s fairly safe to assume it won’t be Norm.

[ori-STUDFARM]

Unless she turns up as a surprise twist guest appearance at the end of the final episode.

[JamesTC]

I believe Hattie is doing a tour through January so she probably won’t be in it, sadly.

Wouldn’t mind if it was just the four main gang. If the four main gang are looking for Kochanski then it opens up a Series VI style dynamic of them going through space with a side plot every episode but the main quest being to find something (Red Dwarf in VI, Kochanski in X).

[pfm]

Taking VI as the basic starting-point for X wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. Not that it’s my favourite series by a long shot but it’s got a good balance of gags, action, effects and an overall sense of purpose.

I’m sure Doug will have them on an over-arching mission of some kind. Whether it’s finding Kochanski or something else.

The words ‘brand new vision’ are intriguing to say the least. While this could always just be stating the obvious that we’re getting brand new episodes, I wouldn’t put it past Doug to somehow get this baby shot in 3D… Whether that’s possible in front of an audience…don’t know. He could have nicked a couple of Peter Jackson’s Red Epic 3D setups! (they look huge)

[Paul Muller]

I’m hoping they can retain the cinematic quality of Back to Earth in the switch over to live audience.

Whatever you think about the BTE writing/storylines etc, the final result, shot with the RED cameras looked fantastic.

More please.

Also hoping to see some of the VFX wizardry of Mike Seymour in the new series, that guy is a genius.

[Danny Stephenson]

Ths video surfaced on twitter through Mike the other day. Bloody good it is too!: http://vimeo.com/31708121

[Ridley]

Six standalone stories then?

[Pete Part Three]

We can dream.

[Tarka Dal]

I expect ‘brand new vision’ to be little more than hype. That we’re back to the core cast, the classic location and 30 minute episodes filmed before a studio audience speaks volumes about the desire to satisfy the audience.

That said, six episodes, six stories. Won’t that be nice? A repeat of the Pete Part 2 incident and we might wonder why they bothered.

[Kris Carter]

Oh god yeah. Considering in the last 9 episodes of Red Dwarf we’ve seen precisely two completely stand-alone episodes (Cassandra and Krytie TV), I’d be delighted to see six, stand-alone, funny episodes. I’m long past caring about having cliffhangers resolved and story gaps filled in. I just want the core cast, telling funny, individual stories.

[si]

Well, Series X is supposed to be set before Back To Earth. Whether that bears any relevance to anything, I don’t know, but I just thought I’d mention it.

[JamesTC]

>Well, Series X is supposed to be set before Back To Earth. Whether that bears any relevance to anything, I don’t know, but I just thought I’d mention it.

In a hallucinated world within the Red Dwarf universe Series X comes before BTE.

[ori-STUDFARM]

When did we hear that it was set before BtE?

I thought the whole point of BtE was to reintroduce the characters and a direction for the show 10 years after Season 8. Basically set up the search for Kochanski. Just like we had the quest of returning to Earth and setting up the Fiji farm or the search to find Red Dwarf…

[Pete Part Three]

>Well, Series X is supposed to be set before Back To Earth.

You what?

[Danny Stephenson]

i think Si is referring to the in-show plot of BTE that Lister reads off the blurb on the back of the DVD in the store.

Red Dwarf is one of these shows that has never been one to be careful about mucking around with their own continuity. that said, I see Back to Earth to be a messed up, confusing version of events, including the series stuff, so I doubt Doug will try and make this new series fit before Back To Earth. it’s too limiting, better to have it afte BTE and to hell with the numbering system.

[Tarka Dal]

It’s very, very simple. Back to Earth WAS series Nine. It just happened to have three parts instead of six (or eight).

This is the tenth production. It’s series Ten.

Which has just reminded me of a conversation with my mate Charlie when we were both aged about ten, where he (in hindsight) completely bullshiting me said “They’ve said they’ll make ten and then call it a day”. Amazing to think 20 and a bit years later we’ll be there.

In some unfathomable way my favourite show has now become a cross between Doctor Who and Last of the Summer Wine. I feel a blog coming on.

[Stabbim the Skutter]

>Well, Series X is supposed to be set before Back To Earth.

By that logic, we’re in for an awesome series, best series by miles.

[Author]

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