Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity Posted Sun Dec 10 20:16:13 GMT 2000 by subbes

I've just seen this advertised on BBc America (it's on in 19 days, t'would appear) and it looked totally alien to me. Being a RD fan(atic? possibly) I'm terribly intrigued, so I thought I would see if anyone remembers this (I presume it;s a repeat - there's no way they'd simulcast in here and in the UK).

Opinions please?


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Nik' on Sun Dec 10 20:43:20 GMT 2000:

Hmmm, not heard of that one - could it be another set of out-takes? Bit of a grand title for that though. Couldn't be the long-anticipated film, slipping out in a rather low-key manner, could it? Almost certainly not. Maybe some kind of weird rebranding for series 8?

None of those sound very likely... Do us a favour and let us know what it turns out to be, cheers.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Nik' on Sun Dec 10 21:21:32 GMT 2000:

from http://www.bbcamerica.com/servlet/DailySchedule:

<<
RED DWARF
Dwarfers and Smegheads - welcome aboard! BBC AMERICA goes into orbit for 2001 with all eight seasons of the International Emmy award-winning cult comedy classic, Red Dwarf. Premieres December 29th.
>>

Mystery solved then.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By subbes on Sun Dec 10 21:25:44 GMT 2000:

Er, thanks. Should have checkesd the site, but it crashes my browser...

Right, so I won't look out for it, then.

Bastards.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By John! on Mon Dec 11 15:35:44 GMT 2000:

Best watch the first six seasons and then discreetly forget that the last two were utter shite.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Richard' on Tue Dec 12 10:42:14 GMT 2000:

>Best watch the first six seasons and then discreetly forget that the last two were utter shite.

Some of Series 7 and most of Series 8 were good. THough not as good as earlier series. The JFK ep of Series 7 was very good.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stuart O' on Tue Dec 12 11:47:40 GMT 2000:

You're right, some of 7 was ok, but it was spoilt by the dubbed laughter which made it sound fake, and by some bad acting *coughchloeannett*

I really hated 8 because it was just not Red Dwarf anymore, it was a new sitcom with the same characters. Maybe the film will get back to the original situation, we'll see.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stocky' on Tue Dec 12 12:04:17 GMT 2000:

video of series 7 has no dubbed laughter and sounds very strange. It is also very crap, relying on past jokes to make it work. series 8 was a bit better, but still it trampled the memories of series 1-6 into the ground. hopefully the film will not just be a rehash of past jokes taken out of context, but actually funny.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Steven on Tue Dec 12 12:13:57 GMT 2000:

While I prefer the Red Dward books, and the earlier series, I still think it remained pretty funny even when it started to sink into toilet humour more than anything by the 3rd and 4th series onward. I think the actualy moment it turned to crap was the 3rd episode of series 7, the one where Kochanski finally joined I think. The episode before that had an amazingly funny opening, the one with Ace Rimmer escaping the Nazis on the plane and hangliding down on a crocodile etc.

I think introducing Kochanski ruined the entire premise of the show which was 4 lonely men in space, as soon as that's changed you have to alter everyones perception and it just went from bad to worse every episode. I think if you count the whole series of the show excluding most of the last 2, you could definitely call it a classic. I just preferred it when it was more subtle and slow in the book and first few series, it started to turned into a 'Men Behaving Badly' of space after that.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'PJ' on Tue Dec 12 12:21:12 GMT 2000:

Yes, the 'Cloe Annett situation' as it should be referred too, was certainly the start of the problem. But also, to then remove Chris Barrie (even though he chose to leave), the other principle cast member (apart from craig charles), and then bring him Norman Lovett back is far too much reinvention - the show seems to have lost its way. It appears that Doug Naylor wants Red Dwarf to be what it originally was in the first two seasons, but with the improved budgets of the later, poor-quality season. Or perhaps Naylor hasn't really got a clue what he wants to do but, as long as he gets the money, he's alright.
Sorry, thats a bit presumptious, isn't it? But still, will there be another series. Or a film? Or what? Does anyone know?


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stuart O' on Tue Dec 12 12:31:19 GMT 2000:

>I think introducing Kochanski ruined the entire premise of the show which was 4 lonely men in space, as soon as that's changed you have to alter everyones perception and it just went from bad to worse every episode.

The Seinfeld mantra just occurred to me: "No hugs, no learning." Series 7 had too much of both.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By John! on Tue Dec 12 14:05:50 GMT 2000:

I could quite happily never watch any of Seasons 7 or 8 ever again, because I genuinely believe they were *that* bad. Maybe if I watch my copies again I'll change my view, but I doubt it.

And that Ace Rimmer/crocodile bit was bloody awful, possibly the moment I realised it just wasn't true Red Dwarf anymore.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Steven on Tue Dec 12 14:36:52 GMT 2000:

Hmm, well I haven't seen it since it was first broadcast, when I was about 15 I think, but I remember me and my friends waiting to watch the JFK episode and think how awful we expected the new series to be. I remember thinking the JFK one was alright, and then we pissed ourselves during the start of the second one, the one with the crocodile etc, I genuinely thought it was hilarious at the time. Then after that it generally got incredibly crap, and I stopped watching it soon after, to this day I still haven't seen most of the newer episodes.

This is really interesting considering all the TGP stuff on this forum: I remember the all time worst episode I ever saw, which made me feel violantly sick, was the episode co-written by Robert Llewellyn in the 7th series, the one where Kryten has a brother and all that, I remember saying to my friends in school how mind numbingly awful it was. And most of my friends being Red Dwarf fans started having a go at me, saying it was really good, seemingly they were all trying to agree with my best friend, because he was the leader of the pack or whatever you'd call it. Afterwards in one of the lessons I asked one of my friends who was arguing against me why he thought it was good, and he said he actually thought it was terrible, but just agreed with my best friend so as not to get any flak..


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stocky' on Tue Dec 12 15:50:33 GMT 2000:

It is actually interesting that whenever I think back to the 7th and 8th series I always remember not laughing and just wishing it would get better. When you watch them it becomes apparent how awfull they were, but because of series 1-6 people still aren't laying into it and actually want a new series. Anyway didn't one half of Grant/Naylor stop writing after series 6 and therefore the remaining writer had to write them all in hope of a film deal?


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stuart O' on Thu Dec 14 14:35:55 GMT 2000:

Rob Grant apparently went off in a huff, or something, so Doug Naylor wrote the rest with various co-writers. Apparently he intended to pass the writing all off to the co-writers (Paul Alexander, Kim Fuller etc.) but couldn't avoid getting involved.

Grabt/Naylor also each wrote their own sequels to the second Red Dwarf book, both of which are crap.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Phil' on Fri Dec 15 21:28:12 GMT 2000:

>>Grabt/Naylor also each wrote their own sequels to the second Red Dwarf book, both of which are crap.

Don't agree with that. Last Human is excellent, whereas Backwards is as terrible as a load of recycled script ideas cobbled together into a full length novel can be. There's barely a single joke in the whole book that didn't originate from the TV series in some way.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stuart O' on Sat Dec 16 21:51:53 GMT 2000:

Well, I've not read either for a long time, but both seemed below par compared to the previous two. I'll re-read them (actually, I'll have to find them first) and give you a book report. Or maybe not.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stocky' on Mon Dec 18 14:34:11 GMT 2000:

>>>Grabt/Naylor also each wrote their own sequels to the second Red Dwarf book, both of which are crap.
>
>Don't agree with that. Last Human is excellent, whereas Backwards is as terrible as a load of recycled script ideas cobbled together into a full length novel can be. There's barely a single joke in the whole book that didn't originate from the TV series in some way.

All their books steal from the TV show in some way, after all it is theirs.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Phil' on Mon Dec 18 16:04:44 GMT 2000:

>>>>Grabt/Naylor also each wrote their own sequels to the second Red Dwarf book, both of which are crap.
>>
>>Don't agree with that. Last Human is excellent, whereas Backwards is as terrible as a load of recycled script ideas cobbled together into a full length novel can be. There's barely a single joke in the whole book that didn't originate from the TV series in some way.
>
>All their books steal from the TV show in some way, after all it is theirs.

Yeah, but the books pride themselves on being "Original Novels" rather than just novelisations of the TV series. Therefore, you could justifiably expect them to include some original material. And "Backwards" doesn't have very much.


Subject: Re: Red Dwarf 2001: Space Oddity [ Previous Message ]
Posted By subbes on Tue Dec 19 04:52:03 GMT 2000:

> And "Backwards" doesn't have very much.


Yes, but it does have the only dirty-book bit designed for lefthanders.

(you see, you read it backwards, and... exactly, yes. Now stop sniggering and realise that no, I didn't and no, I wouldn't, and eurgh, that's icky.)


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