Slainmonkey

[Slainmonkey]

I suspect it’s more a homage done by the set designers to see if people notice!

[Slainmonkey]

I have a theory about why the sets are repainted grey. I think they did that because they course use changes in lighting to more successfully make the same corridors look like different parts of the ship. That’s something that the red sets couldn’t always create the illusion of…..though series XI did do a better job of it then X did.

[Slainmonkey]

Well Twentica did have a reshoot ending…..but it felt very tacked on, but I guess less script changes would be made to episodes that were already shot and in the can. I do remember Doug saying he was using that time to tighten the scripts in XII, so I guess only time will tell.

[Slainmonkey]

It is my understanding though that Doug said he would use the break between the 2 series to tighten the series XII episode scripts. In that case I hope Doug used that time to fix up nagging issues with those scripts like the rushed endings that series XI had.

[Slainmonkey]

A brony…..that’s all I have.

[Slainmonkey]

It was painfully unfunny, visually unappealing sets and lighting, the the story lines were rubbish and undid the entire premise of the show. Beyond that it never even feels like it take place in the same universe as the first 7 series, it was hardly recognisable as the same show. Also the acting was the most pantomimey of the shows run and the character were flanderized to the point that they were cartoon characters. A lot of people liked series 8 at the time but I always hated it.

[Slainmonkey]

I have nothing against people liking series VIII, I know it has it’s fans and taste is subjective. However I will always make my opinions of those episodes known, because I’m probably one of the biggest grouches around when it comes to that series. You aren’t wrong that it stand out, but for me it stands out to me for the wrong reasons. It stands out because for me it’s where Red Dwarf transformed into a completely different show, a show that I legitimately hated.

Has there not been such a big break and continued from where 8 left off, I actually likely wouldn’t be watching the new episodes now. If anything I can be grateful for the decade long hiatus, because it has made me more open minded about the show. Also given how much I actually enjoyed series XI, I really would have been missing out.

[Slainmonkey]

I doesn’t though the sets and cinematography in series VIII were really ugly and the CGI was atrocious, it was not an attractive looking looking series at all. Even if it did, series VIII was made with a bigger budget then the Dave era episodes. A few ropey effects aside, series XI had some very attractive production values!

[Slainmonkey]

I think that most of us accept that series VIII not only exists, but is part of the show’s history. However that does nothing to make me feel better about it, rather I more begrudgingly accept it as part of a show that I love…….even if I still think series VIII a collection of not only the shows worst moments, but some of the worst television period.

[Slainmonkey]

Oh I forget S02E01 – Kryten

[Slainmonkey]

In order there are the episode referenced directly.

S02E04 -Stasis Leak
S03E03 – Polymorph
S04E03 – Justice
S06E04 – Emohawk: Polymorph II
S10E06 – The Beginning

There are other references but nothing of any real importance.

[Slainmonkey]

That was the great thing with Hattie, she had less to work with but did so much more with it. Norman had the opportunity to do the same in series 8…..and we all know how that went, granted the jokes weren’t all there but he did nothing to even try an elevate them…..Infact his delivery might have even been worse then the jokes themselves!

[Slainmonkey]

I would rather see Hattie for a few reasons, first being that I grew up watching series 3-5 the most so I’m more nostalgic for her Holly, secondly it’s been longer since we’ve seen her in the show, and lastly she deserves it more as she’s never slagged of the cast like Norman has!

[Slainmonkey]

>The show needs Holly badly I feel.

Given how well series XI went I do feel that “need” is a strong word, but I would like to see more of Holly again personally. Also if Holly does come back, I would rather it be Hattie as I feel she is more deserving of the part!

[Slainmonkey]

I think the worst ones are the very static looking side on shots of Red Dwarf floating, or in some cases not moving at all….it makes them look like a paper cut out, if it weren’t for those shots the model effects would mostly be fine!

[Slainmonkey]

The best version was if you edited it down into non-existence, along with the rest of series VIII!

[Slainmonkey]

The model shots often suffered some from the same problems they did in series X, there were some real highlights here….but some looked pretty ropey

[Slainmonkey]

Why*

[Slainmonkey]

I will never get who people like so much about Trojan, I always found it the more series VIII-ish of all moderm Red Dwarf in both delivery and jokes. Only bits I thought were funny was the final payoff to the moose running gag, and the line “No, we just hosed him down and gave him a hat”….both are very funny moments, but 2 good jokes does not a good episode make. The rest of the episode was a complete trainwreck as far as I was concerned!

[Slainmonkey]

Okay if you wanna rank the whole Dave era:

1. Give & Take
2. Twentica
3. Can of Worms
4. Officer Rimmer
5. The Beginning
6. Entangled
7. Lemons
8. Krysis
9. Fathers & Suns
10. Samsara
11. Trojan
12. Back to Earth
13. Dear Dave

[Slainmonkey]

1. Give & Takes
2. Twentica
3. Can of Worms
4.Officer Rimmer
5. Krysis
6. Samsara

[Slainmonkey]

Not a return to form (as that would imply it’s as good as the first 6 series) but getting close, a vast improvement over series X. Overall I was pretty happy with series XI and fills me with a sense of optimism about series XII, and hopefully beyond!

[Slainmonkey]

>Christ almighty. We’re in the middle of a sixth mass extinction event. Do we need a discussion about the merits of Red Dwarf XI right now?

Apparently so!

[Slainmonkey]

Here are my episode scores and series averages for both series X and XI, to really give an idea of how I feel about each. I should note that while some feelings about series X has changed over time, my overall opinions and scores haven’t changed since I first saw it.

Series X
Trojan – 3 (really never saw the appeal of this one)
Fathers And Suns – 6
Lemons – 7
Entangled – 7 (I liked this episode, so sue me)
Dear Dave – 2
The Beginning – 7
Average Score = 5.33

Series XI
Twentica – 8
Samsara – 5
Give and Take – 9
Officer Rimmer – 7
Krysis – 6
Can of Worms – 8
Average Score = 7.17

[Slainmonkey]

>X for story, XI for comedy. Maybe.

Red Dwarf X has a story, I just thought it had continuing plot threads that they dropped half way through…..and Dear Dave barely even had a self contained story…..it was basically like Only the Good in that it was basically a series of loosely connected skits!

[Slainmonkey]

Series X was an odd beast for me, while it’s a mixed bag for me some moments I liked more on rewatch…some I liked much less. However even at the time I felt like I was watching a compromised version of Red Dwarf, and while XI has it’s issues (rushed endings, and digging up old concepts a little too often), this felt far more like the real deal to me.

[Slainmonkey]

Series X was a real mixed bag for me, some of it I actually hated. XI was a fun series that aimed to be far more adventurous, it’s not without it’s problems but I enjoyed it. For me while not quite as solid as the first 6 series, XI was much better then X!

[Slainmonkey]

>Kryten’s boss is coming round for dinner, and everyone has to be on their best behaviour.
Unfortunately while Kryten is trying to entertain his boss at dinner, Lister accidently puts too much power in the washing machine and wacky hyjinks ensues!

[Slainmonkey]

Atleast you can be assured that it gets better after series VIII….thank goodness!

[Slainmonkey]

You’ve gotta be joking right? Cat’s hair was been a wig since the first episode, infact only episode you see Danny without a wig in the show was a brief moment in Beyond a Joke when he took the head off the gelf costume.

[Slainmonkey]

I should say I can’t confirm the validity of that!

[Slainmonkey]

Apparently the skeleton orgy in Samsara was actually a joke lifted from the script of Phwoaarr….or so I have been told.

[Slainmonkey]

The boys from the dwarf pick up a signal from a crashed derelict on a planetoid, when they go to inspect the signal they find out that the crashed vessel is Red Dwarf itself from the future after being caught in a spatial anomaly, and they need to work out how it happened to avoid the same fate as their future selves.

[Slainmonkey]

It is series VIII after all, I bet you they added in additional laughing where things seemed to not get a strong enough audience reaction…..I sure as hell know I wasn’t laughing at any of those scenes.

[Slainmonkey]

I would rather not reference back to SS HOWARD RIMMER, that joke was bad enough in the episode Trojan without needing it brought up again.

[Slainmonkey]

This link might work better!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o311/slainmonkey/Skutter_zpsznqacpfb.jpg?t=1460734401

[Slainmonkey]

Yes it has indeed been taken down, good think I took a screenshot!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o311/slainmonkey/Skutter_zpsznqacpfb.jpg~original

[Slainmonkey]

It’s definitely nice to see Skutters that aren’t just terribly rendered CGI crap like they were in BTE!

[Slainmonkey]

Oh wait, he misspelled it himself in the tags…..that’s what threw me off…..still shameful but at least I have a reason for my disgrace.

[Slainmonkey]

Well damn……there goes my credibility in the fanbase.

[Slainmonkey]

Also the nostrils really bug me in the series 8 mask….

[Slainmonkey]

nose*

[Slainmonkey]

I was never a fan of the series 8 mask, the wide none and the mouth just looks wrong to me. It’s certainly not as bad as the series X mask but it’s not one I think of favorably to be honest.

[Slainmonkey]

At first looking at it, I found it kinda jarring because it kinda seems to go against the grain with the stylistic evolution of the Kryten suits but in kinda grown on me. One thing I’ve noticed is that in some ways it harks back more to his suit back in series 3-5, and dumped much of the look of more modern Krytens. Honestly looking at it now I’m actually liking it much more then how his series X suit looked. With that said it still doesn’t look dark enough for my liking.

The real star of the show is the new mask which looks great, and depending it looks on camera might be up there amongst my favourites, like the series 6 or it’s even better predecessor the series 5 mask. Either way I’m actually pretty happy with how he looks and can’t wait to see more of it!

[Slainmonkey]

If handled well, I wouldn’t mind seeing Jenny Agutter return as Professor Mamet.

[Slainmonkey]

So wait……you want a 9/11 episode? That’s pretty on the nose for a lot of reasons, I mean that would be about as tasteful as an episode that pokes fun of the gassing of the Jewish people in WW2. At least Tikka to Ride danced that fine line to keep it respectful to JFK. Further more I think we all wanna forget anything from the Pete episodes, which is why I would rather avoid any mention on the time wand honestly.

While I would like the show to look to the future and not trade in on past glories (We really don’t need another Emohawk or Dibbley Family), however I wouldn’t mind seeing the Scutters again…..provided then they are better used then they were in series 8.

[Slainmonkey]

Krytie TV II – Electric Boogaloo

[Slainmonkey]

We’ll save that for Part IV

[Slainmonkey]

Pete Part III – Son of Pete
The dwarfers for years have been unaware that Pete’s son has seen wondering the ship for years and continuing to grow. It’s now up to the boys from the dwarf to to challenge the T-rex to a dance off in the Blue Midget.

[Slainmonkey]

I feel the dramedy elements in VII or worse in BTE would have worked better in smaller doses. Fathers and Suns almost got this balance perfect if it didn’t have that dreadful Taiwan Tony garbage that felt like it was lifted right out of series VIII and The Beginning had some of those traits too. Now I just hope that Doug keeps trying to play the balancing act in the writing and doesn’t slip too far into the realm of drama or go as stupid as series VIII was.

[Author]

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