Red Dwarf Disappointment
What can I say about the genesis of “Red Dwarf”?
In a strange way I am not at all surprised. I did not have very high hopes for this “series” and in a way they managed to hit the nail exactly where I thought they would. That is not to say there were not things to like.
It is just unfortunate that it fell so flat after so much hype. In case you have not seen it I wrote an article on my expectations for the new show a while back that caused some discussion.
If you intend to see the series please stop reading now. Go and watch it and make up your own mind. There might be spoilers in here, and I would not like you to hear it from me before you have seen it for yourself.
Whats to like
Lets start on a positive note because a lot of hard work has gone into this production, and on the whole the production values were the highest they have ever been for the show. There is some truly excellent FX works going on and I think it shows just how far computer graphics have come since the show started.
The design work on the ship, and the re-working of the general designs gave the entire show a lift, with little nods to the original series while bringing in new ideas. Even though I did not like some of the re-working of the costumes I do not intend to bicker over what is such minor trivia.
As I expected it was great to see the crew back together. Especially Chris Barry and Craig Charles. They have always had a great on screen connection and their characters are so finely tuned together it always works between them. Just seeing Rimmer brought back to life once more made the whole thing worth watching.
But. I am very sad to say this is where my joy must end
The problem
In the massive lead up to this series there has been great delight in telling us how we were not going to get what we expected. There was going to be a massive surprise that no one could predict.
Unfortunately the thing we were not expecting was they were going to redo two plot lines they have already done before (much better I might add) and skip a whole ton of detail on how they got to this point.
Better Than Life
One of my favorite ideas in science fiction was introduced to me by Red Dwarf. The entire premise of the book “Better Than Life” is almost the same plot as this new series. But the book is infinitely better and much better conceived.
In the book (and in series 2) “Better Than Life” is a game that you plug yourself into a get to live in a virtual world that is totally realistic. A “Total Immersion Video Game” that for all the player cares is real. But the purpose of the game is to find all that makes you happiest. The game finds all you hopes and desires, and it will let you live them out in this “real world”.The problem of course is once you are in you don’t ever want to leave. At the expense of your physical body, you get to live your dream for the rest of your life.
When I read this such a long time ago I can remember thinking it was a great idea. Not entirely new, but a great spin on the concept and really well thought through. Towards the end of the story it turns very black. Lister becomes trapped in this dream world and no matter what any one else does he refuses to believe its not real.
It was a very potent image that was created for Lister. It was perpetually the night before Christmas, he would leave his job and make his way home to his family to enjoy Christmas with them. Once he had done that it would let him live it again and again. That was all he needed to be happy so that is what he was given.
This has stuck with me, and while the show has always been light hearted fun. I have always thought there was a solid idea underlying it that some day they might exploit.
Unfortunately for this new show they used that idea, coupled with the “despair squid” story (which is inexplicably popular) and created something that was not new or very clever.
Where it all went wrong
The events of the new series take place some time after series 10. The events of the end of series 8 seem to have been completely lost. While there is mention of the crew being wiped out (again) its not tied to the end of the last series in any way. Except amongst the dead is Kochanski and Dave is as you would expect very upset.
Then the whole thing slides from interesting opening to downward slide. Ignore all of that the Cat tells us there is something in the water tank and it needs to be sorted out. Enter the squid and we are sent on a wild goose chase.
I am going to leave out all the details of where is goes from there. There will undoubtedly a mass of discussion about the plot and its meanings which I will leave for others. I recommend Ganymede TV
I think that says enough about how disappointed I was with the whole thing.
Blade Runner Nonsense
There are massive references to “Blade Runner” through out the show that I thought were complete rubbish. I am not a fan “Blade Runner”, while its an interesting film, I just don’t rate it. I know there are a lot of people who do, its just not my taste.
But the show played on it badly, to the extent it ripped off whole scenes. While I can see why they did it, it was just self indulgent rubbish that really did not help push the show forward in any way.
Conclusion
Total and utter loathing of what has happened to one of my favorite shows. It is now just a mere shadow of its former self.
I really do hope this is the final nail in the lid of “Red Dwarf”. It gives me absolutely no pleasure to say it, but I was right in my previous article. This show is well passed its prime and needs to be put down for good.
There are fan boys out there who will argue till they are blue in the face how it is still worth watching. To them I say well done. You are able to see something I can not. Fight the good fight, and maybe someday you will be rewarded with a new series, and maybe they will even get back some of what has been lost.
But for me. I am closing the “Red Dwarf” chapter of my life. I have no doubt I will watch anything else they put out. But I will not be half as interested as I once was.
Tags: reddwarf
May 6th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Wow! Fantastic review. I don’t read your blog, but I saw your tweet about Red Dwarf and decided to click over. I’m glad I did as I think you fairly succinctly articulated exactly what is spinning in my head. Series 1-8 are epic. Huge. Even more so since that final show aired ten years ago.
But these specials did little to satisfy that craving for original, spectacular, hilarious and smart Red Dwarf that I’ve grown to love so much.
One of the most noticeable elements that others seem to overlook in applauding or criticizing the specials is the performance of the players. Craig Charles was superb. As was Robert Llewellyn. Barrie had some good moments but he was not spot on. Danny John-Jules was mostly awful, especially in the opening scene of his. And Sophie Winkleman — I don’t know what to say about her. Either she is terrible or the writing just did not help her at all. Fact is, any brilliant science officer would master a language she was compelled to speak in, even if it were not her native tongue. Dropping words like “is” during the entire duration of her time on screen drove me absolutely crazy. It reminded me of high school theater. Terrible. I don’t know if the original script created that or if she decided to “own” the character and make that change. Either way, it was atrocious.
I think placing the cornerstone of blame on writing is probably the best way to illustrate the main problems with the specials. I love Red Dwarf as much as anyone. But I’d rather see it end here and love series 1 through 8 than be resurrected only to suck.
That said, it was spectacular to see Chloe Annett again. Wow.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:46 am
I’m glad they made it, I would never say no to more Red Dwarf but yes this wasn’t that great.
Highest point for me was them coming out in the tv shop and talking about the scanner, that was my only laugh in the whole thing.
I enjoyed some of the fan service of the episode but I thought they could have done more. If your really going to be doing the whole tracking down your creators in a semi documentary style I would have visited each of the cast and taken the piss out of the real them and then gone to see all the people who make it.
The blade runner gag was so over done, like allot of the jokes in this they told it then explained it then told it again….just wasn’t funny. The whole “real world” they went into was destroyed the moment they did the pyramid in London, I know it was mean’t to point to the “twist” of it not being real but it just came off as a bit lame.
To end on a plus point though the special effects, costumes and set were all perfect for me and I’d loved to have seen a normal series in this setup.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Thanks for dropping by David
I think you are spot on the performances were excellent with the notable exception of Danny John-Jules. But if we are going to be honest “The Cat” is a massively shallow character (as it is supposed to be) and while the others have changed and grown over time. Any changes Danny attempts only make the character seem more stupid. But I have to admit he was spectacularly awful here.
But he does have one of the best lines ever to have been uttered. I direct you to his “Inquisitor” speech
I have a horrible feeling the increased production values are not a result of the production company. Just a result of CGI work making the whole thing much cheaper. Leaving them more money left over to spend on sets, costumes, designs, etc.
I really enjoyed Sophie Winkleman, I could see how her character could work and really needle Rimmer. But your right again, her accent made no sense and her dialogue was terrible. But I don’t think you can blame her, she was working with what she was given.
It was great to see Chloe. Even if she was in strange “Sean Young” attire. But the whole plot point around her leaving Lister and Kryten telling him she was dead made absolutely no sense. Plus the part with the kids on the bus was ridicules.