Red Dwarf Returns In a 3-Part Showing

Logrusweaver writes "It looks like Red Dwarf is finally returning! Red Dwarf: Back to Earth is airing in 3 parts in the UK starting this Friday. It seems to be a 3-parter followed by a 'Making Of' special. Not trying to give away any more of the plot than the title does, but it does involve the crew finally returning to Earth. (Just hope it's not a bombed out planet with 'space angels' running around...)"

Comments

Great

[olddotter]

Love RD! When will it be on DVD or Bit Torrent (about 30 minutes after UK airing?).

Re:Great

[lxs]

Let's hope it's close to series 1-6 standards, but I doubt it very much.

Re:Great

[theeddie55]

The DVD's out June 15th in the UK. Got mine ordered already.

British TV and the feign of class

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Unlike the US, British television is very limited. Hence, when a standout show comes along, it really takes off. Sometimes the show is incredibly good and breaks across cultural boundaries like Monty Python's Flying Circus. Other times the standout show simply can't compete with American television, like Absolutely Fabulous.

So how about Red Dwarf? It has lots of fans, but if it were to be played on American network TV, how well would it fare?

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Ignacio]

Probably as well as every other sci-fi-based comedy out there. Which is to say, it will bomb miserably.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Ginger Unicorn]

limited in what regard?

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[MichaelSmith]

So how about Red Dwarf? It has lots of fans, but if it were to be played on American network TV, how well would it fare?

Do you mean it has never been broadcast in the USA? It is pretty popular here in Australia.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[4D6963]

I'm really not sure what you mean by "very limited". If you mean that it doesn't export as well as American programs then, no, but that's the same thing for the rest of the entire world, only Americans excel at exporting their culture.

Not sure what you mean by "compete" either, if you mean in quality, then do point me to an American show that competes with Blackadder or A Bit of Fry & Laurie. If you judge how good a show is by how many viewers it would get on American television then I'm afraid few foreign shows are as "good" as say Scrubs ;-).

Red Dwarf is pretty unique anyways, it's pure comedy but in a scifi setting, with scifi plots, but the comedy and characters really come first. Try watching it?

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[viking099]

I don't know about commercial network coverage, but I do know many PBS stations carried it on their post primetime schedules. I remember watching it in the early 1990s in Houston, and I've encountered many people who were exposed to it from there as well.

I don't think it ever got as popular as 'Are You Being Server?', but it was big enough to garner a pretty wide fanbase.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow... just wow. And you wonder why the rest of the world think Americans are all arrogant, xenophobic, insular, cultural imperialists?

Yes, the only reason that British shows are popular is because we don't have access to the wonderful broadcasting that you enjoy. If only some American shows would come over here and we could stop producing our own entertainment all together... *rolls eyes*

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[KillerBob]

I think the main reason is that British TV usually knows when to give up the ghost and stop making shows. Whereas shows like the Simpsons go through cycles where it's really funny for a couple of years, then incredibly dull and predictable for a couple of years, rinse repeat, in the UK they'll stop making a show like Red Dwarf or The Vicar of Dibley when the writers run out of material.

Note, however, I said *usually* they'll stop writing when they run out of material. I'm looking at you, Casualty.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

YTV in Canada played Red Dwarf throughout most of the 90s, and Detroit PBS played it for several years as well.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[olddotter]

The real problem is they normally try to make an American version of the British show. Most of the time this means it gets gutted, with all the good parts removed. The only exception to this I can think of is The Office. I think the US version is doing better than the UK version, I don't really watch either thought.

A Sci-Fi comedy would probably not appeal to a wide audience, but I have watched the entire RD series more times than I can count. Once in Germany, countless times on PBS in the US, which I taped off the air in the days before DVRs and watched countless more times. Then when a friend bought the VHS tapes of the series. Then when I joined Netflix I watched it all again!

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

IS UK TV limited? Not quite sure what you mean. Anyway, Red Dwarf and Monty Python were never mainstream TV here, they were BBC2 stuff (intelligent minority of the population - flatter, flatter). They perhaps appeal to a similar minority in the US, too.
AbFab was mainstream and like most such stuff was a bit of one joke show (IMHO, of course).
Most US stuff shown here isn't mainstream either - invariably shown on on Channel 4 or 5, even such hits as Friends, as big a hit as it was here.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[palindrome]

British TV usually knows when to give up the ghost and stop making shows.

You mean like Red Dwarf should have done after season 5?

I'm just saying, is all.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Aladrin]

I tested this out on my Dad. He hasn't seen a lot of British TV, and he's pretty picky about TV when he's setting aside time for it from other things.

He was pretty into it. We watched all the seasons together 2 or 3 eps at a time. (It was my third time watching, so I wasn't as enthusiastic as he was.)

So if they broadcast it in a good timeslot, I think it could do very, very well... As long as they didn't try to remake it like they did with The Office, Life On Mars, and The IT Crowd. I still can't imagine why they do that. -sigh-

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

Strange when I lived in the US the TV was shit. TV evangelism, reality TV, 10 minutes of adds every 15 minutes, censored movies, FREAKY propagandized news. Mindless drama. Sorry but in the US the lowest common denominator rules and it shows by its TV.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[_Shad0w_]

They already tried to remake it; they did a pilot - with Terry Farrell as the cat - and it tanked. It gets shown at UK Red Dwarf conventions as a sort of "look at the Americans screwing it up" thing.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[theeddie55]

surely you mean after season 6, stopping before winning an emmy for gunmen would have just been silly. Stopping when Rob Grant left would have been sensible.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

" Not sure what you mean by "compete" either, if you mean in quality, then do point me to an American show that competes with Blackadder or A Bit of Fry & Laurie. If you judge how good a show is by how many viewers it would get on American television then I'm afraid few foreign shows are as "good" as say Scrubs ;-)"

Yup - there was only ever one show which managed to mix British quality with American commercial success - "The Avengers". Not to be confused with the American comic series.

And The Avengers was really only successful because of Diana Rigg......

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[itsdapead]

Other times the standout show simply can't compete with American television

Nonsense. British television has a pretty good track record of competing with US shows. I give you:

Pop Idol (American Idol)
Strictly Come Dancing (Dancing with the Stars)
Weakest Link
Who wants to be a Millionaire?

I.e. several of the really annoying but massively successful reality/talent/quiz shows in the US are licensed from British formats (the rest are licensed from Dutch formats, of course).

Of course, they might not be the kind of shows you are talking about.

Another problem is that British drama/comedy shows tend to have very short runs and BBC shows, in particular, have odd (by US standard) running times because of the lack of commercials - each "series" of Red Dwarf was only 6, 30 minute episodes. Add to that the occasional habit of British TV of winding up good shows while they're still good (e.g. Life on Mars, UK) and you get shows which don't "fit" the US pattern of 42 minute (1 hour with ads) episodes in 20+ episode "seasons" and, hence, won't get decent time slots in the US.

Result: remakes, that risk losing whatever chemistry it was that made the original successful. When I found out how the US remake of "Life on Mars" ended, my first reaction was that it was an April fool's joke, and then I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

As for Ab Fab, I always felt that the critical success of the original was disproportionate anyway. Hypothesis: TV critics probably get to deal with real-life Patsies and Edinas every day.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[mustafap]

"Other times the standout show simply can't compete with American television, like Absolutely Fabulous." In the UK, competing with american television is not an issue for us. Over here we have things like drama, and comedy. You should try it!

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[elrous0]

Obviously you've never seen the budget breakdown of a BBC show vs. and American one. Of course, in some ways that's a good thing (forces BBC casts and crews to really get creative with what they do have), but it's also limiting (there are some things they just can't afford to do that they would like to). The BBC, with its more open and less advertiser-driven nature, at its best can produce some really cutting-edge stuff (The Office, Ab Fab, Skins, etc.), but most of the time it produces silly fluff with production qualities that Norman Lear would have been ashamed of in the early 1970's.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[elrous0]

A lot of American shows would have benefited with the "6-8 strong episodes a season for 2 seasons" BBC model. But a lot would have probably suffered too. Look, for example, at Star Trek: The Next Generation (and why I'm actually spelling that out on /. and not just using ST:TNG is beyond me). That show was ABYSMAL in its first season, pretty bad in its second season, but then it started to really hit its stride in the 3rd and later seasons. Can you imagine a ST:TNG with half the entire series run featuring an unbearded Riker? I shudder at the thought.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

It has showed a couple of times on channels in the US. Usually at odd or late times. My wife and I love it.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you kidding? Monty Python, Spaced, Peep Show, The Mighty Bush, Black Books, Hyperdrive, Red Dwarf, and even Ab Fab are way funnier than any American comedy I've ever seen. Married with children anyone? There's a lot worse, too.

I'm afraid Americans just ain't funny in sitcoms, they're good at making drama/suspense shows like Lost and animated comedy series like South Park, but they seem less good in absurd situational humour. Ofcourse there's good stuff like Curb Your Enthusiasm, but that's a minority really off all the American "shitcoms".

So I'm sorry but what you're saying about British series not being up to level of American ones, you must be American to believe that.

ps. I'm not British nor American, so I'm impartial, I think, really ;)

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

... budget breakdown of a BBC show vs. and American one. Of course, in some ways that's a good thing (forces BBC casts and crews to really get creative with what they do have)

I'd be interested in the budget breakdown between BBC's 'Being Human' and ITV's 'Demons'. I suspect that 'Demons' cost loads more - Well-known actors, CGI (at least in the first 2 episodes - I gave up after that). Whereas 'Being Human' had a cast of unheard-of's and shall we say 'limited' special effects - The werewolf transformations seemed to use the same techniques as 'An American werewolf in London' but that was 20-odd years ago. Didn't matter though - "Being Human" was excellent and can't wait for series 2. Demons has hopefully sunk without trace...

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[WingedEarth]

Red Dwarf is better than any American sitcom I can think of.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[MaxwellEdison]

My local public broadcasting station used to carry British comedies on Saturday evenings; Black Adder, Red Dwarf, Fawlty Towers, Are You being Served.

The weird thing was immediately after those shows...they'd run the Red Green Show.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[budgemook]

No no no no. British Television (certainly sitcoms) is much better than American. Flying Circus, Fawlty Towers, Only fools and horses, Fr. Ted, Peep show, Black Books etc etc are all a mile better than say Scrubs, Friends or Seinfeld. Red Dwarf too.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

The real problem is they normally try to make an American version of the British show.

Top Gear, for example.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[snspdaarf]

The problem with getting Actual British Shows on U.S. television is the Broadcast Standards, or whatever it is called now. With the way most people in America have a stick up their ass about sexual things, I can not see how things like the sign reading "Fawlty Towers" getting changed to read "Flowery Twats", or Mrs. Slocombe saying things like, "...look through the keyhole, and if you can see my pussy..." would ever make it onto commercial broadcasting. Public Broadcasting has a much more relaxed set of rules.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Skuld-Chan]

I actually think one of the main reasons British TV programs don't make it in the US is because of the format - it doesn't allow for commercials, or is too short or too long (and would allow for too many commercials).

I know even as late as the 80's there were shows that ended at like 12 after - for some reason tv corps in the US like shows that last 30 minutes - 1 hour (with ads).

Lately however - I've noticed a lot of BBC shows are formatted so they can be sold overseas - like the new Dr. Who series.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[PinchDuck]

You've gotta be kidding. The US industry has been raiding British TV for years:
Trading Places
Coupling
Life on Mars
What Not To Wear
The Office

Life on Mars did OK. Coupling bombed, though the original series was excellent. The rest are very successful hits, except for The Office. It is a runaway smash hit.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Anonymous Coward]

I didn't say *all* Britcoms are good, just a larger proportion ;)

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[HTH NE1]

It's been shown on PBS channels and on BBC America on cable several times (though the latter showed the remastered version of the earlier seasons) though I think the last time it aired was 2001 or 2002, sometime during when they were putting a double UK-US flag on the screen post-9/11.

The entire series (before this new production) is also available on DVD in Region 1.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[HTH NE1]

And Scrapheap Challenge... sorry, Junkyard Wars. We Americans can't handle challenges; everything has to be a war! Or a mega-war!

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[mrsquid0]

>Strange when I lived in the US the TV was shit. TV evangelism,
>reality TV, 10 minutes of adds every 15 minutes, censored
>movies, FREAKY propagandized news. Mindless drama. Sorry but
>in the US the lowest common denominator rules and it shows by
>its TV.

          That is still the case for a lot of US tv, but things have become a lot better over the past couple of decades. There is still a lot of rubbish, but there have been some brilliant tv show that have come out of the US recently. Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Smallville, and others are as good as (or better than) tv shows anywhere else in the world. The news shows (except for some of the PBS ones) should treated as entertainment, not news; and the reality shows are usually awful compared to the foreign versions that they are based on (Survivor being the classic example); but the drama shows can be quite good.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[MaxwellEdison]

Comedy Central seems pretty relaxed after about 1AM...Never thought I would hear so much discussion about Lisa Lampanelli's twat. And I never want to again either.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Obfuscant]

Public Broadcasting has a much more relaxed set of rules.

"Public broadcasting" in the US uses the same airwaves and has the same FCC regulations as any other broadcaster. They may push the envelope more because they label it "art" and hope that buys them a lot of slack.

It is trivial for the distributor to edit out the small bits like you mention; they aren't a reason you won't see the show in the US. More likely it's that the distributor has started charging exorbitant rates for the programming. At least that what my local public broadcasting claimed when they stopped carrying Dr. Who. They blamed Lionheart.

Or the shows just don't translate well, even though they are in english. I think US audiences prefer action instead of the long discussions typical of Dr. Who., and a lot of brit slang is just beyond comprehension. "Nick" is when you cut yourself shaving, for example, and "sacking" is what the teenager at the end of the checkout line does for you. Even when you expect it, it's disconcerting. I had to stop and think about what one the companions said on a Dr. Who this morning, it just seemed out of place.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Werrismys]

I'm from Finland. Here the common concensus is that British TV series are among, if not the, best.

'Cracker' was awesome. Its Americanized version sucked bollocks.

Imagine something like Men behaving badly americanized... horror.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[antiseptic_poetry]

Imagine something like Men behaving badly americanized... horror.

*ahem*.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_Behaving_Badly_(U.S._TV_series)

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[DigitalSorceress]

While some Americans seem to have trouble with some "Britishisms"; I think there's a rather large and dedicated "Brit-com" fan base here who either have no problem with them or to whom a bit of cultural "went over my head" doesn't detract from their enjoyment too much.

I grew up watching plenty of British TV including: Dr. Who; The Tomorrow People; Are You Being Served; Monty Python's Flying Circus; The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy; Fresh Fields; May to December; The Prisoner; Benny Hill (didn't like that one so much); Yes Minister; The Young Ones; and more. Maybe I didn't get all the references in terms of cultural significance (who the hell WAS Reginald Maulding; and why were the Pythons so convinced that his naughty bits were particularly naughty?)

As I grew older, I never lost my love of British television. (I think that Spaced is possibly the second funniest TV series I've ever watched ... next to Red Dwarf.

At any rate, I am by far not the only American who enjoys British television and humor (though I may be a bit on the extreme end, owning a region free dvd player with PAL to NTSC conversion and ordering regularly from amazon.co.uk). While I do understand that some folks may not quite get it or like it, my point was not to underestimate the size and loyalty of potential fan base here.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[snspdaarf]

Broadcast Standards is not part of the FCC. They are a group at a network that decides what might offend their advertisers, and issues rules (well, they are more like guidelines) for what production companies can do. I haven't been hanging out with television production people since college, so things might have changed.

I agree that little things like this can be cut from a show, and would be the first things to go in trying to fit a BBC-length show into a US time slot, but the point is that when you take these things out, you change the character of the show.

And, I totally agree with the culture aspect. I've killed a little time in England, and worked with our office there, but I suspect they tone it down when talking with me because they don't want to confuse me. Throw in a Welsh accent, and I get lost fast.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Patch86]

I'm pointing two fingers firmly at My Family. Seriously, that programme was barely funny in the first few series when the eldest son was in it. How it's carried on for nearly a decade I can't even imagine in my most feverish nightmares.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[drsquare]

By then they'd only made 30 episodes, which is less than two years' worth in America.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[Ginger Unicorn]

Hopefully a limited budget forces the BBC to compete on substance rather than style. Two things though, Skins is a channel 4 program and it's utter drivel (although i suppose it breaks new ground in the race to the bottom of squalid mindless lowest common denominator titillation) and I don't really know why you'd regard Ab-Fab as cutting edge. It was generally funny but I didn't remember anything revolutionary about it at the time.

Re:British TV and the feign of class

[sqldr]

Well, in the US, you get about 60% of the good stuff - the other 40% is a bit too eclectic. But yes, we do have some crap comedy. "My Family" is a typical example - it's a bit like Friends in that it's written by a machine, ie. a HUGE team of script writers with a deadline. It's mildly amusing, suitable for all the family, but nothing genius. The best stuff is the independent stuff like Alan Partridge and Mitchell and Webb.

You also have to understand how the BBC works - the best comedy in Britain is actually on radio 4. The BBC can't afford to blow budget on a crap comedy, so they always test it out on the radio first. Mitchell and Webb started there, Dead Ringers, Mary Whitehouse Experience, Little Britain, Whose line is it anyway? (which spawned an american version), the list is endless. Sometimes it doesn't translate to the screen so well.

There's a bloody excellent radio 4 show called "Old Harry's Game" written by Andy Hamilton, about a neurotic Satan trying to run an overcrowded hell. It's in its 9th series now, and it won't ever be translated to tv. The special effects would cost a fortune.

And then of course, there's "I'm sorry I haven't a clue" which ran for 30 years before Humphrey Littleton died (I had tickets for the show he was supposed to be at before he died :( ). That's the funniest thing on tv and radio put together.

But bluntly, the BBC has to fill the airwaves 24/7 with some sort of entertainment according to a charter made in conjunction with an independent watchdog sponsored (but not interfered with, in spite of what cynics say) by the government. They HAVE to produce a certain percentage of comedy, and if the talent isn't there, then you get shit comedy. On radio 4, the charter is a bit more open-ended, and they get away with more and take more risks with new talent. Some of that finds its way onto the TV.

To be totally honest...

[AltGrendel]

...as good as it is, it wouldn't do any better than Ab Fab did.

They tried it once in 1992...

[Mad-Bassist]

There was an attempt at a Red Dwarf USA show on NBC, but the two pilots never went anywhere. They weren't too bad, but I don't think we were ready for such a thing. Since we have BBC America, I don't see a need for one anyway.

It's been a few years since I saw it, but I remember a pre-DS9 Terry Farrell playing Cat, and she had the killer line: "Maybe someday I'll find the right eight or nine guys, then I'll settle down." Classic!

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[jimicus]

It's been a few years since I saw it, but I remember a pre-DS9 Terry Farrell playing Cat, and she had the killer line: "Maybe someday I'll find the right eight or nine guys, then I'll settle down." Classic!

Original bit from the UK series:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpI2t_qwlbI

Around 2:40 in.

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[Cathbard]

The US remake of Red Dwarf was an abomination, I'd rather go on a date with a gelf.

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[Mad-Bassist]

LMAO! Thanks for pointing that out. NBC would have flamingoed it up, eh?

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[joshtheitguy]

There was an attempt at a Red Dwarf USA show on NBC, but the two pilots never went anywhere. They weren't too bad, but I don't think we were ready for such a thing.

I'm not entirely sure we saw the same US Pilots. They were awful at best, it was a disgrace to the original to air those pilots.

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[wildBoar]

I went for a look and got this nonsense:

Welcome to YouTube!

Suggested Language (we have set your preference to this): English (UK)

Click "OK" to accept this setting, or click "Cancel" to view the site in English.
OK Cancel

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[Mad-Bassist]

I don't think they made it to the air which is a good thing. (Besides that one line, they were pretty awful.) I like to search torrent sites with the keyword "pilot." There are some treasures out there. This wasn't exactly one of them, but it was still interesting to see.

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[QuietObserver]

I don't know. I think I'd rather go out with a Simulant than watch the US remake. Generally, gelfs are only ugly. Simulants are both ugly and deadly.

Seriously, though, they got the Dave Lister part all wrong; instead of a slobby, generally ignorant lowlife, they had the role cast as a preppy, generally well-read goof off. The only thing they got right was Kryton, and that's only because they brought Robert Llewellyn in to do the part.

Re:They tried it once in 1992...

[sqldr]

Too right. Every British version of an American comedy, and every American version of a British comedy (with the exception of "the office", where I actually prefered the american one (and I'm a brit)) has been fucking terrible.

We had a pilot for a British version of "Married with children". Married with children was always about the hype. Having the audience going mental about the slightest thing was somehow part of the atmosphere that made it so entertaining. The British pilot was dull, family-orientated, and absolutely nothing like the original, which was entirely based on American humour. It simply didn't work in British mode.

Apparently there's an American version of "Top Gear" now. What's the point? Ok, Jeremy Clarkson comes out with the occasional anti-American (and anti-german, and anti-french, and anti-human-race) comment, and he hates American cars, but that show is watched by 200 million people for a reason - it's damn entertaining. Apparently, the US doesn't even get the British version! That show is hilarious!

Philistines!

[Deus.1.01]

How can they make any more Red Dwarf episodes.

The USA version of Red Dwarf was DEFFINTIVE!

Re:Philistines!

[Gandalf_Greyhame]

I can't believe that you were modded down for that... obviously the mod hasn't seen the show, or he'd (this is Slashdot, the odds of it being she are pretty low) remember that one

Fix up the twit's mistake and mod him +1 Funny XD

Re:Philistines!

[Deus.1.01]

Oh, its allright, my karma was raped when i tried to say on slashdot that right/conservative and left/liberal was stupid terminologies.

And that these so called groups probably didnt eat children in the night.

But thats a whole other story...

Oh look, ive used up all my posts.

Re:Philistines!

[Blakey Rat]

To be fair, the American Red Dwarf pilot had some pretty damned good jokes in it. For example, when Lister finds Kryten's head, still activated, on a shelf after 3 million years, and he asked, "What have you been doing all this time?" and Kryten replies, "I've been reading that 'exit' sign!"

Re:Philistines!

[EpsCylonB]

yeh, hilarious...

Re:Philistines!

[Trogre]

Yeah, and your baseball cards must be worth a fortune!

Re:Philistines!

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm posting as an "Anonymous Coward" due to convenience.

I'm going to assume that you are American. The U.S. version of Red Dwarf is NOT the 'deffinitive' version. After watching 7 minutes of the pilot episode, I turned it off in disgust. The only decent actor was Kryten, who coinsidently is played by the same actor as in the British version, Robert Llewellyn. You've basically tried to cram 8 seasons worth of jokes into one episode.

Wondering...

[skammie]

How are they going to tie this one up. After Season 6 or 7 the creative force/writing team split. Both released separate books that tried to tie up the loose ends. I just wonder which version, if either, are they going to try to follow.

Re:Wondering...

[Tony Hoyle]

Neither - it's just another alternate universe, which RD can get away with since the scifi isn't really the point.

Remember at the end of the last series the ship blew up and everyone died.. they can't have any real continuity from there.

Re:Wondering...

[_Shad0w_]

Continuity has never really been one of Red Dwarf's strong points. It doesn't suffer from it either

Re:Wondering...

[Anonymous Coward]

Continuity and Red Dwarf?
To quote one of the best episodes, "That's a classic that is! That's a classic!"

Red Dwarf has pretty much no Continuity, outside of the few "cliffhangers".

Re:Wondering...

[genner]

Neither - it's just another alternate universe, which RD can get away with since the scifi isn't really the point.

Remember at the end of the last series the ship blew up and everyone died.. they can't have any real continuity from there.

They brought back dead people more than once on the show.

Could not be more exicted

[rglog]

I just can't be more excited. I think I'm going to take my wife this weekend to get some Vindaloo!

Re:Could not be more exicted

[MadKeithV]

Don't forget the lager. After all, it's the only thing that could kill that Vindaloo.

Re:Could not be more exicted

[dkf]

I just can't be more excited. I think I'm going to take my wife this weekend to get some Vindaloo!

That's breakfast sorted then...

Can't sit still

[hack slash]

Going to go round my friends house who has a massive tv to watch it, can't wait!!

P.S. Would anyone like any toast?

Re:Can't sit still

[ijakings]

An IQ of 6?! Do me a lemon, thats a poor IQ for a glass of water.

Re:Can't sit still

[Merls the Sneaky]

Prawn to queen bish three.

Re:Can't sit still

[Anonymous Coward]

"That's an illegal move"
"Oh, sorry. Queens don't move like that. I was thinking of poker."

My day.

[Fishchip]

It has been made.

Also this weekend

[Alain Williams]

This weekend the Beeb is going to serve up a treet, the next Doctor Who, Planet of the Dead .

I notice that there is also A Weakest Link Dr Who Special - not sure about that, I can't stand Anne Robinson.

Re:Also this weekend

[Scott Francis[Mecham]

Maybe they'll use the robot version from season 1?

Are You Being Server?

[one_in_a_milli0n]

Now THAT would be a show we here at /. could really rave about!

Re:Are You Being Server?

[viking099]

I think I accidentally tuned into a conversation between Lie-Bot and Vlad.

Re:Are You Being Server?

[one_in_a_milli0n]

How annoyink...

Space Angels

[kyb3r]

"Just hope it's not a bombed out planet with 'space angels' running around..." Yeah, or the ants haven't taken over...

Re:Space Angels

[Kugrian]

I read somewhere that they're gonna link it in with Coronation Street (a long running UK soap where the actor playing Lister has a part).

I'll watch it, but think it'll be awful. The last series commercialized it to a stupid point, and the storylines are little similar to those of the ones conceived by the original authors.

There have been some great episodes in every series, so I'm glad they didn't follow the 12 episode route.

Books are like 10x better than the shows though.

Re:Space Angels

[kyb3r]

To be quite honest... I haven't even seen much past series 4. Maybe I should catch up before watching this =/

Re:Space Angels

[meringuoid]

To be quite honest... I haven't even seen much past series 4. Maybe I should catch up before watching this =/

Series 5 is good. 6 I didn't much like at the time, but in hindsight it's great. 7 is awful. 8 deserves a custodial sentence for anyone involved in its creation.

I fear that this is going to be worse. I'll watch it anyway of course :-)

Re:Space Angels

[Dogtanian]

I read somewhere that they're gonna link it in with Coronation Street (a long running UK soap where the actor playing Lister has a part).

Good god, I hope not. After the eye-gougingly horrid Dimensions in Time, which had Doctor Who in a tie-up with the already obnoxious po-faced (yet humourlessly camp) soap Eastenders... I never want to see anything as bad as that fucking piece of shit again as long as I live.

Actually, Coronation Street isn't as bad as Eastenders because it at least has some humour and warmth, but I'd still hate to see them do that.

Then again, I couldn't bring myself to watch the remainder of Red Dwarf series 8 at the time, and never have, and after all this time I can't see this new stuff being any more than an unsuccessfully-reheated souffle and a nostalgia-fest for the fans.

Eh? BBC can't export?

[SmallFurryCreature]

It excells at exporting. Its nature series are famous around the world. Dutch and belgian tv can easily be used by those brits who have big enough atena's as re-run channels.

America however is a rather unique market. It doesn't need foreign imports the way smaller EU countries need it. It can afford to create all its own content.

But most important is that america is radically different from the EU.

Red Dwarf works in the EU because it is a bunch of losers losing out. American's don't like that and this can be clearly seen by their version of Red Dwarf, the red dwarf movie changes or for that matter the talks Terry Pratchett had about having his books turns into hollywood movies (loose death from Mort).

Other series are the same. Only Fools and Horses doesn't really translate either. Or for that matter Porridge. Both have had US versions and both times they were changed to suit the american taste which just doesn't seem to accept the underdog being the underdog and staying the underdog.

British humor I think is also different in another way. Just how many british comerdians went to Oxford vs how many US comedians to harvard?

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[SalaSSin]

Just how many british comerdians went to Oxford vs how many US comedians to harvard?

I don't know, but please enlighten me!

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[MoonBuggy]

Look at the notable members of the Footlights (Cambridge) and The Oxford Revue. The lists cover a fairly significant number of Britain's famous comedians from the last few decades. I couldn't find anything similar for Harvard or Yale, but admittedly that could be simply because I knew where to look for the British ones.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know how many US comedians went to Harvard, but I know Harvard has produced a large number of comedy writers.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[meringuoid]

Red Dwarf works in the EU because it is a bunch of losers losing out. American's don't like that and this can be clearly seen by their version of Red Dwarf, the red dwarf movie changes or for that matter the talks Terry Pratchett had about having his books turns into hollywood movies (loose death from Mort).

This. I think Americans still believe in heroes. They tend to want a sympathetic protagonist who is a good person and who generally wins. This is not so much the case over here: we have a far more cynical outlook, whereby if presented with someone who fits the heroic archetype we start to wonder what his real agenda is because nobody is genuinely like that.

So when we do a character-driven comedy show, our protagonists aren't usually nice people. They don't live in a nice world. They don't generally win in the end. Basil Fawlty is burning up with frustrated ambition and bitter hate. David Brent is so utterly self-absorbed that he thinks he's a great guy, though he's one of the most dreadful people you'll ever meet. Edmund Blackadder is entirely selfish and unprincipled in all incarnations, whether he is a prince or nobleman scheming endlessly for advancement through deceits and lies, an unscrupulous butler manipulating his foolish master to his own ends, or a craven army officer with utter contempt for his superiors bent only on self-preservation. Steptoe and son are trapped in poverty with a business soon to be entirely forgotten, gnawing on each other for lack of anything else in sight to blame. James Hacker MP is well intentioned, but weak, and the show is stolen by Sir Humphrey Appleby who must have come straight from hell. Even the Trotter brothers, decent enough people on the whole, are petty criminals. Spreading the net a little wider we find the parish of Craggy Island served by a fraud, an idiot, and a violent drunk. And our topic here, Red Dwarf, is fundamentally about a few completely awful people trapped in each other's company and collectively making their own little nightmare world a little worse every day.

The nearest America gets to that is probably Homer Simpson. Yet despite the critics endlessly and lazily describing his family as 'dysfunctional', it isn't. He's a devoted family man who can be relied upon to do the right thing, if only after trying everything else first. Otherwise, well... remember Friends? Oh God it makes me want to puke.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[MrHanky]

Good point, perhaps. The pilot for the American Red Dwarf turned Dave Lister into someone more like Snake Plissken than the Scouse space bum. But it's not because Americans hate losers, it's because some American producers are idiots and have the wrong ideas about their viewers, since they think like marketing people. Homer Simpson is a successful loser, for instance, and he's arguably one of the greatest successes of American TV, ever. Or Archie Bunker, for that matter.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[ufoolme]

The office?! Extra!?(to a lesser extent) I enjoy both US&UK tv. Although they are very different, with British comedy I find that I could easily sit down and read the script and still find it just as funny. Red Dwarf is an example of this, the novels are simply outstanding.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[uncle slacky]

3All in the Family", being, of course, a remake of the British "Till Death Us Do Part".

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Blackhalo]

No reference to "Are You Being Served?" That was a nice collection of flawed folks, that tickled my funny-bone for years, on PBS.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: Red Dwarf, is fundamentally about a few completely awful people trapped in each other's company and collectively making their own little nightmare world a little worse every day.

May I correct you here and say that its just 1 person, who is trapped in the company of a hologram, a robot and a mutant cat!? No company of other humans for eons bound to make anyone's life a little drab.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[jbeaupre]

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia might be a better American example. I've tried to encourage people to watch it without telling them how horrible the people are. "Amoral 3 Stooges in a bar" seems to work. "I passed out once laughing at the show" works as an endorsement.

Now that I think about it, The 3 Stooges weren't very nice, didn't live in a nice world, and usually were worse off at the end of each episode. Interesting that I'd have to reach that far back to find another example and yet they are still watched today.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's because all U.S. comedians are from Canada.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[wjousts]

David Brent is so utterly self-absorbed that he thinks he's a great guy, though he's one of the most dreadful people you'll ever meet.

I think it is interesting to compare David Brent (UK Office) with Michael Scott (US Office). Michael Scott, while being pathetic, is actually quite a sympathetic character. He seems to really care about his employees and wants nothing more that to be their friend. David Brent, on the other hand, has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. So, I think you might be right about Americans wanting sympathetic heroes in their sitcoms.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Anonymous Coward]

Conan O'Brien is probably the most famous American comedian who went to Harvard, and he'll instantly deny it whenever it's brought up ("Yeah, Harvard Driving School!"). Lots of comedy writers came from the Harvard Lampoon, but very few performers.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Hoplite3]

The humor content is different, to an extent. The American market is broader, though. Darker comedies aren't on network TV, but can appear elsewhere, especially on Comedy Central or Cartoon Network. Both have niche programs where bad people lose at life together.

Also: Many, many American sit-com writers have gone to Harvard. It's like a little factory that turns out awful writers who go across the country and create awful shows. I take it as a black mark upon Harvard. Look what they've done to our culture.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[fyoder]

One of America's most successful comedies, Seinfeld, was full of awful people. Perhaps the aversion to awful people comedies is more on the part of network perceptions than what Americans actually like. This may also be why they fail so dismally at adapting popular British shows.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[PotatoFiend]

Counter argument: Married With Children was among the longest-running sitcoms in US television history. I can't think of even a British show with characters that were so... well, so Bundy.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Hellpop]

MWC was the exception to the rule. I think it only did so well with most men because of Christina Applegate. Most people I know really, truly, were incapable of really understanding most of the comedy in that show. But hot girls they get...

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[PotatoFiend]

Yes, Kelly Bundy was hot. But Peg, what a woman!

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[Gilmoure]

Dartmouth is the Ivy League funny.

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Neither was Sanford & Son particularly "nice".

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[SalaSSin]

Cool! Thanks a lot for the info :-)

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[topnob]

really you enjoyed the US version of the office.... god it was so bad it almost made me cry.... That said I like quite a lot of american shows, but they killed the office

Re:Eh? BBC can't export?

[QuietObserver]

I think maybe you're oversimplifying Dave Lister a bit too much in your all too general analysis of the Red Dwarf characters. Rimmer and Cat are certainly awful people on the inside and the outside (though Rimmer's certainly the worst of the two), but Kryton is more of a likable buffoon with an overactive guilt chip, and Lister is one of the strongest characters I've ever seen (quite comparable to Homer Simpson, in my opinion).

On the outside, yes, Lister's an obnoxious, barely literate slob with all the attractiveness of a gelf, but on the inside, he's warm, caring man devoted to improving his little corner of the universe. Among the examples of this I can think of are "Waiting for God", where he agonizes over the demise of the cat people, and in the end redeems the one loyal cat priest who had just about given in to doubt. On multiple occasions, he has worked with Kryton to help the android overcome his programming, and he also gently chastises Rimmer for his selfishness. He is, in my opinion, one of the best antiheroes of all time.

Smeg FTW!

[stonedcat]

I've never seen one before, no one has, but I'm guessing it's a white hole.

Re:Smeg FTW!

[hack slash]

A "white hole"?

Re:Smeg FTW!

[Merls the Sneaky]

Every action have an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the universe, a white hole returns it.

Re:Smeg FTW!

[Anonymous Coward]

insert time loop gag here

Re:Smeg FTW!

[Blakey Rat]

Ah, I think we've reached the middle of the conversation.

Re:Smeg FTW!

[stonedcat]

What is it?

Finish what you started

[hwyhobo]

What is all this crying, moaning, and whining about RD and other comedies not being broadcast on US network TV? Who cares if it plays on ABC, CBS, or NBC. Everyone has cable or satellite these days anyway, and even if not, it plays on local PBS stations. So yes, you can watch it if you want. I've seen more BBC comedy series than most friends I talk to in UK. On top of that, we get more reruns probably than UK market gets on BBC of those shows.

I just hope the new episodes manage to recapture some of the original freshness of the show. Last season was weak.

And while we're bitching about unfinished BBC shows, why don't they go back and finish Mulberry, for crying out loud? With Lill Roughley, please.

smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast

[fak3r]

I've been a long time Red Dwarf fan, and while the show had highs and lows, from what I've read, this 3 parter should be great. I can't imagine what they'll find back on Earth, but I'm looking forward to finding out. If you haven't seen RD at all, start at 'The End', as I posted about just yesterday on my blog! http://www.fak3r.com/2009/04/09/red-dwarf-back-to-earth/ Anyone know how to watch the new episodes in the states?

Re:smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast

[Merls the Sneaky]

Torrents if you want it right away.

Re:smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast

[Anonymous Coward]

i'm wondering the same thing about how to watch it outside of getting via torrent.

And no mention...

[Anonymous Coward]

...whatsoever from eztv? What the hell? The show gets some new content for the first time in 10 years and there's no mention from the pirates. Meanwhile, this weekend's Doctor Who special will be recorded and uploaded like clockwork, 30 minutes after it airs.

Re:And no mention...

[Anonymous Coward]

check uknova then

Now this

[ZonkerWilliam]

is news worthy!

A question.

[fellip_nectar]

So, what is it?

Re:A question.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've never seen one before, no one has, but I'm guessing its an episode of Red Dwarf that is way too similar to series 7 and 8...

Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[rklrkl]

Sadly, the BBC decided not to get involved in these new episodes, so it's ended up on the "tiny" channel Dave and won't get the multi-million viewing figures it might have had on BBC 1 or 2.

Unfortunately, the digital multplexes where I am (yes, I have 2 aerials to pick up Wales and Midlands) both don't have Dave, plus although I have a Sky Digital dish, I don't subscribe to anything on it, so Dave isn't available there either (it's encrypted on Sky for absolutely no good reason, especially when it's in the clear on Freeview if your multiplexes carry it).

So the irony is that despite living in the UK, having access to two Freeview digital regions *and* having a Sky Digital dish, I still can't see these new episodes. So I guess it's off to "other" avenues begining with the letter "B" to find the episodes then...sigh....

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[Blackhalo]

So I guess it's off to "other" avenues begining with the letter "B" to find the episodes then...sigh.... Too bad. You'll have to wait until Saturday, like the rest of the world...

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[Anonymous Coward]

You want to double-check those ariels mate, Dave IS available on the Midlands multiplex.
(Says AC in the Midlands, who can watch Dave on Freeview)

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[TqUhpiQaw]

gigbeeragf.pbz

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[Anonymous Coward]

Since you're in the UK, tvcatchup.com

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[IainMH]

Sadly, the BBC decided not to get involved in these new episodes, so it's ended up on the "tiny" channel Dave

Technically they did as Dave is 50% owned by the BBC. That's why they get so many repeats from the BBC.

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[Anonymous Coward]

The BBC were involved. Back to Earth was made by UKTV, which is half owned by BBC Worldwide and half by Virgin Media. Dave is not a "tiny" channel, it has one of the biggest audience shares for a channel outside the main five. It would have been worthy though to see Red Dwarf return on the BBC and with a full new series years ago.

Re:Not on BBC, it's on Dave...

[Anonymous Coward]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

I had 2 chances to watch it (on dave and then dave +1hr) and I still waited for the torrent.

Redeeming virtue for TNG 1st season

[BenEnglishAtHome]

ST:TNG...That show was ABYSMAL in its first season...

Abysmal? OK, maybe. I did get tired of the "Quick! Have Troi make a face like she's constipated and announce that she 'feels something'!" plot devices.

But y'know what? Ever since I was a geeky teen who studied my Star Trek Technical Manual twenty times as much as my schoolbooks I had been waiting to see the Enterprise saucer section separate from the main hull. Encounter at FarPoint gave me that in the first few minutes. After earning that much goodwill from me, I would have put up with several seasons of crap. Thankfully, I only had to put up with a couple.

Hint for the people making the next movie: Read your old, original tech manuals; I'm still waiting to see a Dreadnaught-class ship on-screen.

ladies and gentlemen

[nimbius]

thank you, thank you...the third showing of the red dwarf is completely sold out. dont forget to tip your waitress!

Tension sheets available for the concerned...

[benj288]

Both real and digital Its my job, as a complete and total Bastard!

Plot

[Anonymous Coward]

(Just hope it's not a bombed out planet with 'space angels' running around...)"

From what I've read, it's going to involve them reaching Earth in the present day and discovering they're characters in a comedy series, then trying to track down their writers.

Sad to say, but this may just end up being the worst thing ever made.

British TV Is Limited

[BigBlueOx]

And thank god for that.

When BBC produces a show, said show is unencumbered by Hollywood maggots screaming "sequal!", "product placement!", "it needs a Black guy!", "spin off!", "homogonize it until it couldn't offend ANYONE!", "put Roger Corman's name on it!", "put Britney Spears in it!", "it needs a giant mechanical steam-powered spider!".

No, when the BBC produces a show they make sure that the creators know that they're damned lucky to be given any money or air time and then the execs ignore it.

As a result, British TV, while containing as much mindless trash as any other TV, comes up with roughly one innovative, clever, watchable show per year. The only American TV shows that get the same treatment are animated; probably because the network executive slime think animated series aren't important or just for kids or something. Who knows.

Hopefully, British TV's limitations will remain in place for many years to come.

Re:British TV Is Limited

[uncle slacky]

When US TV does come up with something innovative and quirky, they usually kill it off rapidly (maybe because they don't know what else to do with it) - see for example Quark, Eerie Indiana, Bakersfield PD, Do Over...

Re:British TV Is Limited

[hwyhobo]

... Dead Like Me...

Space angels?

[somenickname]

It's ok to have space angels. As long as they are hot. And really pissed off.

Red Dwarf was terrible after season 5 ...

[Anonymous Coward]

... and seasons 3-5 weren't all that good.

These are facts.

Re:Red Dwarf was terrible after season 5 ...

[Anonymous Coward]

No, you're a fucking idiot.

My 2 transmitters don't have all multiplexes...

[rklrkl]

"Midlands" covers several primary transmitters and even more relays. You'll find that a chunk of Freeview users of the relays/transmitters in the Midlands do not see all the multiplexes - some relays/transmitters have to run on reduced power to avoid interference and others are interefered with by geographical conditions (hills etc.).

I put my postcode/house number (which is in Merseyside) into the DTG checker and The Wrekin (Midlands) and Moel-Y-Parc (Wales) are my two transmitters - neither has the full complement of channels available at my postcode address (i.e. several multiplexes are missing). Also note that in my case, Granada is unreceivable because a big hill (no, not Winter Hill!) cuts off the signal for me.

The one glimmer of hope is that the full digital switchover (Oct/Nov 2009 for Wales, 2011 in the MIdlands) will allow full power transmission and finally bring all the multiplexes online for the first time ever for me. It's quite surprising how this lack of multiplexes over parts of the country ever since Freeview started is virtually unheard of in the press, although the "missing" channels already generally have low viewership nationwide anyway (Dave included).

No good unless you watch it live and once only...

[rklrkl]

Ah yes, tvcatchup.com, the 100% mis-named service because you actually *can't* use it to catch up on TV that you may have missed when it was transmitted. Unless it's a live sporting event or breaking live news of major proportions, I record *everything* I watch to a hard disk recorder for later viewing (unless it wasn't transmitted in the UK in the first place, in which case it'll be a "download").

This allows me to watch it virtually the same quality as it was broadcast, any time I want, any number of times I want and dump it to DVD (the recorder has a DVD+RW too) to share with any number of friends. *None* of this possible with tvcatchup.com, so it's epic fail for that service I'm afraid.

In Red Dwarf's case, its transmission on Dave is virtually forcing a chunk of the UK population to magic P2P-land, especially since in its prime, it was a massive show on BBC 2.

Great Show, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

... good luck watching in the US. Not able to find a site that will allow to watch it. Will have to wait for the DVD or something. :(

I do hope they keep it some what close to the original few seasons of wonder and less like the final two seasons.

Getting to Know you

[Dupple]

Holy cow!

There's a squid in the water supply

(Rimmer is listening to "Getting to Know You")

nice to see the Scutters as well :D

Two seasons? Not all that typical...

[Dogtanian]

A lot of American shows would have benefited with the "6-8 strong episodes a season for 2 seasons" BBC model.

You seem to think that that's a lot more common than it is. Just because Fawlty Towers (which Americans are obsessed with) ran for two series doesn't mean it's typical. That had more to do with John Cleese than the BBC.

Normally if a show's axed after one or two "seasons" (*), it's because it's not been seen as successful. And the BBC are generally less ruthless with the axe than American networks.

Most successful UK shows have less episodes than successful American ones, but that's usually because each series (sorry, "season" :-P) has fewer episodes.

While the BBC are probably more willing to let successful shows be axed (often due to those involved wanting to end it or not do more), they'll still do some stuff that runs for ages. Things like Terry and June (which was in turn- according to WP- a semi-continuation of an older show), or 'Allo 'Allo which seemed to run for years- and did.

Or Only Fools and Bloody Horses, which ran for ten years and still keeps churning out "last ever! No, really" Christmas episodes.

(*) Damn this Americanisation! We used to call *those* "series", as in "series 1", "series 2", etc.

Re:Two seasons? Not all that typical...

[elrous0]

"You seem to think that that's a lot more common than it is. Just because Fawlty Towers (which Americans are obsessed with) ran for two series doesn't mean it's typical."

The Office and Spaced were also widely popular here and followed this model.

Laugh Tracks

[BlueBlade]

Did they remove the laugh tracks? I downloaded a few episode to check it out a few years ago and I found the laugh tracks so annoying that I couldn't watch the first episode all the way through. Whoever came up with the idea of laugh tracks should locked in a cell for a few weeks with one on perma loop.

Re:Laugh Tracks

[Dupple]

No laugh tracks in the new episode tonight.

Thankfully plenty of laughs though

Re:Laugh Tracks

[hack slash]

From what I gather, the 'laugh tracks' on Red Dwarf are actual audience reactions to watching the show either live or pre-recorded.

The series 7 DVDs have two versions of the episodes, original aired episodes with laughter from an audience watching screenings and extended versions without audience laughter.

Personally I hate generic laughter tracks where the editor just presses the "laughter" button when they think something funny was said/happened, but I do kinda like laughter in the background from unprompted audiences watching the actual show - like "Lucky Louie" for example.

Linky to a torrent.

[Anonymous Coward]

http://thebox.bz/details.php?id=73540

I'm grabbing it now!

Real laughter

[YuppieScum]

Actually, the first 6 series all have real laughter - the studio sequences had a live audience, and the exterior stuff was played to the audience and their laughter recorded.

The remainder (and these new episodes) were shot without audience, and suffered for it. To me, they're very sterile and cold.

I can understand the objection to canned laughter - I cannot watch an episode of MASH with it (in the UK we were lucky, as the BBC showed it without). On the other hand, I'd rather have canned laughter than the gibbon-like whooping and screeching on shows like Married With Children.

FWIW, it's very easy to tell the difference between a laugh track and "live" laughter, as actors will wait to deliver their next line until the audience can hear it.

Quotes

[Anonymous Coward]

"The only thing that helps me maintain my slender grip on reality is the friendship I share with my collection of singing potatoes."
- Holly, Red Dwarf

A few more here:
http://www.quoteaddict.com/quotes.php?search=red+dwarf