Red Dwarf VI Repeats Start
Now, we wouldn't usually do a news story on this; you all know daily repeats of Dwarf have been going on the past few days as a special Christmas treat. But there's bugger all else happening Dwarf-news-wise over the festive period, and more importantly, the start of Red Dwarf VI gives people the change to re-evaluate the series; a series that I feel has been very unfairly criticised. The schedule is as follows:
| Date | Time | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 29th December | 01:10 | Psirens |
| 30th December | 00:55 | Legion |
| 31st December | 01:35 | Gunmen of the Apocalypse |
| 1st January | 01:10 | Polymorph II: Emohawk |
| 2nd January | 00:30 | Rimmerworld |
| 3rd January | 23:00 | Out Of Time |
Pity about the changing times of it, but then that's what happens when you tack something on at the end of the day. Note that the dates are technically wrong, but follow the standard TV listings approach of waiting until about 5:30am before calling it the next day. Now, you will watch, and you will like, dammit. Legion is a particular favourite of mine; it's great. Sez me and Rob Grant, thank you very much. Rob and I happen to agree on this one. And Out Of Time is fab too; and not only for the fabulous ending, either. "What do you think of the picket fence?" And besides, what better way is there to see in the New Year than watching Gunmen? You got me, buddy.
Meanwhile, Red Dwarf VII is starting repeats in January; currently planned to go out every Sunday starting on the 11th. That'll put the cat amongst the pigeons. Well, in so much that a 7 year old show that has been endlessly discussed until everyone is BORED SHITLESS OF IT can do, anyway.
Comments
Legion is one of the best episodes ever. As is Gunmen and Out of Time. Rimmerworld and Psirens aren't too shabby, either. In fact, Series VI is stupendous, except for the second half of Emohawk, which smacks of desperation.
Anyway. Boxing Day is now over, unless I misunderstood something. Where's that promised decent site update?
Posted by Austin Ross at December 27, 2003 06:17 PM
I thought someone would get fed up of my endless empty promises eventually. The decent site update is on my hard drive half-finished; I fell asleep last night, irritatingly, and so haven't had time to do it all. It'll be up tomorrow. (In case anyone gets too excited, it's just the Red Dwarf IV DVD Preview; based on BBFC entries, DVD Details articles, and my eminently important misinformed opinions and guesses, rather than anything decent such as getting hold of pre-release copies.)
As for the last half of Emohawk, once they get back on Starbug, it's perhaps not the best Dwarf ever - Emohawk isn't as good partly (in my opinion) because there isn't much of a theme to it. There's still some great bits, though. "A plan with no drawbacks!"
Posted by John Hoare at December 27, 2003 06:28 PM
Emohawk was the best episode of Red Dwarf VIII ever.
Such a pity it was in Red Dwarf VI...
Posted by Pete Martin at December 28, 2003 11:15 AM
I don't think Emohawk feels anything like a VIII ep, if that's what you're getting at.
Emohawk is a million times better than any episode in VII/VIII, though. Erm, </darrellbait>, or something.
Posted by John Hoare at December 28, 2003 05:59 PM
Yes, of course Emohawk is better than the final 16 episodes...but there's no denying that, for the last 10 minutes anyway, it feels like a piece of fanfiction.
Old ideas (Duane, Polymorph, Ace) are reused and crammed together leaving little room for a truly original plot. This was a hallmark of Series 8 throughout which recycled (in no particular order) the Luck Virus, Future Echoes and -him again - Duane Dibbley.
Posted by Pete Martin at December 28, 2003 07:09 PM
I don't know; firstly I think you have to give Emohawk credit for being three-sequels-in-one; admittedly this is irrelevant to the quality of the show, but I still find that aspect clever.
But more importantly, I think it's fine that *one* show can do something like that; the show was designed specifically for the sequels idea and it manages to be *funny* into the bargin, which is the important thing. You could argue that the re-use of ideas in later series isn't actually a bad thing; loads of series reuse ideas and characters in later episodes; it's a *strength* of some shows. The main problem is that they just weren't funny. I'll be the first one to say that the Dibbley material in VIII is some of the weakest material ever in Red Dwarf; but it's no weaker than the twatting Cat/Blue Midget dance, and that was an original idea (to Dwarf, anyway).
Of course, none of that means anything if you just don't find the last half of Emohawk funny...
Posted by John Hoare at December 28, 2003 07:22 PM
Just been looking through the script for Emohawk. The last third isn't quite as good as I remembered it; but there's still some great lines:
"IT *IS* THE STICK!"
"He's looking so geeky I don't think he could even get into a science fiction convention."
"The Cat's a complete klutz, and Mr. Rimmers... well, *nice*."
"IT'S THE WALL!"
If do agree that if the entire episode was the quality as the last third, overall it would be disappointing. But the first two thirds more than saves it.
Posted by John Hoare at December 28, 2003 07:39 PM
Hmmm. I appear to be writing less an article previewing the IV DVD, and more an article including everything in the world ever that *isn't* to do with the IV DVD. How disciplined of me.
Posted by John Hoare at December 29, 2003 03:02 AM
It would appear so. I am, however, greatly looking forward to the IV DVD preview, as the III previews were both excellent.
Posted by Austin Ross at December 30, 2003 02:33 AM
Okay, my final comment on this...
My main problem with Emohawk is that, on my first veiwing, I was endelessly waiting for the Emohawk to meet Kryten and Lister. As it is, these characters are slightly ignored. Admittably, they get some funny lines but the episode is so concerned with reusing old stuff that a lack of "alternate-character-epsiodes" to plunder from means that they are ignored. (I guess they couldn't use Back to Reality and Dimension Jump too much)
Emohawk is definitely "one for the fans". And those same fans were probably the only ones watching when Series VIII limped to its muddled conclusion.
I guess it makes sense to lump all the old stuff in one episode...But looking back to the entire series as a whole, this was not the last we saw of Ace or Duane.
There's nothing wrong with reusing ideas : Cassandra is a blatant rip-off from Future Echoes but is Series VIII's saving grace, because the central idea is used effectively.
Of course this shouldn't detract from the episode as it stands. But I don't just watch Red Dward for the comedy, I watch it for the highly original stories. And Emohawk isn't that original.
And in conclusion? Well, Emohawk is a great episode...just not one of the greatest. In my opinion, it led to the reuse of plots and characters in the following episodes.
Posted by Pete Martin at December 30, 2003 10:13 AM
BREAKING NEWS: Rimmerworld is great.
Posted by John Hoare at April 15, 2004 10:29 PM
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