The BBC's Guide to Comedy
This is a simply excellent website. Something in the region of 15,000 shows, mainly BBC but with a good selection of programmes from other channels, are included in the BBCi Guide To Comedy, and, naturally, Red Dwarf is one of them. The entries are by Mark Lewisohn, and were published in 1998 as the quite superb Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy; they have however been significantly revised for both the website and an upcoming new edition of the book.
Anyway, the write-up on Red Dwarf is a good one, with the exception of the following mistakes:
- Red Dwarf is described as a "21st-century deep-space mining ship". This could be true, but then again, it could not. In Stasis Leak, the crew travelled back to 2077, in DNA, Lister describes himself as a twenty-third century guy, and in Ouroboros, Lister gets abandoned in 2155.
- It is stated that Son of Clich� ran for eight editions in 1983. However, there was also a further series of eight, in 1984.
- It is claimed that Rimmer bowed out in the episode shown on 14th Febuary 1997 (Blue), and that this was followed by Kochanski's return. Whilst Blue is the last episode to feature Chris Barrie, the character of Rimmer left in Stoke Me A Clipper (24th January 1997). Kochanski was already there when Chris made his final appearance of the series.
- The paragraph on the Re-Mastered series can fuck off.
- Hattie Hayridge is credited as playing Holly in Series 3-6, when in fact she didn't appear in Series 6.
- Robert Llewellyn is only credited as Kryten for Series 3-7; he was obviously in Series 8 as well.
- Clare Grogan is credited as playing Kochanski in Series 1 & 2, but she also appeared in one episode of Series VI.
You can also browse the database by person. Have a look at: Chloe Annett, Chris Barrie, Ed Bye, Craig Charles, Rob Grant, Hattie Hayridge, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Norman Lovett or Doug Naylor. Or don't. I don't care.
Comments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/spittingimage_7775945.shtml
Look at the Transmission Details given for that. Mark Lewisohn is fantastic. The write-ups really are good, too; when I first read the Red Dwarf one, I found it rather cliched and irritatingly written, but that isn't really fair, as I know far too much about the series to be able to view it fairly; a general overview won't be that interesting to a fan. Looking at entries for shows I don't know much about is far more rewarding.
Posted by John Hoare at September 12, 2003 09:42 PM
> It is claimed that Rimmer bowed out in the episode shown on 14th Febuary 1998
1997.
Posted by Nik at September 12, 2003 11:45 PM
Argh. Fixed. Ta. Nik.
Posted by John Hoare at September 12, 2003 11:52 PM
I'm not so sure. The interface is APPALLING - it takes hundreds of clicks to get anywhere, and there's countless errors that have been caused by the BBCi people HTMLing it all (why is every Mr Bean episode a seperate entry).
I'm waiting for the book, personally.
(One advantage of the net version is that you get loads of lovely hi-res publicity photographs to print out and roll around in naked.)
Posted by Darrell Jones at September 13, 2003 01:09 AM
I never find most of the BBC's sites particuarly nice; the fixed-width annoys me for a start. Still, at least the BBC are trying with this. We've got to give them credit for that. It's a superb idea, and hopefully the problems with it will be ironed out. But yes, the book will be lovelier.
Posted by John Hoare at September 13, 2003 01:18 AM
I said once the comments update was made available I'd make a comment ;)
Looked at the RD entry which, apart from the errors made (& pointed out here) was a very general, boring to myself, entry.
One thing got me though as I've always read Andy DeEmmony's name as Anthony DeEmmony & was certain it was another mistake. A trip to imdb sorted me out & in the process discovered he's directed the current 'Canterbury Tales' adaptation for the Beeb.
God, that was more boring than the entry I just read!
Posted by Ruth at September 13, 2003 01:33 PM
Crikey. If I'd known about the Canterbury Tales stuff, I'd have actually watched the damn thing and done a news item on it! Excellent, Ruth.
As for the RD capsule; I agree it's not particuarly impressive. But reading some of the other capsules (particuarly the Spitting Image one I linked to above), they are far, far better. I think some of it is down to quality, and some of it is down to us being slightly jaded as fans. That the paragraph on the Re-mastered series is just rubbish, though.
It's interesting when you read others assessment of the characters; I've never seen Lister as particuarly laddish or even slobby; they never seemed important parts of his character. Obviously, though, those aspects are there. I guess it's just what you notice. I agree with what Craig Charles said: Lister is the social conscience of the crew. That seems rather more important than the other aspects, particuarly after the first two series.
Posted by John Hoare at September 13, 2003 01:58 PM
GO ON YOU LOVE IT
Notes: As an aid to international sales, early episodes of Red Dwarf were revisited in the late 1990s, with computer-generated imagery, digital video effects and digital stereo sound replacing the suddenly VERY DATED mechanical effects and mono sound of old. This is the first time that a British comedy show has been treated to retrospective IMPROVEMENTS, but it is typical of the FORWARD-THINKING that sets Red Dwarf apart from most of its Earthbound contemporaries. Three UPGRADED series were subsequently broacast by BBC2.
Posted by YouLoveIt at September 16, 2003 01:54 PM
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