Jonsmad

[Jonsmad]

Radio Active S5E6 19 minutes.

Thanks Dave. Yes that’s the Bowie Track. 

I’ve rediscovered that Dwarf Isn’t the first use of that Riff in a comedy programme. Radio Active (the audio version of KYTV) used it in a Parody of Shakin Stevens. By Phillip Pope with Steve Brown ( aka Glen Ponder.) 

[Jonsmad]

Does anyone remember a thread here or anywhere, where an old song is discussed in relation to a bit of it being something the Series III rock theme tune copied a bit from?  Any details. I’m sure it’s come up before but cant find the discussion.

[Jonsmad]

Had Jane Horrocks on his show yesterday and they touched on her appearance in Red Dwarf briefly. Starts about an hour and 6 mins in.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001nsc8

Thanks for that Stephen.   Mind blown that Jane was doing a Joanne Lumley Impression. I never noticed, but now she’s said it seems like something I should have noticed. It’s not Patsy though it’s definitely Purdey.

[Jonsmad]

[Jonsmad]

[Jonsmad]

From the fansite that brought you “the theme song has lyrics” comes the next earth shattering revelation “Red Dwarf is pretty much entirely based on Lenny Henry sketches”.

Yes, & Also, There’s a line back to Monty Python’s De Ja Vu sketch of course in all this.

[Jonsmad]

Also in the 4th episode of the second series (1985) there’s a sketch about an Australian Doctors soap opera that features Tony Slattery and he’s doing his wooden Aussie accent acting. Lenny’s character is obsessed with finding where “Rachel” is, getting jealous of anyone’s been near her. She turns out to be his plastic surfboard! Probably just coincidence. 

[Jonsmad]

Even a touch of Backwards and Me² too. But yeah, it gets very White Hole in the middle there. Great.

Yes little mix of all that stuff that was to come a few years later from the BBC teams. James Hendrie wrote a very good script that was never used but commissioned by Rob Grant possibly for the proposed Oo ee oo zone. That was performed during Lockdown Theatre Podcast era of Zoom a few years back that was very much along similar time manipulation lines. If you could fast forward and skip chapters of your life.  Makes me wonder if he was the writer of this sketch. 

[Jonsmad]

There’s a line back to Monty Python’s De Ja Vu sketch of course in all this.

[Jonsmad]

There’s a line back to Monty Python’s De Ja Vu sketch of course in all this. 

[Jonsmad]

It’s easy to see how with hindsight they probably had something a little better in The Pilot than they did with the same episode script almost in The Blackadder. They went a bit ambitious with the spend on the series but ultimately blackadders don’t get good until Ben Elton and fry and Laurie join the party.  The other Fox baldrick isn’t that much different to the first series of Robinson as the character doesn’t get good until the second series either. 

[Jonsmad]

BBC now interested again in the audience that Red Dwarf used to attract. 

[Jonsmad]

DerailBut Hijinx !! 

[Jonsmad]

I look forward to “The Franchise” being Armando’s next HBO series then. 

[Jonsmad]

Gloriously the disc three video nasties section contains a rescanned version of the film insert of Chris Barrie’s sketch where prisoners are departing for Australia and chris plays a ships officer. 

We see more lines and performance from Chris than in the broadcast version and a deleted second officer turns to speak to him played by Chen/warlock himself Paul Bradley! 

Easy to see that the jokes cut might have been a little too rude for bbc2 at the time.  But it’s fun stuff to see. Lots more to enjoy, as a madness fan I’m looking forward to the work edit of Sick and Suggs commentary on that episode too.

[Jonsmad]

They even nicked series 8 “flowers/flours” gag. 

[Jonsmad]

Yeah. Did cross my mind, even wondered if the space ship airlock was a reworked set. 

[Jonsmad]

Micheal Fenton Steven’s in the hamster ball was a treat had me in stitches.

[Jonsmad]

 Blimey is it nearly 35 year since I missed the first episode going out? Can’t even believe it’s nearly 5 years since the best ever dimension jump. 

[Jonsmad]

I know it’s left Netflix.      How is brit box doing with it’s uptake, anyone know anything?

[Jonsmad]

[Jonsmad]

Always been good experiences.  Some times I’ve been aware of them feeling important in themselves, or them needing to distance themselves from a certain fans kind of behaviour. But all of that felt totally justifiable, because they are “stars” and some fans do behave odder than the average person. But the time they have given to everyone that ive personally seen always came across as polite and giving the right focus.

Even when Danny speed signed, or the cast gave a little instruction to acting up people or took a pop at over acting fans, it’s never been real nasty. I think something in the humour makes everyone pretty amiable.

Mostly I’ve met them at show related events, Dimension Jumps, and occasionally other live event or music work.  So they are “on” in the mode of pleasing the public. I’ve found them happy to help. Doug even let us interview him at length at Berkley Square.  When a member of the public shouted at Danny that day. So never underestimate they crap they have to put up with being in the celebrity light.

 

[Jonsmad]

“People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey… stuff”

That nu-who line 100% always struck me as “we are in a universe similar to the way red dwarf deals with sci fi dialouge.”

[Jonsmad]

The cinzano joke thread that was more than settled by robs tweet and Ian’s detailed logical analysis of comedy. I’ve just heard it in a version front Doug and rob in son of cliche’ weird dimension episode. Chris Barrie reading describes the dawn of time and says if the whole of time was a day with a party dinosaurs turn up late drunk, and mankind doesn’t arrive until 3am and there is only Cinzano left to drink.

[Jonsmad]

I felt that the James Hendrie script called events and moments was likely an episode of weird city / oo ee oo zone. It was called an unproduced script from the 90s when lock down theatre did their table read during Rob grants zoom cast series last year.

[Jonsmad]

I bought the red dwarf DVD’s that appear in Back to Earth, and I too realise they are just characters in a TV show.

[Jonsmad]

Yep I’ve been humming it.

From High Noon, to what happens in his oast house loft, I’m loving the series.
Yet another format for Partridge, and adapted well, had me laughing loads.

[Jonsmad]

Red Dwarf XIV: Searching for a Zimmerframe

He will never need a zimmer

[Jonsmad]

I love most of Tikka to Ride. I suffered a bit of series VII but it’s mostly watchable. I enjoyed VIII on broadcast though I acknowledge now it’s a broad serial approach not the best stuff and some jokes grated. I loved Back to Earth I’ve watched it’s new dr who style of shooting and story multiple times and love it’s differences. It’s a revival triumph given it’s clip shop commission origins. I attended Berkeley square and A few Dimension Jumps rejuvenated in interest, as well as 4 Great show recordings in 3 more quality inventive series none of them any more patchy than I find half of the original 8 series to be. Just mostly enjoyed a Special.

While it’s true the show’s writing is far more hugely repeating itself and themes these days. I still love it.
Duct soup I loathe and the questionability of parts of time wave need taking out into the woods and shooting. But that’s all. Any completist critic can switch off fuck off and go watch watch Dark Ages with their bullshit Rob was God nonsense, however much I agree that Backwards beats Last Human.

[Jonsmad]

The usb sticks contains some promo pics, a folder of character voice ring tones, and one video clip.
It was the bunk room scene with all four debating what to do with the squid in the water tank. fritter the critter etc. That was my laptop we watched it on. We didnt need porn, as the dave girls were there wearing tight tops, the kind that 10 years later Formula one isnt allowed to use probably, let alone car bug enthusiasts.

[Jonsmad]

Listers attempt to sing “She’s out of my life” in Marooned by Micheal from the 1979 album Off the wall
Is up for the next chop then, or he sings it so badly that no music identifying software will pick up on it?

[Jonsmad]

RIMMER: If we’re talking about famous firsts — my first french kiss. It’s gotta be a killer story. Fourteen years old. We went on holiday with my Uncle Frank and his daughters. Sixteen. Twins.
Blonde. Now I knew that Sarah fancied me (Sniggers from others), but I wasn’t too sure about Alice. Anyway, middle of the night, I wake up with this tongue stuck down my throat. Wide awake now — I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a 1993 Michael Jackson.”

[Jonsmad]

Brilliant. Good to have him big in the back time.

[Jonsmad]

It’s just a joke about a current news story. There is a scientific published document about a fast radio burst from deep space which is rare and causes debate about what is causing the signal whether it’s a star under unique conditions or Aliens!!

[Jonsmad]

I signed up to a government scheme and betrayed my family and friends.
and I’m still waiting for my fabulous prize.

Nothing.

Not even an apple from these people.

[Jonsmad]

Doesnt really matter what episode they leak when a series mostly feels like youve seen it all before. Glad some casual viewers, female veiwers, new viewers and more are enjoying the lightness of what the shows become. I see ratings are up, it’s all nicely shot and i still love jodie Whitaker who i liked in Good vibrations and a few other shows/films before Dr who. She’s a bit tenant bit davison, I believe she is the dr, no issue. But then i didnt mind romana in dr who, or the sarah jane adventures which this show is now mostly like.

setting the show in a space warehouse, i got echoes of paradise towers, and as i work in warehousing
found it the dullest dr who ever committed to screen. Not least because it has things that fucking teleport it in, yet you still need convayer belts moving stuff around, what a stupid load of wank.

Si who else was in hyper drive, who and dwarf? which certainly isnt a holy trinity. its an akward threesome.

[Jonsmad]

263 garden gnomes

[Jonsmad]

Now I’ve read the Digital Spy review, the sun newspaper of the press run up, and understand how nearly all the clips related to the past of Granada studios, and they even say the setting ficitiously of the studio within the show is supposed to be granada studios, the whole thing makes a lot more sense now. It isnt a mishmash clip show of ideas, i take back most of what I said, its very much a whole idea. I just wasnt aware of all that Granada stuff, those who read things this week from press or had a history of most haunted or other storys about Granada must have loved all this injoking far more emensely than i was able to take in. Genius and groundbreaking comments are well deserved. happy to admit the part that went over my head (in a microwave).

[Jonsmad]

People were fooled, on twitter. I love a prank or a meta approach. Well done on making some event TV. I made sure i was home for it, when normally i watch on catch up these days.

The vicar phone story intrigued me. I liked the breakdown and switch to an old episode. But question if that worked then after that, for the people dumb enough to turn off. I found it rather than really being a well executed prank or great episode overall it was a more a clipshow approach homaging previous things related to the kind of joke or trick it was doing itself. Bold but wonky. When a tweet is the best bit of watching telly. I would have prefered them to play it straight for longer making more subtle mistakes supposedly live and then really pull steve’s electrocution as a the big shock, which was a bit done well. in a live behind the scenes bit or something like that. For me it was a disjointed bag and the fact people are calling it “ground breaking” when it was so full of “homage” to things that broke the ground before it etc. I find a depressing reflection on audience mentality. But then i dont watch tv and tweet at the same time. I kind of hope the vicar phone story and Stephanie cole surface in the next series in a more conventional tale.

[Jonsmad]

Somewhere lost in 1988 is the fact it was to be 13 episodes.

We have that strike to thank (or blame) for many things. The loss of Alexandra Pigg as Kochanski or she may have been the Kochanski returning end of series 1. If they hadn’t used a slot to re film The End. They could have filmed another episode. But a weaker opening and a duplication of hologramme
Plots across 13 episodes in a series of 7 and a series of 6. Would you swap? Unusual to have two series within a year but surely that came about because 1987s rehearsed series was reletively quick to remount and so they slid quickly into second commissioned series and with the show fresh in viewers minds really hit home with a strong second series before lister even sailed past his first Christmas!

[Jonsmad]

These oil puns are scraping the barrel.

[Jonsmad]

Her capable replacement/s is tactfully waiting for the applause to finish and fans tears to dry as far as the distant future of the next event is concerned. As DJXX was rather special.

[Jonsmad]

Yes you are right.

In fact Dwarf Fact. The episode Skipper is name in tribute to the person at the BBC that threw the model shots into the Skip.

[Jonsmad]

You contact Jo’s replacement and see what they think. Now that she has announced her departure from the role, following many great events including a truly Epic DJXX.

[Jonsmad]

The opening pull out shot of a man onboard and out to see the name of the large ship and them as small compared to its size is also in this.

[Jonsmad]

There is already someone who goes to DJ and asks repetitive themed questions.
Based on how Danny john jules reacted to them on Sunday Morning, I’m not sure it’s an
environment you would thrive in.

[Jonsmad]

I’ve seen a video playback of what Doug said now. He cites this model shot skipping as relevant to the Blu ray delay. So it’s fairly recent. He says finding some of the extras material “there have been adventures” trying to track stuff down, with cataloguing. Which would be the case if something is filed under “skip” lol.

[Jonsmad]

Mike said they skipped the Samiad model from five children and It, at around the same time
And a lot of model work he had left with that heritage archive that was supposed to look after tv history.

[Jonsmad]

Very true to all of those points and info.

I’m not asking directly about 70s & 80s Dr Who dumping or any other show lost in full during the pre vhs era.

This question, as yet unanswered, is for the timeline of the early red dwarf model fly by film footage being skipped. When did BBC Heritage close? Is the above new information not referred to previously
In any documentary’s or interviews anywhere? Can we assume from what Doug and mike said about this, that some point between 1999 to 2009 this film was lost, couldn’t be used for back to Earth – X and was recovered allowing it to be used in Skipper? And possibly for the blu ray ? Now.

[Jonsmad]

We are talking the original ship fly by shots from the early bbc series.

[Author]

Replies