[markrduk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W8DQ2poWdA

[BritishHobo]

spoiler:

---

I don't wanna seem like I'm rubbing getting it right in. This annoys me just as much. I really hope the person who said it's a Despair Squid fantasy is right.

---

[themasterq8]

Im not going to moan about it, this is red dwarf, its a special if we moan theres going to be no more, everyone's gonna say its a flob.

I want it to be a success not for the channel not for the money but for the actors who put there time into it. besides I want to see series 9!

lol

[Histeria]

Originally Posted by markrduk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W8DQ2poWdA

Dear GOD that needs a laugh track. So weird to see RD without it.

[f_196]

Originally Posted by Histeria

Dear GOD that needs a laugh track. So weird to see RD without it.

I personally prefer the laugh track in Red Dwarf. It never felt like you were being told to laugh. With the older series (excluding VII) i enjoyed the sense of theatre about the show with having to pause between each laugh.

[markrduk]

I have to agree. It feels like it has lost some of its identity without the laughter track... it just doesn't feel right.

Also, the acting seems very wooden compared to previous performances and the jokes are pretty weak and delivered poorly.

I hope this does not reflect the episodes overall... it would be a major disappointment!

I know 10 years are supposed to have gone by that we havn't seen, but the characters seem really untrue to theirselves. Kryten has gone waaaaaaay too loud and 'human'.... like he would go on holiday without them anyways - what is that all about!? Rimmer is way too nice and 'series 7'. Danny is trying WAY to hard with the Cat and it feels strained. Craig thinks he's on Corrie still! It looks more like a dress rehearsal!

I think a lot of it is the absense of a laughter track - the jokes just arn't strong enough to carry it without.

Saying all that, it is only a 5 minute clip! I am worried though.... please bring back the laughter track!

[be more pacific]

I'm sure the laughter track is going to be added to the finished episode. The awkward silences between jokes were too obvious.

[DJGM]

IIRC ... Series I thru VI had no dubbed laughter tracks, but were recorded with live studio
audiences. AIUI, although Series VII was taped with no live audiences, the raw episodes
were shown to audiences, and their laughter was later dubbed on in post-production.
Series VIII returned to the live studio audience format.

[freesatfan]

Just watched that clip and its all wrong.

No laughter track, film type look, craig charles looks like he doesnt even want to be there.

Very disappointing.

For me, series 1 and 2 were the best by a mile. Since then it was just change after change.

[leicsmark]

I think that clip looks great personally, i think its a bit difficult to judge the "feel" of it on a tiny screen on youtube.

The laughter track might be missed at first but I don't feel like this is a series, more of a mini film and we should expect it to be different.

That's also why i'm not too worried about any of these plot concerns. They can always be more traditional with series 9! That's also why its important this is successful.

I've told lots of past red dwarf fans who didn't know about it. Spread the word to anyone you know who doesn't watch Dave.

[grimtales1]

I liked the despair squid episode (Back To Reality in Series V) and the end of the Series VIII.

THE END......

THE SMEG IT IS

I prefer it with a laugh track but I'm sure it will have one. Series VII was taped and then shown to an audience.
On the other hand, something like HitchHikers works better WITHOUT a laugh track. If you hear it with one, its terrible.

[MrTeatime]

I like it. I think you guys have to accept it's going to be different from before, as it should be. It's not purely an exercise in nostalgia.

[Blackhorse47]

Originally Posted by Grand Dizzy

red Dwarf breaking the fourth wall — in such an extreme way as to acknowledge that they are all only characters in a TV show — would be absolutely bad beyond words. Far worse than just a poor episode could be. It would destroy the show. It would be an insult to all that came before it.

Friends, I'm sure, broke the 4th wall numerous times, characters from Mad about You appearing to big applause, the other Lisa Kudrow character appearing, Brad Pitt appearing and giving knowing looks at Rachel all makes it clear these are actors playing a part. You might say that's different, but it's all in the way you do it and you can't judge that until you've seen it. If well written, it'll work. If badly written, it won't. But if it fails it won't be because of any walls, it'll be the writing.

The bigger problem though with this debate is that it detracts from the enjoyment. If you're determined to not like something, you won't. The perfect proof of this is the comments here about the interview on the BBC. Everyone appeared to pick up on the plot hints and then started spitting blood, because they wanted to be annoyed. On the other hand I watched the interview eager to see RD again and picked up something completely different.

The bloke at the end who can't stand the annoying bint in the middle (can't remember their names) asked if this was the end for RD. They all squirmed and muttered and looked at each uncomfortably in a way that said they weren't allowed to talk about it. Jules then talked about viewing figures, which I took as if people watch there'll be more. Then Kryten closed the interview by saying he can't say if this is the end for RD as that will spoil the ending but what he can say is - is this the end of RD, not necessarily.

[amos_brearley]

True about Friends, there was no end of nudge nudge wink wink japery across its ten years. Even Frasier, which is often held high as the benchmark for sitcoms had a fourth wall shattering joke in an episode where Frasier meets his first wife again who was been starring on tv and stage shows as a kids tv character for the last two decades. She turns to Frasier and says something along the lines of "Can you imagine what it's like to play the same character for 20 years?!" to rapturous applause and hooting from the audience and a grimace from Kelsey Grammer.
I think with Red Dwarf, there's going to be an explanation of some sorts. They wouldn't just leave us with the whole show being just a tv show. It could be an AR fantasy, a despair-type hallucination, an alternate reality or something no one has thought of yet!

[MrPitkin]

Danny and Robert were just on Loose Woman. They showed a clip (oh dear)

I remember in 1999 I emailed Robert and he replied a few times. But once I told him I thought Series VIII was disappointing - he stopped lol. On the commentry he says he thought Series VIII was the best..........

[leicsmark]

what was wrong with the clip they showed on loose women?

re: the plot.

Is it possible that they could go further back in time and meet Doug Naylor (before Red Dwarf was written at all) giving him the idea to make a Red Dwarf show based on the real characters that he met.

That way it would fit with what we know so far and also allow the characters to be real (they would be born hundreds of years later after the "show"). In other words, in our reality (2009) Red Dwarf is a tv show based on something that will really happen in the future.

[MrPitkin]

Originally Posted by leicsmark

what was wrong with the clip they showed on loose women?

Dull predicable slap stick. But the Reality Tv show dig clip is great typical Rimmer

[GeeMan1973]

Just found out on the sky planner that the Dave shows wont be subtitled... NOOOOO.

For someone like myself who's partially deaf that's a real bummer - I love the Dwarf but rely on subbies for most of my tv watching (even with the volume up I find it difficult to hear dialogue). I really hope they repeat them with subtitles, but as they're not live anyway - surely it's not a big thing to stick on subtitles - all the repeat shows of other series they're showing will have.

I'm annoyed now and feel like sending a complaint email.. grrrr

[MrPitkin]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a15...than-smeg.html

Well I suggest Doug go and find Rob and beg him to come back and write one more series because Red Dwarf deserves a much better send off than this.

[robtuk06]

Robert Llewellyn has just confirmed via Twitter that there is no laughter track.

[markrduk]

I'm worried now!!

I hope to God it is funnier than that review claims it is, but if the 5 minute teaser is anything to go by.....

Since when was the Cat called 'Kat' anyways!?

[Doctorb]

Originally Posted by markrduk

I'm worried now!!

I hope to God it is funnier than that review claims it is, but if the 5 minute teaser is anything to go by.....

Since when was the Cat called 'Kat' anyways!?

I doubt if the reviewer was a fan anyway. I wouldn't worry too much or put too much pressure on yourself to find it the funniest thing ever, just enjoy it. It is new Red Dwarf, the closure of that 'to be continued' from series VIII at least.

It would be interesting to see if people see these specials as one 'special' extended episode or mini film or as 3 normal continuing episodes (series VIII like). Personally I think it should be judged and viewed as one extended episode, we will have to wait, not long now!

[Histeria]

Originally Posted by robtuk06

Robert Llewellyn has just confirmed via Twitter that there is no laughter track.

Ah.... I suspect that may be a misjudged move.

[Barbella]

Originally Posted by MrTeatime

I like it. I think you guys have to accept it's going to be different from before, as it should be. It's not purely an exercise in nostalgia.

I agree.

I didn't think the clip was that bad...the guys just look older.

And comedy has changed a lot in the past 10 years, so perhaps expectations are a little skewed.

Red Dwarf is a classic sit com - I'm just going to enjoy it.

[Grand Dizzy]

Originally Posted by ormistonjames

though it does feel pretty strange without the audience

Oh no!

Not another series VII, with no audience! I thought they’d learnt their lesson from that: there’s just no rapport with the audience, no feeling of spontenuity or adrenaline. It all seems rather cold. I notice from the advert they’ve filmized it as well! This is looking more and more like series VII!

Originally Posted by robtuk06

Robert Llewellyn has just confirmed via Twitter that there is no laughter track.

Wow, that’s even worse! A very bold move for a show that’s spent 20 years with a laughter track. I hope they know what they’re doing!

Originally Posted by Blackhorse47

Friends, I'm sure, broke the 4th wall numerous times, characters from Mad about You appearing to big applause, the other Lisa Kudrow character appearing, Brad Pitt appearing and giving knowing looks at Rachel all makes it clear these are actors playing a part. You might say that's different, but it's all in the way you do it and you can't judge that until you've seen it. If well written, it'll work. If badly written, it won't. But if it fails it won't be because of any walls, it'll be the writing.

I agree that fourth wall breaking can be done tastefully and subtley, and it may have been done a little in Friends (although I don’t think it truly constitutes fourth wall breaking unless the characters themself are clearly aware of the joke). But this is nothing like Rachel giving knowing looks to Brad Pitt: we’re talking here about the characters meeting their writers. You can’t tell me anything like that would have happened in a sitcom like Friends without a massive negative reaction.

Originally Posted by Blackhorse47

If you're determined to not like something, you won't. The perfect proof of this is the comments here about the interview on the BBC. Everyone appeared to pick up on the plot hints and then started spitting blood, because they wanted to be annoyed. On the other hand I watched the interview eager to see RD again and picked up something completely different.

I think you’ve got me wrong. I have always been a big Red Dwarf fan, and even though I think some series are better than others (VII being the worst), I still love them all dearly. I was totally excited about Red Dwarf coming back, and still am. I will enjoy this no matter how awful it is. I will be recording it and watching it several times, like I always used to, and I will willingly laugh along with the gags, even if they’re a bit cheap (like the recurring Space Corps Directive ones from series VI). Cheap gags are part of the appeal of Red Dwarf, along with more profound and intelligent humour in the mix. Some of the early slapstick in the first couple of series seems a little thin in retrospect, but I think that’s only because back then the characters weren’t as well-defined. These days, I think they could pretty much do any gags and it would be funny because we all know the characters, and so do the actors. Even the issue about them getting rid of the laughter track all together, it concerns me but I’m still going to love the episode no matter what.

So I would say I was a pretty loyal fan, and not at all fickle about this.

However, the notion of this show turning into a completely different style of show… that is the only thing that I have ever strongly objected to in this entire TV series. Still, I am optimistic about what will actually happen, and have confidence in the team to produce a good bit of TV. But I do feel that if the fourth wall were to be broken in such a way, it would be a huge shame. That’s not to say I think it will.