back to article Go back to the future with Red Dwarf

After a 13-year hiatus, Red Dwarf is definitely back for a full series with all the old familiar faces, according to the reddwarf.co.uk website. Red Dwarf X will be filmed in front of a studio audience at Shepperton Studios next month and in January 2012. The official blurb for the series reads: Red Dwarf returns for its …

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  1. Steve Evans

    Well...

    The studio audience is a good sign, at least they should get some real laughter instead of that horrible canned crap they used towards the end of the last run.

    Assuming it's funny enough of course. If not, then it'll be unfunny - with canned laughter.

  2. Alien Doctor 1.1

    FFS

    This had better be worth it after that dismal three-parter recently; sometimes I wish I never bother about newly made series/films/whatever and remain happy with my memories.

    1. Thomas 4

      If this *anything* like Back To Earth

      ...then I, and I suspect a lot of other RD fans, will be queuing up to hack its metaphorical balls off.

      1. tmTM
        Thumb Up

        Lighten up?

        You can never please die hard fans, not unless you went back in time, stopped Grand and Taylor falling out and commissioned a new series and film then.

        Back to Earth was alrite, I'm sure the new series will be a laugh too.

        1. Alien Doctor 1.1

          Sorry Mr/Ms/Mrs Doubly Trademarked...

          but I am not a die hard fan, although I am a fan of good British comedy; "Back to Earth" was excruciatingly bad and did a great injustice to the memory of the first few series.

          There are many examples upon which we can draw that show that sometimes a death really should remain that and resurrection will only bring pain, embarassment and a wish that that relative should have been left to rest in peace.

  3. jake Silver badge

    But it's only a quarter to 6 on a Sunday morning ...

    Do you suppose I could have some toast?

    1. GettinSadda
      Happy

      Howdy doodley do!

      Did someone mention toast?

    2. jake Silver badge

      It's just gone 03:40 ...

      Anyone want toast?

  4. Lee Dowling Silver badge

    And if it's anything like Back to Earth, you can keep it and wait twelve years before you film another. Boy, that was a heap of junk.

    The point of bringing a show back is to remind us how good it was. Not to make us cringe at the blatant money-chasing of a previously well-regarded British comedy brand.

    Seriously - I will watch the first episode. If it's shit, I'm sorry but I won't watch anything else you push with the name, and my collection of Red Dwarf DVD's will never extend past series 8 for the rest of my life.

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      To be honest

      Anything past the third episode in series seven was crap.

      1. irish donkey
        Happy

        I lost hope at Series 6

        Series 7 had one good episode: 'Blue' all the others were rubbish.

        If you're in trouble he will save the day

        He's brave and he's fearless come what may

        Without him the mission would go astray

        He's Arnold, Arnold, Arnold Rimmer....

        repeat until sides hurt.

        1. PsychicMonkey
          Thumb Up

          he's also

          a fantastic swimmer!

  5. Winkypop Silver badge
    Terminator

    Oh, spin my nipple nuts and send me to Alaska!

    Ah. Smug mode!

  6. LarsG

    HOPE IT IS BETTER........

    THAN the last disaster, the special they put on.

  7. Richard Scratcher
    Thumb Up

    The universe will never be the same...

    Whilst I, for one, welcome the return of our Smeg Head orelords, their universe will never be the same until Rob Grant gets back onto the writing team.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Rob Grant

      *and* Norman Lovett...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        ...and

        ...the answer to what happened after Rimmer kicked Death in the nuts.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Blakes 7

    I'll believe it when I see it. They've been saying there would be more episodes on Dave since the three Easter episodes a couple of years ago, but nothing has come of it. No more than the film version, which has been about to go into production any day now for the last 20 years.

    The same applies to Blake's 7, which has been poised for a comeback for just as long.

    I thought, given the budget, the recent Red Dwarf production was not only great, but highlighted how good for its time the original series was. However, the story or direction was a bit weak and it wasn't as funny as it should be. Episode 2 was the best but let down by a slow start in episode 1 and a disappointing resolution in 3.

    I liked the idea that Lister had become so bored in the intervening years that he was passing his time spending *days* setting up the 'tomato sneeze' ironing scene just to get a simple sneer out of Rimmer, but the direction meant it dragged too long on-screen.

    Perhaps the remaining bloke behind it now needs to take a back seat as an executive producer and allow other writers and producers to provide up-to-date comedy and plots, while he ensures it remains faithful to the original and maintains its relatively high production values?

    I thought the way they faked elaborate corridors on the ship by putting intricate scaled models in front of the camera and then using a huge depth of field as the actors did their stuff further away was inspired! Obviously it limits the shot to a fixed camera angle, but it's better than a moving camera showing a set that looks cheap.

    It'll be nice if it comes back again, but it needs to build on the last three specials. Otherwise, it'll turn into a Norman Wisdom of a TV show, where a small set of people just cheer for the sake of it, knowing deep down inside that what they're seeing is a pale shadow of what once was.

    1. Andy 97
      Thumb Down

      Can't be done...

      The main 'corridor' of the spaceships has recently been demolished to make way for a swanky business centre.

      BBC Worldwide fail!

  9. MrT

    I'm going to go with...

    ... "good" - looking forward to it. Even if this time round when cat goes 'Owwwwww!" before sliding stiffly across the door it'll actually be due to feline arthritis - did they pack Iams cat food on the ship?

    Actually, with that in mind, since no-one has mentioned Hollie, can I vote for Leslie Philips as the third alternative personality for the ship's computer...?

  10. Trollslayer
    Thumb Up

    Smoke me a kipper!

    I enjoyed Back To Earth (you had to watch the last 30 seconds BTW) and have high hopes for this.

  11. Bottle_Cap

    Going to need...

    A horse that has passed on and a whip here... Don't get me wrong I really loved RD but let's face it the last few series were pretty dire.. As for the back to earth thing - well let's just pretend it never happened!

  12. OrsonX

    Series VI: Out Of Time

    Crew killed by their future selves.

    - The End -

    I wish.

    1. Lamont Cranston
      Unhappy

      This, a thousand times over.

      Why can't they just let it die?

    2. irish donkey
      Thumb Up

      What he said!

      even trying to do it without Rimmer/Rob Grant.....

      A bit like leaving the tikka out of a chicken tikka

  13. Robert E A Harvey

    Holly?

    This is an IT board.

    Why no mention of Norman Lovett?

    (His autobiography is out next year, provisional title 'talking head')

  14. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Alien

    I did miss it

    13 years should be enough to get some original ideas. I will look forward to seeing it.

  15. LesC
    FAIL

    Oh, No

    If it's anything like that crossover abomination 'Back to Earth' it'll be definately slated in September 2012. Hopefully Naylor or whoever wrote the script didn't listen to the RD fanboi wailing dervishes this time.

    Fail as there's no Grant as far as I can see.

  16. Efros

    Hopefully

    a better effort than the last abysmal offering.

  17. JDX Gold badge

    Studio audience

    I'm sure that was something that was missed on the last Dave Special.

    What about Holly?

  18. Jeremy 2

    I just hope it's better than that mini series they did a couple of years back. That just felt awkward to watch...

  19. I Like Heckling Silver badge
    Meh

    Meh

    I've both excited and have a deep dark sense of impending doom.

    I love the show... well, I love the first 5 series, like the 6th... think the 7th was a huge steaming turd and that the 8th if condensed into 3 episodes could be be quite good.

    But I refuse to accept that the 'Back to Earth' series ever happened... it's a total... total... a word has yet to be invented to describe what it is, but it is one and a total one at that.

    The good episodes were written by Doug Naylor and Rob Grant... once that partnership ended after series 6... it's been all downhill.

    So this news comes with a deep dark sense of foreboding... a feeling that this could very well kill my fondness for the show entirely.

  20. EddieD

    Argh...

    I'm sorry, but tv series have a natural span, and unless I'm very wrong, and I hope I am, Red Dwarf has gone past it's sell by date.

    I hope I'll be wrong, I'd love a new series to work, but I'm not really looking forward to this one

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  21. Haku
    Thumb Up

    Fan-smegging-tastic!

    It's going to be interesting seeing how old the actors have got since their last 'Dwarfing'. I'm so looking forward to this.

    P.S. Would anyone like any toast?

    1. Andy ORourke
      Happy

      Want to see how old Cat looks?

      take a look at the detective series on BBC1, Death in Paradise Tuesday at 21:00. The only reason for him to be saying Oooooooow now is in response to having to get up out of the comfy chair :-(

      Want a picture : http://www.emmerdale.me.uk/tv/interviews/a346419/danny-john-jules-death-in-paradise-qa-controversy-is-great.html

  22. Vic

    Worrying...

    The last outing was so utterly dreadful, I really don't want to get my hopes up...

    Vic.

  23. Dive Fox

    What about Norman Lovett then? Oh wait, they pissed him off, according to his Wikipedia page. It won't be the same without Holly, and I don't mean Hattie Hayridge.

  24. Dropper
    Pint

    Great news

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast..

  25. SirTainleyBarking
    Thumb Up

    Cue the quotes

    Cat: "Forget red - let's go all the way up to brown alert!"

    Kryten: "There's no such thing as a brown alert sir."

    Cat: "You won't be saying that in a minute!"

  26. guvna

    What made this series so brilliant in the first place was it's cheapness, and the quality of the writing to make it what it was.

    Then they decided to go all widescreen and super special effects and stuff it so full of bells and whistles, that it just wasn't funny. They tried too desperately hard on gags that just didn't fit, it was almost embarrasing to watch.

    Given the fact that it's gone back to a studio audience at least gives it some form of dignity again. I hope they go back to the good old ways of cheapness because at least with that, it worked.

    Save your big bucks for the movies. This thing was made out of old hoover parts and egg boxes, and that's how I loved it.

    1. Thecowking

      Hur hur hur, you said "hard on gags".

      Sadly that was funnier than season 7&8 combined. ( I actually enjoyed the three parter, mainly because I called the despair/hope squid thing after five minutes and then had smug mode after I was proven right. And I like Blade Runner homages)

    2. Admiral Grace Hopper
      Thumb Up

      "This thing was made out of old hoover parts and egg boxes"

      And a Philips Maestro keyboard, which is another reason love it.

  27. Richard 81

    Please, no.

    Please, just let it be. The mini-series was god awful!

  28. Gary F

    How can 6 episodes be considered a series?

    In the US a series is at least 12 episodes, or well over 20 in many cases. Why did the BBC only commission 6 in the new series? Quite a cop out. Considering the effort and expense in building the sets again and putting the production together they might as well go for 12 episodes, they know fans and a new younger audience will be watching it and buying the DVD/Blu-Ray, so why not?

    1. Sooty

      You don't seem to have noticed that pretty much *all* British series are about 6 episodes... only recently, under pressure from the American ones, have they started to be stretched out.

      Have you ever heard of 'filler' episodes? Clip show episodes? You'd be hard pressed to find them in British series, as the writers don't have to stretch 6 episodes worth of material into 24. It's about quality, not quantity... I'd much rather have 6 great episodes, than 24 so-so ones!

    2. Haku

      Quality vs quantity

      I would prefer to have 6 great episodes than 20 meh episodes.

      1. Thomas 4

        Quality vs quality

        I would prefer to have 6 great episodes than 3 episodes that were basically self insert fan-fiction, mixed with some crap about Blade Runner.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Let's be honest

    "the last series back in 1999 was series eight"

    The last series was series 6... 7 & 8 were some sort of extended death throes.

    Rob Grant and Doug Naylor just haven't been as successful individually, input from both of them is needed as their styles compliment each other.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    fan-smegging-tastic

    see title

  31. atomic jam
    Happy

    <happy type="very"> Speechless </happy>

    See above

  32. King Jack
    Thumb Down

    I loved Red Dwarf

    But after their last outing I think they should stay lost in space. Why ruin a good memory?

  33. A. Lewis
    Thumb Down

    *sigh*

    "From the pen of Doug Naylor".

    So like Series 7 and 8 then. And like the abysmal Corrie crossover special?

    And not at all like series 1 - 6, which were actually good?

    I am probably just a fanboy. But for me, once Rob Grant left the writing team, the show was over. You've only got to read his and Naylor's separate novels to see which was the one with the comedic talent.

    Can't they just leave my fond memories of the early, funny, Red Dwarf, alone?

  34. Head
    Thumb Up

    Hmmm

    Smegging hell!!

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Necrophilia

    Just leave the corpse alone... It was good and then it ended so please stop digging it up... Where is the new comedy?

  36. stu 4
    FAIL

    oh dear

    the last dave specials were shit enough.

    let it die. please let it die.

    on the one hand - faulty towers - truly amazing comedy - writer/star: Cleese. He knew 2 series was enough and he quit. He had plenty other stuff he wanted to do. Gervais - same story.

    on the other hand - red dwarf - great comedy (up to about series 5/6) - writer Doug Naylor. He knew he had fuck all else he could work on, and since Rob Grant went, was basically a waste of oxygen.. so licks every producers rim under the sun to secure more sub-standard rubbishy written scripts he's managed to spew out to avoid collecting a dole cheque.

    I'm thankful that at least only Dave gave him any cash.

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge
      Facepalm

      I was agreeing with you...

      ...right until you compared the god-awful unfunny Ricky Gervais to the comedy genuis of John Cleese. How anyone can find that man amusing for more than five minutes is beyond me; his one gag is an obnoxious persona, which appears to extend into real life, so much that he doesn't even seem to be acting in the first place.

  37. AlexS
    Alert

    Series 10

    Actually they are making series 10 to 15 in 5 episodes after accidentally mind-merging with the Firefox marketing department.

    1. King Jack
      Coffee/keyboard

      That my friend is probably more funny than next series will be.

  38. Chris Haynes
    Pint

    Excellent news!

    Are you absolutely sure, sir? It does mean changing the bulb.

    As long as Chloe Annett isn't in it, I'll be happy.

  39. Wombling_Free
    Thumb Up

    Fish!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    FISH!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    FISH!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    FISH!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    FISH!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    ...FISH!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    .....FISH!

    Today's fish is trout a'la creme. Enjoy your meal.

    I will!

    Like I will enjoy more Red Dwarf!

    Now, about this script and cast recommendations I have for Blake's 7....

  40. T J
    Megaphone

    SERIES SEVEN NOT TEN

    The last Red Dwarf series, as anyone knows, was Series 6.

    I heard rumours there were some kind of silly spinoff series after that involving fart jokes and tits, but The Boys From The Dwarf definitely ended with Rimmer blowing the time drive to smithereens.

    So this is Series Seven, not Series Ten.

    Just thought I'd clear that up.

  41. Winkypop Silver badge

    Smeg, you guys are hard to please

    It's a TV show.

    It's free to air (over here)

    It's sci/fi - techie - nerdy based goodness

    It's always been better than the alternative: [Your country name's] got talent /biggest loser/at home with/idol/kardashian.....bullshit

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Sometimes

      not watching telly is the better alternative.

  42. heyrick Silver badge

    It will suck

    Sorry... But shown on "Dave"? I'd imagine if it was good, it'd be shown on BBC2.

    Now something I would like to see brought back is "The Young Ones", but I'm afraid the way things are these days it'd just be a pile of bad language with zero substance that thinks itself funny. After all, look how much they screwed up a remake of "The Prisoner". Maybe some things are better left?

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Long in the tooth

    Lost it's sparkle when Rob Grant and Doug Naylor stopped writing together.

  44. Richard Wharram
    Facepalm

    Pfft

    Frankly, Season 3 was starting to get a bit wank.

  45. Lloyd
    WTF?

    Meh

    The last time it was actually funny was around season 4, I pretty much gave up half way through season 6.

  46. Nick Ryan Silver badge

    Please...

    The news I'd like to hear is that the writing team is returning to the original pairing, so we'll be saved from the moronic dumbed down mess that was the last full series.

  47. David Ward 1
    Thumb Down

    shown on Dave?

    "shown on Dave" all I needed to know!

  48. Harmless
    WTF?

    Dave?! PAY to watch ads?!

    I don't pay to watch TV, so I won't be seeing it..

    The free channels, with a DVR (or internet catch-up) gives me plenty.

    Somehow I reckon I won't be missing much.

    1. SteveK

      "Dave?! PAY to watch ads?!"

      Sorry? Dave is on free-to-air so why are you talking about paying to watch it? Sure it has adverts but with a DVR you can just skip over them. Oh, it's not on FreeSat if that's what you have, but it is on Freeview.

      Steve.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Huh?

      DAVE is one of the free channels.

    3. Harmless
      Coat

      I can't get that DTV terrestial multiplex, and on satellite it's not one of the free channels. I do most of my TV viewing via the Sky box because the user interface is so much better.

      So, for me, Dave isn't free!

  49. TRT Silver badge

    Hyperdrive

    They should team up with the Hyperdrive cast & crew, then I'd have something I could definitely make a note of* in my diary.

    *to miss / visit my aunt in deepest Peru / die

  50. Z80
    Headmaster

    Kryton?

    Kryten

  51. NelsonMuntz
    Happy

    Well stoke me a clipper!

    1. Armando 123

      What, they're bringing in the guy who played Crabtree from 'Allo 'Allo?

      1. jai

        ref: series 7 episode 2

  52. pctechxp

    Let's hope

    Dave joins Freesat soon as I'll be pretty pissed if I have to watch it via TVCatchup.

  53. Jim 59

    Funny

    The original Red Dwarf was in that 3% of sitcoms that are actually funny. But being funny is very hard, and I guess we all know that these new episodes are more likely to be in the 97%. In addition, any new comedy must be seen to promote "correct" opinions, and this is a guaranteed laugh-killer.

  54. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NaySayers: Here's an AMAZING idea!

    Don't watch it.

    The most revolutionary ideas are sometimes the most simple ..

  55. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Back to Earth... with a bump.

    If it's anything like "Back to Earth", you can keep it.

    Stomached about 10 minutes of that, before giving up - total rubbish.

  56. Rameses Niblick the Third (KKWWMT)
    Meh

    Stop doing this to me!

    Reading this news is like getting a text from a girl that dumped you offering a shag. You want it, you know you do, but you know that, in the end, it will be painful and a bad idea. But you'll probably do it anyway.

    Series 6 was brilliant and really it should have ended there. Series 7 was dire, but the first half of series 8 was absolutely brilliant. Lister and Rimmer, together in a small room, getting in to scrapes, I loved it. Then they introduced dinosaurs, and it went crap again. The mini-series never happened. Seriously, it was a bad dream.

    So will I watch it? Of course I will.

  57. darklord
    Happy

    no new news then

    Rober Llewelyn put this up earlier in the year on his blog site and even when recording was due to start.

  58. Andy 97
    Thumb Up

    The first l series was shot for much less than the Dave budget (index linked).

    The main charm was the scripts and the characters.

    I think it could be fun and possibly *we all need to take a deep breath and give them a chance*.

    Craig Charles (and the other cast members) make so much money from their share of the DVD sales - I think that you'll find much of the loving fun will be included.

  59. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    go on dave

    I have so far struggled to get beyond about 20mins of the latest one where they just wander round a shopping centre.

    But at least it's not the BBC wasting my licence fee so im happy for Dave to rummage down the back of the sofa for the coins to make some more.

    .

  60. Graham Bartlett
    Unhappy

    @Rameses Niblick the Third

    No, it's like getting a text from a girl who dumped you ten years ago, and you've since met much nicer girls, and she's now fat and ugly and her life's turned to crap, and now she's texting you asking can she come back and have a shag.

    On the one hand, you're tempted to do it, just to see how it'd be. But you know before you start that it's going to be a disaster and waste your time.

    1. Rameses Niblick the Third (KKWWMT)

      @Graham Bartlett

      Mmm, I see what you're saying, but I am forced to disagree. In your analogy, I would feel very pleased to say no, and probably quite smug too. But (as you can tell from my screen name), I could (almost) never say no to Red Dwarf. Despite all they've done to me, the idea of it coming back still excites me, and despite it hurting me in the past, I'm willing to forgive that because there is a chance, albeit a small one, that it will be amazing and brilliant all over again. They've proved, to me at least, that they can do it if they try. 'Back in the Red' (feature length episode / first 3 episodes of series 8 depending on which bit of the DVD you watch) was back to Red Dwarf as it should be.

      I'm almost certain that they are going to hurt me all over again, but I'll take that risk, because when it's good, its fantastic.

      PS: Allow the 'Reply' function in to your life, go on, you might like it ;-)

  61. Imsimil Berati-Lahn
    Meh

    Oh how wonderful...

    Six more episodes of "Exposition android explains it all"

    Colour me meh.

  62. Bottle_Cap

    Still..

    at least it can't be as bad as the US version...still have nightmares about that and only made it 2 mins in! :O

  63. jai

    september?

    They should aim to release it in a year and one week from now. What better way to celebrate Gazpacho Soup day?

  64. Sadako
    Megaphone

    Back to Ear^h^h^h the drawing board

    I agree with the naysayers about Red Dwarf being done to death. The last two series did nothing to develop the characters, and concentrated far too much on strained one-liners that weren't funny. It also says a lot when the only good scifi sitcom i've seen recently is the Clear Skies trilogy; meaning that professional studios are being upstaged by people using home computers and using animation models from game engines to produce sets with a tiny budget, but succeed by having better jokes, a better plot and more action than things like Back To Earth. That's pretty embarrasing...

  65. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    We shall see how it goes. Although I can't help but think the characters are getting a bit long in the tooth for it now. But maybe they have a cracking make-up department.

  66. Keep Refrigerated
    Alien

    But where would all the calculators go?

    Those who think Back To Earth was bad have obviously never seen the US Pilot. The US Pilot makes Back-to-Earth seem like brilliant comedy!

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