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This week’s TOS update features an interview with the channel head of Dave, Steve North. As you might expect, the majority of it is Steve mutually backslapping about Red Dwarf - both as a property in general (he clearly knows his stuff, talking about series VIII viewing figures and the like) and the success it’s had on Dave. But you’re still going to want to read it. Trust me.
Oh, alright, we’ll C&P the relevant bit, although you should still go and read the whole thing :
Is it true to say Dave want a new series and meetings have taken place?
Steve grins.
Is it also true to say a new series has actually been commissioned but for various complex budget reasons you aren’t able to officially announce it yet?
Steve laughs, “I couldn’t possibly comment.”
ADDITIONAL: This little nugget has just appeared on Chortle’s Weekly Trivia File:
Did he let the Cat out of the bag? Fans of Red Dwarf will delighted to learn that Stuart Snaith, head of DVD firm 2 Entertain, announced this week that the show had been ‘recommissioned as a series next year’. But when Chortle followed up his comments at the Broadcast TV Comedy Forum, he backtracked. ‘Apologies,’ he said later. ‘There is no confirmed new series of Red Dwarf, just some talk of the possibility.’
Here we go again…
Comments
> (he clearly knows his stuff, talking about series VIII viewing figures and the like)
Except the way he worded it, it sounded like he was claiming the last episode of series VIII got 8 million viewers, but is incorrect…
But never mind all that tot, this is very EXCITING.
‘Apologies,’ he said later. ‘I wasn’t supposed to say anything, and I got in trouble a little bit, so I’m now pretending that I’d completely misinterpreted the situation so as not to affect ongoing contract/budget negotiations.’
Awesome…. Can’t wait for an official announcement! They’d be foolish to not make more new Dwarf!
>Except the way he worded it, it sounded like he was claiming the last episode of series VIII got 8 million viewers, but is incorrect…
I…
but…
you see…
yes…
but…
it’s…
… LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE-HEADED MONKEY!
:STOP PRESS:
Having discovered via a ‘fanboy’ website that the last episode of Red Dwarf Series VIII did NOT attract 8 million viewers as they were first led to believe, the digital channel DAVE have pulled out of talks regarding future proposed episodes.
Grinning like a loon :D
But how will the series numbering go now???
Series numbering will now be replaced by estimated viewing figures.
My google search has come up with this….
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a179012/rdf-developing-new-shows-f...
So RDF are developing 3 new pilots for Dave including an animated………..Red Dwarf Animated anyone?
The animation project won’t be Dwarf, though I would really like to see a brand new British animation.
What do you think the chances are of us getting some sort of announcement of future Dwarf at DJ XV?
>What do you think the chances are of us getting some sort of announcement of future Dwarf at DJ XV?
If that happened we’d probably be looking at Best DJ Moment Evar.
What, bigger than the silence stunning ‘Red Dwarf The Musical’ non-announcement?
If that happened we’d probably be looking at Best DJ Moment Evar.
Have you actually been to a DJ now Seb?
Well one down, two to go. One of the projects is called Sky Jockeys and obviously isn’t Red Dwarf http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009175.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
And this link explains that Sky Jockeys is the animated show http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=52036
I am really, really, really happy that Dave are commissioning new shows. The telly industry needs as much money putting into new commissions as it can get.
I can’t say I’m personally hugely excited about new Dwarf, though. I’ll probably be going into these new episodes as a normal viewer, rather than as a fan. If they convert me back into being a fan - well, fantastic. If not, well, I’m not as ludicrously disappointed!
>If they convert me back into being a fan - well, fantastic.
The very definition.
I can’t say I’m personally hugely excited about new Dwarf, though. I’ll probably be going into these new episodes as a normal viewer, rather than as a fan.
You prick.
Oh, don’t get me wrong - it’ll be impossible for me to go into these without a nervous sense of anticipation, and caring about the end result. But it’s probably best not for me to get into a complete FUCKING TIZZY - or, at least, not as much as last time!
Don’t worry, John, it probably won’t even happen, due to various budgetary and scheduling technicalities, so you won’t have to endure it.
But he isn’t being a ‘sourpuss’, he’s just trying not to build it up in his head! I think that’s a fair approach if you didn’t like BTE.
> I think that’s a fair approach if you didn’t like BTE.
The potential new episodes could be nothing like BTE. In fact it would be quite crazy to go in the same direction for 6x28 minute episodes (40min Dave timeslot), if that was the series format.
One definite for a new series should IMO be a cockpit set of some kind, even if it’s not Starbug. The overall pace needs to be fast as well. The slower pace suited BtE, even if it took a little getting used to. At least one new episode should be all guns blazing rollercoaster fast (by Dwarf standards). This doesn’t necessarily mean action-packed, more like quickfire lines and plot.
The cockpit scenes were always great for making it seem like there was action going on (granted, there were some explosions and effects shots here and there) whilst cramming in gags and plot.
The potential new episodes could be nothing like BTE.
I agree. Many of the things people dislike about BtE (too self-referential, etc.) probably won’t appear as much in a new series as those things are largely due to BtE’s status as an anniversary episode. Being self-referential (as way of example, I’m aware there are other things people disliked) was kind of the point (in part).
I think this also goes for the more serious tone in this episode, i.e. exploring Lister’s emotional state and what he learns about himself relating to Kochanski. It’s a ‘take stock’ episode, and it’s unlikely all future episodes would be like that. (I actually thought that was BtE’s strength but I can see that’s not something we want all the time.)
That being said I can totally understand why people who disliked BtE would want to keep their enthusiasm in check.
In fact it would be quite crazy to go in the same direction for 6x28 minute episodes (40min Dave timeslot), if that was the series format.
If they’re all stand alone stories like most of the previous series I agree. However, I think that if they aren’t given more time, if they’re stuck in the 20 something minute episodes Doug Naylor will opt for multi-parters.
Thing is, my worries aren’t just to do with BTE. From my point of view, whilst I’ve liked some elements, in general I’ve not really liked the last 19 episodes of Red Dwarf made, Bodysnatcher excluded. (And the stuff I didn’t like about BTE wasn’t the meta stuff - in fact, I thought that was the strongest material.)
Maybe I’ll love the new series - I’m not saying I won’t. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it was very different to BTE. But yeah, at some point, you have to step away and realise that if Dwarf - again, DVD material aside - hasn’t enthralled me for ages, then it’s not sensible to be going into the new episodes with anticipation.
But this is all just ME ME ME. I’m pleased everyone’s looking forward to the show, and I think Dave is making a great decision investing in new comedy. I wish I’d liked the episodes and could get hugely excited about this, but it’s not like there’s not plenty else out there for me to get excited about instead!
Maybe the fault isn’t with Red Dwarf, maybe you’ve just simply ‘grown out’ of it?
Do you still enjoy series 1-6 as much as you used to? And if you do, is there an element of sentimentality attached to them that series 7-8 and BtE don’t have for you, subconsciously ensuring you enjoy them?
I doubt many people would argue that - even if they really liked 7, 8 and BtE (as I did) - they lack a certain quality that 1-6 had. But you may have put them on a pedestal in your mind where, if you were watching them for the very first time today, you may not feel the same way about them as the romanticised picture in your head.
I only say it because I, like most people here, am a massive fan of Series 1-6. And that fandom allows me to enjoy 7, 8 and BtE despite their perceived ‘lesser’ quality.
Just a thought.
>Do you still enjoy series 1-6 as much as you used to?
Yup.
>And if you do, is there an element of sentimentality attached to them that series 7-8 and BtE don’t have for you, subconsciously ensuring you enjoy them?
Nope.
Maybe the fault isn’t with Red Dwarf, maybe you’ve just simply ‘grown out’ of it?
What Pete and Ian said, basically. I’ve not grown out of kids programmes, let alone a popular science fiction sitcom aimed at the adult market. With the caveat that whilst I still love the first 36 episodes, I’ve probably watched them enough times - for now, anyway!
>http://tinyurl.com/yayahru
I knew what this was going to be before I clicked it.
>a complete FUCKING TIZZY
I love turns of phrase like this, pairing extreme language with a very tame words. Calling someone ‘a complete and utter cunting ninny’ or ‘a bit of a murderer’
Is there a name for this sort of linguistic phenomenon?
> Is there a name for this sort of linguistic phenomenon?
Nothing that I came across during my English degree, which is rather a fucking disappointment, what what.
The closest term would be “hedges” - a tame word/phrase such as “a bit of” before “murderer”. It stops your next word having such an impact. Such as “you’re quite a prick” or “that was kind of fun”
/free English lesson
Ian Symes / Fri, 2009-09-25 12:05 / #
!
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