DwarfCast 9 - Tikka to Ride Commentary

Cappsy or Seb are probably best placed to answer that.

I’m trying to figure out whether I can face listening to this one. I wish my voice made me sound less of a turd. Did you cut me and Tanya practically having a domestic out Capps, or is that in the bit you cut out for later?

> Exactly WHEN after the sixth beep? I can never get them to match up.

Well, usually after the sixth beep has finished and *just* before the talking starts. I can’t think how else to answer that… I mean, I often find with commentaries like this, that I can tolerate a 2-3 second discrepancy, and I think the beeps give you plenty of time to start the episode within that window.

John, yeah I think your ‘discussion’ was cut from this Cast. And you sound fine. Better than me and my fucking soft Rs.

Incidentally, what do people think of this new extended format? Do you like the idea of us going on for another 15-30 minutes after the episode has ended? Do you just want us to shut up after the credits role?

ANSWER ME.

First time I’ve actually downloaded one of the ‘Casts - loved it, now downloading the rest.

I do have a confession to make [backstory mode] - Tikka is probably one of my favourite episodes of Dwarf (*pauses to be hit*). I came slightly late to the Dwarf party, only really discovering it with Series VI and the repeats just prior to that (I didn’t get to see The End until RDNight), so I was more accepting of the shift towards drama-comedy that started in VI and really got hammered home in VII. In addition, VII was the first series I taped off-air, and got to watch more than once, and Tikka was the one I watched most of all. [It’s actually an analogous situation to another of my big fandoms - seaQuest - where the season 2 finale is one of my favourite episodes, because it was one of the few I had on tape, and it’s one of the least-liked in fandom.] Plus, alternate history/timeline stories very much peak my interest.

I’m with Seb in the ‘prefer VII to VIII’ mindframe - so much so that I haven’t watched VIII on DVD since I bought it. VIII depreciated much quicker than VII to me - I kind of liked it on initial viewing, but I didn’t go back to it again much, unlike all of the other series.

On the ‘episode-breaking’ continuity issue: I’ve never seen it that way - for me, the reason why the crew were returned to life wasn’t because the future Dwarfers killed their past selves, but that the time drive was destroyed, which Lister then immediately noted afterwards. (Side note: Seb can probably attest to the fact that I could quote the Lister monologue verbatim - and still can). So, that bit made sense to me - if the battle had just killed the crew without destroying Starbug, the future selves may well have stayed around.

I’m surprise no-one picked up on the use of library music and how that may link to the ‘different approach to Dwarf’ that was discussed throughout the commentary - it gave the episode a much more epic feel, combined with the field removal look, the location filming and the story, to create what felt to me like a mini-movie. Especially the final assassination scene - that Alan Hawkshaw piece sells the emotion much more than the Howard piece we get to hear isolated on the DVD (as much as I love Howard’s stuff).

Wow, long comment. It might even have been longer had I not needed to leave now…

> but that the time drive was destroyed, which Lister then immediately noted afterwards.

This is a very good point. I still think one situation is uncomfortably close to the other, but you’re absolutely right - the ep DOES differentiate the logic of the two with that reference.

Tikka is a favourite of mine, too, and I inevitably disagree that it pales beside the whole of I to VI. I’d much rather watch it(and Stoke, Epideme, BITR and Cassandra…) over The End, Balance of Power, Waiting for God, Camille or Rimmerworld any day.

Splendid ‘cast, guys. Thought I’d hate the ‘Xtended’ format, given the way Krytie TV came out - plenty of sarcasm, not so much with the debate - but this came out with a balaced discussion that deserved to continue after the ep. Maybe too long, but not by much. Good stuff.

I promise that I’ll start downloading these soon.

And Tikka is the best episode of the last 16. The extended ending is awful, though.

Mike, forgive my memory lapse, but did you used to do Orienteering at school?

Just that I have a distinct recollection of turning up for an event the morning after Tikka first aired and being all excited about NEW DWARF!!!! Just wondering if you were there at the time or not…

>Splendid ‘cast, guys. Thought I’d hate the ‘Xtended’ format, given the way Krytie TV came out - plenty of sarcasm, not so much with the debate - but this came out with a balaced discussion that deserved to continue after the ep. Maybe too long, but not by much. Good stuff.

The lack of drunkenness was in Tikka’s favour, I suspect ;)

I did, Seb. Jan ‘97 would have been… second year. I don’t think I started until the year after. I’m pretty sure we talked about VIII when that aired, though. Or maybe I’m just remembering random conversations from later on, or from Grease, or Image Press…

Or maybe I’m just remembering random conversations from later on, or from Grease, or Image Press…

Hah, I do remember us carefully choreographing the Back to Reality driving sequence during Greased Lightning… ;-)

Glad the new format seems to be generally enjoyed. I think, as Tanya’s said, this cast benefitted greatly from the fact that all present were totally sober. I am so delighted with the result, I might go tee-total.

>this cast benefitted greatly from the fact that all present were totally sober.

Ian wasn’t there then?
;o)

> Ian wasn’t there then? ;o)

Nah, someone was occupying him at the time :P

OCCUPYING.

For the record:

The fourth beep was my favourite.

I think the extension of the cast post credits is a good thing. And more of a good thing is a good thing.

I like Tikka To Ride a lot, it was one of those ‘event’ episodes like Backwards or Psirens. At the time it didn’t disappoint, but looking at it now it looks like the beginning of the end: Cat gurning, Lister’s joke-free eulogising, See Jee Eye & Starbug is 212% larger why exactly?

But the Dallas footage is great, and Chris Barrie’s appearance as the Rimmer we know and loathe for the last time until Series VIII is a sidelined joy (none of his other VII turns are as consistant, ironic since he is the most contant here).

Tikka To Ride is the cream of VII.

>& Starbug is 212% larger why exactly?

So Duct Soup makes sense. And that’s about it.

And they found two great engine locations for Tikka, of course.

Which *does* look absolutely stunning, so I don’t care, really.

hi guys, great site, especially the dwarfcasts. Interesting hearing a commentary by someone other than the cast aswell.

There’s never a wrong thread to report that TV Ark is back up…

>Nah, someone was occupying him at the time :P

Hehe! ;o) Ah I see! :op

> Better than me and my fucking soft Rs.

But Cappsy, your soft R’s are what make you YOU!

By the way, Barely A Joke was mine.

We’ll be recording some more this weekend, since we have a few G&Ters in one place again (including one who’s never been on a commentary before), but I’m not sure if we have any more left in the stockpile - Cappsy’ll be the man to answer that.

But there are still some non-commentary ideas being worked on at the moment, as well…

For someone so keen to hear our commentaries, you don’t seem to like us very much.

Yeah, there’s about 4 or 5 more episodes ready done, and I admit that this weekend should’ve seen another one launched, so I’m sorry about that.

Also, Default Name, could you quit posting under different fucking identities and just stick to the one? Your constantly changing name is tiresome to say the least.

Oh, you’re the same person who’s been dicking about on Wikipedia, deleting mention of the fan films, saying that they were “sixth form” in nature, and claiming that Red Dwarf was a “kids’ show”. You tried the “this is a shared IP address” thing there, as well.

Must be something in the water at QMU that makes you all act like cunts, then.

I fucking love this place. Seriously, I do.

You know, nobody else here has even mentioned IP addresses, but you refer three times to the IPs being traced (twice directly and once indirectly). Seems slightly paranoid, to me.

Cute, but paranoid.

Yeah, my original comment about changing names was based on an assumption that all these unregistered comments have been coming from the same person, because they’re so similar in style. I didn’t even think to check the IPs.

>That’s bollocks. I’ve bothered to view the wiki discussion where Seb makes IP addresses his only evidence.

Okay…when I said “here” I meant “here.” I didn’t say “here” to mean “elsewhere.” Why on earth would that discussion even relate to anything I said?

We didn’t want to limit it to registered posters only - we wanted registration to be an optional thing for people who cared enough. Unfortunately, one or more unregistered persons have started abusing the system by posting under multiple names for various reasons, which is making us reconsider our original plan.

We’ve not decided to do anything. I’ve just been really lazy. I hereby promise an episode this weekend.

Indeed, Cappsy has made a promise he can’t keep, but this is due to technical circumstances beyond his control - i.e. the fact that his PC that has all the ones we’ve done so far on it is currently deadified.

Get well soon Cappsy’s PC.

The fact I made the promise AFTER it was already broken, just goes to show what a cretin I am.

Capps… it’s pronounced “crouton”…

And you can’t destroy croutons they just dissolve in soup!

technically they’re not destroyed, only dissipated in the liquid…

then it all gets pushed back together to form poo…

Come back, Default Name! We miss you.