Which lines imitate the actors?

[Dave]

From interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff over the years, we’ve heard regularly that a lot of the actors’ own personality tics and phrases got incorporated into the show.

From memory, I know that Rimmer’s line calling for a little professionalism in Legion was one of them, as well as Kryten saying “I’ve got it, don’t tell me, I’ve got it” in The Inquisitor.

What are the others?

[Seb Patrick]

“I’ve got to get back to the Priory.”

[NoFro]

Not so much lines but I think Lister suffocating(?) and smearing his face against the glass in Waiting for God has been mentioned as something CC used to do in rehearsals that they wrote into an episode. Cat juggling and roller skating was Rob & Doug taking some of Danny’s stage skills and incorporating them into the show.

[Warbodog]

Spare Head Three was based on Robert mucking about with a “Hovis accent” between takes.

The times Rimmer lapses into impressions.

I can only see Craig Charles when Lister’s doing a stand-up bit about wine.

Chris and Craig’s personality clash led to the more ensemble approach and mixed pairings from series III.

Kryten wearing armbands in Terrorform because Robert couldn’t swim… unless it was just a silly visual joke and those really wouldn’t have helped when he was wearing that suit and mask.

Did Craig’s insistence on doing his own stunts mean they incorporated more of those?

[Warbodog]

Lister kissing the Psiren slathered in KY jelly after Craig asked for snogging.

[clem]

“Bentley convertible, V8 turbo. Walnut veneer panelling. Marvellous machine.” Also the classic car magazine in BTE.

[clem]

Obviously that should say “Bentley V8 convertible. Walnut burr panelling. Marvellous machine.” That’ll teach me for copy and pasting.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Does anyone really buy the idea that Rimmer has a fascination with old cars? Considering his character it meant to be into really boring and dull stuff like telegraph poles and Hammond organ music etc

[GlenTokyo]

>Does anyone really buy the idea that Rimmer has a fascination with old cars? Considering his character it meant to be into really boring and dull stuff like telegraph poles and Hammond organ music etc

Would you say horse drawn wagons are an exciting interest? Rimmer is from the future innit.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

I would say horse drawn wagons are, but some would say steam trains are, and I’d imagine Rimmer having more interest in those than cars.

Especially given the fact he goes on a holiday in the diesel desk (why does Red Dwarf have diesel decks when it runs on scooping up whatever in space and using that to fuel the ship) I’d accept him having an interest in engines, and if the car stuff was focused on the engines I’d buy it. But it seems to be about more than that and have never really sat right with me. It’s clearly done because Chris likes cars, so they give that trait to Rimmer too.

[GlenTokyo]

I’d say it’s prudent to have more than one fuel source when you’re in an environment like space. If they have an issue or need to shut down the hydrogen fed engines they’ll have electric and diesel, it’s also more stable if you’re storing large amounts of it.

As for the topic, the morale meeting is famously a jab at Chris isn’t it? It’s the sort of thing that pissed him off enough that he left.

[Ben Saunders]

>fascination with old cars
>really boring and dull stuff
I don’t know what to tell you mate……………………… [wink wink]

[International Debris]

I agree that vintage cars do seem a little bit too ‘cool’ for Rimmer. They might not exactly be all the rage, but there’s a certain old fashioned style to them – I think of John Steed and even Bond. Steam trains are too romantic, but diesel and electric trains have an unfashionable nerdiness that would suit Rimmer’s character more.

[Warbodog]

Weren’t Rimmer’s more exaggerated “sad” interests only introduced in series IV? Were classic cars mentioned after III? (When we even see one in use in Timeslides in “the future”).

[Dave]

As for the topic, the morale meeting is famously a jab at Chris isn’t it?

Is it really? I’d never heard that one. That makes me look at that scene very differently.

I know he said he’d grown tired of that stuff around Series VI (it’s where I heard him say the ‘professionalism’ line was derived from something he had said off-camera to the other actors) but if the morale meeting was a similar dig then I can understand him being pissed off enough to leave.

[International Debris]

Were classic cars mentioned after III?

He’s reading a magazine in BtE while the squid is creeping up on the diving bell, isn’t he?

[Moonlight]

“In spirit, I’ll be down there with you. In actuality, I’ll be reading a car mag.”

I remember, when BtE aired, so many people complaining that Rimmer is clearly just being Chris there and how distracting it is and how Rimmer has _never_ mentioned old cars before and how obviously this is such a big problem the average viewer would call Dave to complain.

Weren’t Rimmer’s more exaggerated “sad” interests only introduced in series IV?

Funny how I tend to think of IV a lot when thinking of classic Rimmer moments.

[GlenTokyo]

I wish I could link to a story about the morale meeting scene but I think it was a Dreamwatcher/Cult Times/Starburst interview around the time he left.

[Hamish]

Forum thread about it: https://www.ganymede.tv/forums/topic/starburst-chris-barriered-dwarf-vi-interview-1994/

[Dave]

That’s where I remember the ‘professionalism’ quote from, but (unless I missed it) it doesn’t mention the morale meeting.

I can believe it, though.

[Hamish]

It has been years since I watched it, but is it brought up in the Starbuggers documentary?

[GlenTokyo]

Think it is the Starbuggers yeah

[Taiwan Tony]

Rimmer is essentially a template for Partridge isn’t he. I’ve only just realised. He’s got those traits. Perhaps why I love them both.

[Taiwan Tony]

The first thing I thought about when I read this thread was the story from, I think the Companion?, when Craig complained to Rob and Doug about Lister being slobby – while eating a sausage dipped in ketchup he’d squirted onto the table or whatever it was. That really stuck with me.

[Author]

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