SciFiNow - 06.2020

MUST-SEE TV

Red Dwarf

026 | W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K

THE RED DWARF DOZEN

SEASON ONE

EPISODE ONE

THE END

Contrary to the episode’s

name, this is where it

all begins.

SEASON TWO

EPISODE ONE

KRYTEN

The first appearance of

Kryten who becomes so

vital later.

SEASON THREE

EPISODE TWO

MAROONED

A Rimmer and Lister deep-

dive focusing on their

evolving relationship.

SEASON FOUR

EPISODE FIVE

DIMENSION JUMP

The arrival of Ace Rimmer

makes for the definitive

Rimmer episode.

SEASON FIVE

EPISODE TWO

THE INQUISITOR

Our crew of malcontents

versus a superpowered

alien space cop.

SEASON SIX

EPISODE THREE

GUNMEN OF THE

APOCALYPSE

The crew enter Kryten’s

mind to save him.

Red Dwarf is uniformly good, but these, for us, are the series’

must-sees...

else’. So... if you want to use the cast of

Red Dwarf, it’s got to be an audience with

our guys.

“And from a director’s point of view,”

Naylor adds, “what’s good about it is

you know if the show’s working. And, of

course, at the end of the evening, the cast

love it because if it’s gone well, and it went

incredibly well on both nights, they’re really

buzzing at the end of the show.”

Naylor, as both a writer and director for

the show, clearly enjoys pushing it into new

and interesting places. “I think if I thought

that we were just treading water, we’ve

done all this before, and we’re just doing a

watered-down version of a previous show,

there wouldn’t be the same enthusiasm for

it. And it’s always been an incredibly tough

show to make from the production side. I

mean, it’s kind of comical when people come

in and production designers, they think,

yeah, this will be fine. And then we ask

them at the end: ‘Was it more difficult than

you thought?’ And they go: ‘Oh my god, we

had no idea.’ And that’s probably my fault

in because I’m pushing all the time... But I

think, at the end of the day, everyone seemed

very proud of the results.”

A show doesn’t last for as long as Red

Dwarf has – even surviving a jump to a new

broadcaster – without a legion of fans behind

it, something Barrie is still thrilled by, and

something the team turn to for inspiration.

“We have built up this amazingly loyal,

strong following over 33 years now. And

I think we genuinely do care for what our

audience feel.” Barrie tells us that he and

the cast are always pestering Naylor with

questions they’ve had from fans about

particular plot points or characters in the

show. “We do listen to audience feedback

and don't just dismiss it as audience tittle-

tattle. We do respect our fans and I think

there is a lot of care for them when we’re

making any Red Dwarf.”

Over the years, Barrie has played a lot of

different versions of Rimmer and has a clear

favourite. “I think it was with Ace Rimmer,

‘Dimension Jump’. Some people were saying

after that, that's the way the character should

have been from the start. But of course, if

you think that through, Ace was a great

release, a relief, if you like, from weasel

Rimmer, for want of another phrase. But, in

fact, Ace could never have been there the

whole time. Because A, he’s not that funny.

And B, he is Mr Perfect. So where do you

go with that? People just say ‘what a guy’

every episode. So, weaselly Rimmer is the

Rimmer to have because he is so much petrol

for comedy... But having said that, it was

fantastically enjoyable playing Ace. And, of

course, in this, it’s great to go through the

gear changes to become the Rimmer upgrade

that we see in Promised Land.”

Naylor is in post-production on the special

now and, when asked what he was doing

next, cheerfully told us that he’s hoping for

a holiday. But he’s also ready to return to

Red Dwarf again, telling us that he has “a

big book full of ideas”. He adds that “it would

be interesting just to have a sit-down and

think and talk to Richard [Naylor, producer

and Naylor’s son] about where we could

go with another one. I mean, that’s if it’s

commissioned, of course. Hopefully it

will be.”

Given Red Dwa r f’s remarkable longevity,

we’d be very surprised if it wasn’t back again

in some format soon.

Red Dwarf: The Promised Land airs

Thursday 9 April, 9pm on Dave.

Filming Red Dwarf without a live

audience was a no-go for the show’s

co-creator Doug Naylor (right).

022-027_SFN_170 Red Dwarf.indd 26 19/03/2020 12:31

MUST-SEE TV

Red Dwarf

026 | W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K

THE RED DWARF DOZEN

SEASON ONE

EPISODE ONE

THE END

Contrary to the episode’s

name, this is where it

all begins.

SEASON TWO

EPISODE ONE

KRYTEN

The first appearance of

Kryten who becomes so

vital later.

SEASON THREE

EPISODE TWO

MAROONED

A Rimmer and Lister deep-

dive focusing on their

evolving relationship.

SEASON FOUR

EPISODE FIVE

DIMENSION JUMP

The arrival of Ace Rimmer

makes for the definitive

Rimmer episode.

SEASON FIVE

EPISODE TWO

THE INQUISITOR

Our crew of malcontents

versus a superpowered

alien space cop.

SEASON SIX

EPISODE THREE

GUNMEN OF THE

APOCALYPSE

The crew enter Kryten’s

mind to save him.

Red Dwarf is uniformly good, but these, for us, are the series’

must-sees...

else’. So... if you want to use the cast of

Red Dwarf, it’s got to be an audience with

our guys.

“And from a director’s point of view,”

Naylor adds, “what’s good about it is

you know if the show’s working. And, of

course, at the end of the evening, the cast

love it because if it’s gone well, and it went

incredibly well on both nights, they’re really

buzzing at the end of the show.”

Naylor, as both a writer and director for

the show, clearly enjoys pushing it into new

and interesting places. “I think if I thought

that we were just treading water, we’ve

done all this before, and we’re just doing a

watered-down version of a previous show,

there wouldn’t be the same enthusiasm for

it. And it’s always been an incredibly tough

show to make from the production side. I

mean, it’s kind of comical when people come

in and production designers, they think,

yeah, this will be fine. And then we ask

them at the end: ‘Was it more difficult than

you thought?’ And they go: ‘Oh my god, we

had no idea.’ And that’s probably my fault

in because I’m pushing all the time... But I

think, at the end of the day, everyone seemed

very proud of the results.”

A show doesn’t last for as long as Red

Dwarf has – even surviving a jump to a new

broadcaster – without a legion of fans behind

it, something Barrie is still thrilled by, and

something the team turn to for inspiration.

“We have built up this amazingly loyal,

strong following over 33 years now. And

I think we genuinely do care for what our

audience feel.” Barrie tells us that he and

the cast are always pestering Naylor with

questions they’ve had from fans about

particular plot points or characters in the

show. “We do listen to audience feedback

and don't just dismiss it as audience tittle-

tattle. We do respect our fans and I think

there is a lot of care for them when we’re

making any Red Dwarf.”

Over the years, Barrie has played a lot of

different versions of Rimmer and has a clear

favourite. “I think it was with Ace Rimmer,

‘Dimension Jump’. Some people were saying

after that, that's the way the character should

have been from the start. But of course, if

you think that through, Ace was a great

release, a relief, if you like, from weasel

Rimmer, for want of another phrase. But, in

fact, Ace could never have been there the

whole time. Because A, he’s not that funny.

And B, he is Mr Perfect. So where do you

go with that? People just say ‘what a guy’

every episode. So, weaselly Rimmer is the

Rimmer to have because he is so much petrol

for comedy... But having said that, it was

fantastically enjoyable playing Ace. And, of

course, in this, it’s great to go through the

gear changes to become the Rimmer upgrade

that we see in Promised Land.”

Naylor is in post-production on the special

now and, when asked what he was doing

next, cheerfully told us that he’s hoping for

a holiday. But he’s also ready to return to

Red Dwarf again, telling us that he has “a

big book full of ideas”. He adds that “it would

be interesting just to have a sit-down and

think and talk to Richard [Naylor, producer

and Naylor’s son] about where we could

go with another one. I mean, that’s if it’s

commissioned, of course. Hopefully it

will be.”

Given Red Dwa r f’s remarkable longevity,

we’d be very surprised if it wasn’t back again

in some format soon.

Red Dwarf: The Promised Land airs

Thursday 9 April, 9pm on Dave.

Filming Red Dwarf without a live

audience was a no-go for the show’s

co-creator Doug Naylor (right).