Jonsmad

[Jonsmad]

Marengo – The vending machine also says it.

Arent you thinking of Trout ala Creme there?

No your spot on. So its a one episode twice said word.

[Jonsmad]

Marengo – The vending machine also says it.

Arent you thinking of Trout ala Creme there?

[Jonsmad]

Got one  “Jumbo”

[Jonsmad]

i can match your 2 for “Belgium”

[Jonsmad]

[Jonsmad]

I didnt get Marigold with blue at all, my wrong guess was kryen talking to kochanski in series VII. I might be going fan on a computer senile. I hope i can still type here in future. i used to know my stuff on red dwarf, I’ve spent too long watching other shows since 2020. 

[Jonsmad]

I’m very much looking forward to the first EVER official Red Dwarf convention, that has official permission to officially be the official one, and the first official one. As say opposed to those things the fan club did, the official fan club that officially had permission to be an official fan club officially, that one, and they ran a fan club convention or 20ish as that official fan club doing a convention but was just an event for fans, not like an official convention like this o££icial convention that will be attended by fans, but officially now. 

It reminds me of those first ever Moon Landings(c) that Musk-Inc did. Remember them? They were the first ever OFFICIAL Moon Landings(c). Some bloke called Neil did pop up there in the 60’s but just cus he was a fan of rock collecting, nothing official there. But the Musk one’s that Disney sponsored and said they were Series 1 of the Moon Landings(c). Those ones. There were Official. I’m sure this will be great like those. Sounds good, hey it’s always fun to hang out in outterspace. Especially with people who like me, I know, and have never officially hung out in Nottingham before talking about Red Dwarf, except those who have, but unofficially.  Well. I genuinely wish it well if TORDFC seem to have donated all their Tamsin Archer CD’s to the moonlit oxfam now.

Here’s to beers, telly banter and more. (& In my old fan heart. Apollo XX i still love you)

 

[Jonsmad]

https://www.ha.com/c/search/results.zx?term=red+dwarf&ic=homepage-search-A-K-071316

A Starbug, Tikka to ride helmet, back to reality costume bits and krytie gold suit are up for auction and more currently here … 

[Jonsmad]

All of it. (Almost).  Among the great episodes of Red Dwarf that I like.Which is most of them. (Almost) (Not Duct Soup)

It gave me a real fun weekend watching 3 new promising episodes of my favourite show back after nearly ten years in the wilderness. A weekend of Event TV that I enjoyed at home on a big projector TV, alongside the great G&T reaction coverage. Enjoying online fandom alongside the broadcast show for the first time.  Although the early Tomato onboard ship stuff felt drawn out and lacking atmosphere to the point i was scared the show wasnt funny like series VII extended feel, this turned as kryten and the cat brought in more story and energy and things took off. It was then a hilarious and thrilling ride. It was surprising the meta stuff, although we knew a little from advance leaks, my worries faded and i was thrilled by the story and accepted the blade runner parody angle, some of which i got on first viewing and some i didnt. I wasnt surprised it was a sequel to Back to Reality, that seemed clear to me, and it was well justified given the place in the public consciousness that both the show and craig as a rehabed soap actor was. I thought it was a triumphant return and all the more impressive when i discovered how it was done on favours and a clip show budget. It was a digital ratings triumph and an investment by doug in getting us to X XI XII and TPL all of which bring greater returns to it’s suceess.  I still see it that way.   I am aware that fans coming later to it as an experience or were already wanting something different from Dwarf, Including those who like X-TPL, have turned to story into the fact it was one of the worse parts of the shows history. It never was to me. It was always superior to the worst moments of VII or VIII and even more fun than a couple of the classic era’s slower ones for a rewatch.  I watched the directors cut as much as any era of the show on loop many a night in my single days in my flat. I’ts a brilliant little red dwarf movie closest to tennant era dr who vibe of a show, but mostly better. 

[Jonsmad]

As explained already above.     Studio Pre record days happen for big things with FX which are then played in on monitors for an audience to react to.  For things not ready yet they show pre visualisation versions scene’s for models etc often like that. I saw Entangled recorded and some fx like the fire from a kebab are possible in front of an audience. The warm up man explains any missing context of little things in advance of scenes. Most FX’s stuff is action rather than comedy so it’s often not any issue to fake a version.  One scene the cast read only on that day for Entangled because a set wasnt available so we were genuinely laughing at the lines and how the cast would say them but not seeing the actual scene recorded. Then because the ending of Entangled wasnt written in full yet and the actress not available for a late cast role   we just get sent home with out and ending!  Still very happy to have seen Dwarf in action in the studio. I saw Cured also on the day of studio recording and it’s a lot of fun watching Kevin Eldon pretend his gun will work like it will in the show, when it clearly doesn’t infront of an audience. The power of acting then acting up out of the take!

[Jonsmad]

I like Marvel Movies, and people on youtube have done videos of timelines breaking it down into ancient history and modern and future events like you’ve done, and you’ve taken the same academic approach here, well done. The result I just adore how dam silly it is reading it in this format by comparison. It’s a delight. Stupid, Trivial and bizarre and you also knew going in that it would make no twisted sense of contradiction at times what so ever, with resets and timelines. So extra well done for not becoming as mad as Rameses Niblick the forty third, whoops my thribble was behind the fridge all this time. Now include the books and smegazines before you are 60.

[Jonsmad]

Based on how Doug talks about the experience of making the American pilot and being chastised by other production personnel as “the wave… (Of Negativity)”, I’ve always thought that California culture shock was at the heart of Timewave, then applied to the wider world of anti-critique. There is a little bit of roller skate and Americana diner LA cliché visible within timewaves production choices, (a production that was also due to budget-issues full of reused costumes. Things notably from “Spaced” and the film “Absolutely Anything” which further confuse the written target). Two dudes from Manchester in the 90’s may have rolled eyes at a lot of their experience in stateside TV production, from jet lag to because it wasnt going well.  

[Jonsmad]

IRL Scene… & I’m glad they’re dead

Ah you didn’t stay for the credits then. Don’t blame you. 

Then Mrs Flood came out to reiterate the series arc for the 700th time.

With the amount the show borrows from things Red Dwarf used to do I’m just hoping she’s not a psiren at this double series arc that doesn’t move forward at all stage!!  She was not real in Eastenders the other week, does she actually exist?  

I do enjoy the show still, I am liking the pantheon linked villains arc more than Mrs Flood stuff. That’s done through all 3 runs of RTD2 thus far. I wouldn’t even mind a sea god in the spin off next year. But I approach the show differently these days cus I’m old and I’ve just seen so much of it. This felt like Idiot Lantern 2, which is fine. 

[Jonsmad]

Back to Earth, Mugs Murphy, Back In the Red plasticine bit they all want a word with you Doctor. (And Gremains 2 & the end bit of Inglorious B*steeds are in the queue & all)

[Jonsmad]

Fathers & Suns (23:31)
There was some debate recently about how literally to take this title for an episode featuring only one father and one sun, respectively.

Oh, don’t you start. They have this discussion in the Doctor Who community around Pyramids of Mars lying about how many conic polyhedrons are actually present on the surface of Sol 4 (i.e. not enough to be referred to in plural).

They’ve got a points ;-)

[Jonsmad]

Yeah.   

That’s such an utterly truly exhaustive microscopic magnifying glass approach of an anal dissection of red dwarf trivia born out in full concept carried through to the nth degree that it really should be promoted to main page guest article. Seeing it sitting here in the forum like this is an insult to people like me who will not only read it in full, and disagree in some minor way before pointing out something like “Hey you missed out Can’t Smeg Won’t Smeg”, but will end up throwing a half toasted croissant at you demanding you analyse Back In The Red/Back To Earth episodically.

Well done. I enjoyed it. I have a job and I’m semi not doing it so I can read this.   

[Jonsmad]

There was always some irreverent humour in Doctor Who. Not least of which was Douglas Adams era comedy sci fi pioneering.  But when new who arrived, it clearly arrived in a TV land scape where Red Dwarf had taught an audience and writers shorthand comedy exposition. Swirly Thing Alert, begat Timey Whimey.  Shame Rob Or Doug never got to write an episode. 

[Jonsmad]

It’s done really well with 20 years of fun. Indeed the 60+ years Is also a phenomenal achievement also. The new show …. I’ve just recently shown Matt Smith’s whole era to my wife who was a watcher who gave Tennant a go with her children when they were growing into Teenage years, but originally switched off when smith arrived. We enjoyed it immensely even though i had struggled with the impossible astronaut story season’s convoluted layered cleverness when i watched it with my dad on original airing weekly. It’s probably my favourite era, though i think my wife lost interest again towards the regeneration. Being a fan of Moffat’s other work perhaps makes me lean into that. I also adore some of Douglas adams work on Tom Bakers Era for similar reasons and collected those classic stories first when getting the classic show on DVD. We also rewatched Tennant and Tate before the 60th revival of that era, and enjoyed all that more. The current guy I cant spell is great in the role, I dont think i’ve ever disliked an actor in the role. I’ve disliked companions some times, or more likely just found some to be characterless devices for the plot. I’ve Definately disliked and loved the writers off and on.  I might be in the minority of loving “love and monsters” im in a majority of loving “Blink”.  Sunspending disbelief for muppet vultures aside, I adore Sarah Janes Mat Smith episode Death of the Doctor and seeing it at the BFI with Liz Sladen probably helps. I adore Mcgan’s night of the doctor and the whole 50th. I’m one of the old farts resistant to the cop of timeless child attempt at similar law twisting. I’m fine that Jodie’s Era and the current one aren’t really aimed at me a fair chunk of the time, but I liked the spooky frog one and 73 yards. Tales of the Tardis was great for the 60th beyond and i’ve seen some great AI representations for missing old who lately, which has been thrilling. All of RTD 1 was great, I struggled a bit towards the end of Moffat because of how stories would jump around a lot. Chibnall era, despite my loving Broadchurch, didnt deliver for me, but i felt the look was great and the show was better than RTD or moffat spin offs. The current era, which i call volume 3, still beats with two hearts and im looking forward to series 2 but i cant see me rewatching anything much beyond capaldi era multiple times like i used to. It’s an amazing show. I think a lot of people take far too seriously and far too protective over. I mean it’s not Red Dwarf.   

 

[Jonsmad]

So how much does exist? Are there more storyboards?
Yes, you can see some examples in the TOS archive.
https://reddwarf.co.uk/news/2001/03/30/movie-storyboards/
https://reddwarf.co.uk/news/2001/10/12/cryo-chamber-storyboards/
https://reddwarf.co.uk/news/2002/01/11/ships-storyboards/
There’s also this concept art:
https://www.reddwarfprops.com/red-dwarf-movie-concept-art/

Ah Yes thats the ones, Thanks. 

[Jonsmad]

Werent these on the official website in 2002ish?  I’ve seen the Hogey one before, because i saw it before The Beginning aired. 

[Jonsmad]

I have the 5 track version you talk about, It came free with the paperback of the book. It was also a TV show called the same name. The full album either was a TV tie in or something maybe he sold on his website maybe.

[Jonsmad]

And the whole potential question of cast changes does explain even further why episode 6 was so late written. 

[Jonsmad]

The second half of the book is long interviews, and I’ve read as far as Chris, Craig & Danny. 

 

Some of the DVD documentaries for Red Dwarf can be quite candid about production frustrations to full on nightmares & disasters. But those documentaries happened a decade or so after events. 

These book interviews are bitchy about various troubles and issues and are conducted during actual production on series VI. While no one is savaged directly in them, lots of gripes are aired. It’s totally news to me that The Cat  could have been written out of the show at this time when Red Dwarf & Holly were moved on from. Pay and budgets and organisation of the shots, actors feelings about repeating themselves etc all come to the surface, as they all fight for their characters and want more and better from various aspects.

This book earns its “chaos” title word by highlighting so many factors of where people’s opinions were ruffled about things. For sure they are tired from work when saying all this. (I was aware Chris had bitched in other sci fi magazines at this era)

I can see now why this candid approach wasn’t the book GNP wanted in the 90s. I don’t blame them. As a fan I don’t think I would have wanted a bitchy book out that close to transmission. I wasn’t ready to see the cracks behind the scenes of a show I loved so deeply. 

In these pages I don’t see a world where a – “What If” – united Rob & Doug could have carried on into series VIII together the following year, without time and money to sort a lot of things and longer time to come up with joint scripts that didn’t retread older episodes like VI did. 

It was frustrating as a fan, at the time that Red Dwarf VII was over a three year wait. But it feels inevitable reading this that a gap had to happen if a new series or chapter Was ever to be possible. 

 

[Jonsmad]

Page 119 quotes Rob on the set of Emohawk joking to Craig that there will be. Lister-Rimmer kiss in episode six of VI.

So… Rob wrote a bit of Blue for VII. Sort of. 

We can poke a tiny bit more scorn at those people who post “Rob was the funny one” when they watch and didn’t like VII. 

[Jonsmad]

I’m really enjoying the book. Re-reading the old book as well alongside it.  It starts by referencing the film “Almost Famous” which I love too, about a young writer wanting freedom in their writing style. 

It’s great to read this extensively about series VI in 2025. I do think I understand why Rob & Doug would have wanted a making of book to be edited down from this longer notes & interviews presented here. It’s too long and dull for a more general audience so they were aiming for a more glossy concise coffee table book of the times, rather than a beat by beat account of hanging around all of series VI. I’ve not found any huge controversy in it yet, but there are a few small comments they might have wanted to protect people from at a time when they were still actively making dwarf. We know from some of the DVD documentaries that Doug at least never shied away from more controversial topics about troubles in making of’s. At this distance of time, after the first published book was a sucess, it’s a wonderful double deeper dip.  I find myself reading short interviews with Clare CP Grogan and Anita Dobson. and im transported to the set because my imagination knows what all these deleted and behind the scenes moments look like from the DVD extras world etc. So as a result im imagining new takes, Smeg ups and on set tom foolery as if im there. 

It is amusing that the writer seems to spot things fans might have said, about rimmers costume or the appendix etc.

SPOILERS:  From the writers Interview.  Talk of an episode idea about parasites, I wonder if this went into Epideme? and mind editing – sounds very like they could have written eternal sunshine of the spotless mind a decade earlier as a sitcom, but then they kind of had done in thanks for the memory in a different way before. 

[Jonsmad]

Stephen that made me chuckle the most yet in this thread. Thank you.

[Jonsmad]

Thanks Tom, :-)  That’s my Christmas money spent. 

So his original book was behind the scenes of VI right?  So this is like the deleted scenes of stuff compiled for that book. Joyous start to the Dwarf year that. look forward to reading it.  Thanks again for the link. 

[Jonsmad]

You can Parody something and it’s not “passing off”, they might be able to get away with the jacket being a parody of IP rather than the IP as it’s only a jacket and they arent selling Lister jackets. 

[Jonsmad]

*Series 

[Jonsmad]

First Episode of Only Fools & Horses

Del: The French have a word for people like me. Rodney:

Yeah, the English have a couple of good ’uns an’ all.

—-

Back to Earth 

Katarina : “In my country we have word for people like you.

Rimmer: “In my country we have Several”

Doug you Plonker!

[Jonsmad]

Yes. Good spot. 

But also it’s a bit like when people see steve coogan do other characters and accuse him of still being Partridge while doing the other characters. Something he defended by saying it’s “Me” doing both, there is inevitably bits of “Me” put into characters you are seeing.

[Jonsmad]

Yeah I dropped off listening to this a while back, the weight of accumulating wrongness from the hosts was just getting too much. Which is a shame because I quite enjoyed hearing some of the guests views on the show – it was nice to get a chance to see what some more contemporary comedians thought about it all.

Ultimately I think it’s quite telling that the best episodes were the ones where the guests actually knew their shit

Did you find yourself screaming… “Stop Getting Dwarf Wrrrrrrong!!!!

[Jonsmad]

Especially Red Dwarf, when the information is so easily accessed and concise. Just watch the DVDs and visit Dirty Feed and you’re pretty much covered it.
Ouch, the burn.

There’s no talking my way out of that oversight so I’ll just apologise.

Take The Fifth

[Jonsmad]

A bit at the end of Back To Reality where a second squid is seen swimming by and cat with a fishing rod  singing 🎶 I’m going to eat you little squidy 🎵 

[Jonsmad]

Discovered it in 1988 thanks. 

[Jonsmad]

What’s the green one? A casting? 

I think it’s a 3D print made for the museum exhibition display to show people techniques in sci fi prop making, rather than anything historic from the show in the 90’s.  Backwards engineering showing the evolution of TV work. 

Or maybe it’s in case Craig visited and broke the real prop. 

[Jonsmad]

[Jonsmad]

https://www.visitgunnersbury.org/museum/mike-tucker-simulant-gun/

For anyone who didn’t get along to Gunnersbury museum sci fi exhibition Here is Mike Tuckers bit about making the prop from Justice.

[Jonsmad]

Do you believe in hologrammatic life after love?
I can feel something inside me say
I really don’t think yoU’re rebrands strong enough, no.

[Jonsmad]

If they broadcast the next proposed special/s late August 2025, Red Dwarf can boast a longer period between first episode original transmission, and most recent episode broadcast. Over 37 & 1/2 years.

Taking the “longevity of time” mantle only from Last of The Summer Wine, in the adult UK sitcom category, ( If diss-allowing the Porridge/Still Open All hours later iterations to be included due to cast changes.)  

If most series/iterations is allowed to total 14 with the next Red Dwarf. It’s still level as Not going out just been recommissioned for series 14. But we’ve seen off Bird’s of a feather if Dwarf returns,

Even added together these two 14’s wouldn’t reach LOTSW’s 31, so remain a tied second place. 

[Jonsmad]

Quegg
Inexplicably, this typo made me laugh out loud more than anything else today

Well that dyslexic point out has left me with Quegg on my face.

[Jonsmad]

I only noticed after “Bodysnatcher” when the alarm clock had a talking musical part…

That it was present but silent in the actual early series, such as Quegg 

I guess the increasingly in vision Holly took over the role really, much like the disappearance of any role for the talking toilet or the diminished toaster role in the final shows of the first two series, they thought they needed more talking appliances than they really did in the show. 

[Jonsmad]

Thursday April 18th Bottom Exposed Documentary 

Friday April 19th from 9pm – Holy & Digger 

[Jonsmad]

Their Bottom has got Bigger. Probably with old fluff in it.

Previously extended Holy Bottom to be shown to the public & newly assembled Digger Extended by 5 minutes to also be exposed. Gold bottom night . 

https://www.nme.com/news/tv/bottom-extended-episodes-air-on-tv-first-time-3613425?fbclid=IwAR34MdzmHPvozzyFncRz1qtzUY1i2zxtlZoOqYvx6IZM69BmXc1aExfuPQI_aem_AV5Zaq2f0f4R831YnH4uQQvfMzJuGqtSbuNdoQHDerLxd7X5jdqeEyy59cFf8aHry1Y#lum9crjoxgq72erfvsi

[Jonsmad]

We should do a DwarfCast on Absolutely.
Not that I’d want to replace Timothy Spall, but John Sparkes would have made an excellent Andy.

“Here, whatever you do don’t mix the food line with the catheterrr, will you?” 

I’ve a feeling he’d have taken that line further into toilet humour for sure.  “You must have been playing like “Arses”.  “

[Jonsmad]

Series II we see the creature evolved from dogs. 

Series III Lister states that dogs lick their own testicles. 

There is then very little discussion of the dog character ever again.

[Jonsmad]

This probably barely counts, but when i watch stuff and a suitable actor appears on tv, my brain goes “Red Dwarf -guest star”. I got married last year and now i tend to pause a programme when this happens and point the actor out to my wife, who kindly did rewatch red dwarf with me during our courtship, and does like the show but isn’t totally annorack like me, so doesn’t really care for such footnotes and so nods out of politeness. This happened last night when Richard Ridings popped up in a touch of frost. He didnt have a burger though, Frost probably had it first.  

[Jonsmad]

I’ve seen 2 episodes of X, and 1 each of XI and XII.    You queue and then go in like just like a small theatre, but you arent allowed to move out of your seats during production. Toilet breaks means putting a hand up outside of takes. In  front of you is the sets just like a play. but more like a concert there is a level of people standing infront of you photographing/filming. A warm up man is like seeing a stand up comedian, but more like when they are bantering with the crowd rather than them doing long jokes, and the warm up man is also a bit more like a tour guide when he’s explaining what you do next and what the show is going to show you. Especially if FX’s arent yet complete. Or if a part of the show isnt ready for you. For example I saw Entangled and that night they didnt film an ending so we went home without seeing the shows end. Which is why I like that episode more than people who saw it on broadcast!  It great fun seeing the cast in costume. They come over at the start and say Hi and fool about and later they bow at the end. Otherwise they are at work. So It’s like watching an episode, the smeg ups and behind the scenes all rolled into one. You see alternative angles and takes of each bit. So It’s like rewinding your dvd each time the set changes. so episodes do seem longer like this. But it feels like a great night out seeing Dwarf History happen. 

[Jonsmad]

Possible he might announce something at the Manchester con that the whole cast are at with him. 

[Jonsmad]

The parody uses it at the End like Dwarf Theme does.

[Author]

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