I have very fond memories of Red Dwarf and I want them to stay that way, so news that it's to return in a new two part series fills me with mixed emotions. Having never re-visited the crew since the first runs through the late 80s and 90s, my memories are hazy to say the least – that theme tune, 'smeg heads' and Craig Charles being monumentally unhygienic. And didn't Holly change sex at some point? The point being, it was great at the time but a bit like the 70s Incredible Hulk or Kinder Eggs, I suspect it should be locked away in a nostalgic time capsule, revisited only by future generations as a museum piece. I would never recover fully if Chris Barrie's Rimmer wasn't the utterly hysterical bastard I remember him as. Speaking of Chris Barrie, the same goes for The Brittas Empire, and Gordon Brittas' gloriously absurd, farcical leisure centre. A baby kept in a filing cabinet - genius.
Anyhow, the digital TV station Dave has decided to go beyond repeats and show a new series, Red Dwarf: Back To Earth, written and directed by co-creator Doug Naylor. Following the original crew (and cast) of Lister, Kryten, Cat and Rimmer the new episodes will see them finally return to Earth, as part of a Red Dwarf weekend showing over Easter. I want this to be good, I really do. Maybe it will manage to recapture the daft, witty, sarcastic humour and potty Britishness of the original shows, but I'm not sure if I can bring myself to find out.
When I see this pop up in my rss reader I thought it was the resurrection of the movie....hmm I dunno, are they back on earth so they don't have to have any sfx?
I like that Idea. I want to see more of Red Dwarf.
Big fan of the show. Have the series on DVD. Always good for a laugh. It'll be interesting to see if they can capture that same magic as the original series.
Can't wait!
The first five seasons were excellent, for varying reasons, and bear repeated viewings...the later seasons (especially after Rob Grant left) were pretty crap IMHO, so resurrecting it now doesn't really excite me. I wouldn't use the phrase 'jumped the shark'...'past its prime' may be better...
[Happosai]
I'll watch it... Though I hope they not only bring back Guy Holly, but also Ace Rimmer... he was quite a guy. ;)
On another note, the two Red Dwarf novels by Grant/Naylor, "Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers" and "Better Than Life", are among the only novels I've read twice.
Reading them is to see what the show could have been if unrestrained by budget or decency laws. Bloody intelligent too, if not prescient.
Well I loved the old series but hated the very abrupt ending it had.I hope all will be explained in this new series.