The G&T Review of the Year 2016

Features

We hope by now that you’ve hung up your stockings on the wall, your family has arrived, and that you’ve ascertained whether or not you have the room to spare inside. But before your granny proves herself to be a musical hypocrite, take a moment to look back on the past twelve months. It’s been a strange one by all accounts. Brexit. Trump. A cull of beloved celebrities. The rise of the far right. Terror. Fear. Division. Prejudice. Aston Villa being relegated. Frankly, I’m not convinced we’ll all survive the last seven days.

Which is why we’ve chosen Christmas Day as the perfect time to focus on the positive, and look back on what has been a much better year in the world of Red Dwarf than it has been for anyone in the actual world. Six brand new episodes recorded. Another six brand new episodes aired. A mobile game. New merchandise. Live DwarfCasts. The dramatic increase in usage of the word “cloche”. It’s definitely been a busy one, so settle down for a comprehensive look back on everything that happened and how we covered it.

Dimensions in Time

News

We all understandably got a little over-excited on Wednesday when it emerged that Red Dwarf would be making an appearance in Lego Dimensions. My limited knowledge of the game lead me to assume that the presence of the bunkroom set meant that we’d be getting a fully playable Dwarf-based expansion pack, but it soon became clear that there’s a precedent for some franchises making smaller, cameo appearances within other levels. Today’s TOS update confirms that this is the case with Dwarf; scenery from the show forms part of the Fantastic Beasts expansion pack, released today. There won’t be playable minifigs of the crew, but the areas will be explorable using the main game characters of your choice.

It would be churlish to feel too disappointed by this, because if we hadn’t have initially leapt to a dream conclusion, today’s announcement would still be totally mind-bogglingly brilliant. The TOS update features a new set of screengrabs that showcase the beautiful science room area, complete with bio-printer, along with corridors strewn liberally with JMC logos and what looks to my untrained eye like the raw materials required to build a little Lego skutter. It looks fantastic, and I remain incredibly impressed that our little show has been chosen for such treatment. The social media reaction to the initial teaser on Wednesday showed just how much enthusiasm there is for a full Red Dwarf console game, be it as part of Lego Dimensions or otherwise, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that this is just the start.

Smego Dimensions Jump

News

Bloody hell. There is never a dull moment when you’re a Red Dwarf fan at the moment. Over the last few months, the show has expanded into other media with varying degrees of success, with merchandise, a mobile game and soundtrack albums hitting the virtual shelves. It’s no less than a popular franchise of this age deserves, but it’s still a little surprising after years and years of the brand being under-represented outside of its core fanbase.

Which is why we’re utterly gobsmacked at this photo being posted on the official Lego Dimensions Facebook page, with the simple caption “It’s cold outside…”: