Red Dwarf Season 10 - Your Thoughts?

Myrddin · 09-11-2012 7:49pm #1

Well, now that the season is done & dusted. What were everyones thoughts on it? What did you like? What did you hate? Was it better or worse than you expected? Would you like to see more? Should they leave it well enough alone now?

My thoughts, are mostly positive. The season began quite well, it all felt very natural, there was a lot more emphasis on plot/story than CGI effects, which was a huge return to form & roots. It felt very weird watching new Dwarf episodes, a show I have literally grown up watching. I felt initially quite pessimistic at times about whether or not returning to the show would be an exercise in futility, & they risked completely ruining the following, especially after BTE.

But, on the whole, I'm massively relieved that it was mostly, very, very good. I felt the season stalled midway maybe, & the second to last episode was really brutal...ending somewhat better with a stronger finale.

What I liked: The character interaction, the focus on comedy, the fact it was a live audience, the actors themselves seemed to enjoy it, & it completely trounced BTE & to once again LOL at new Dwarf episodes was a fantastic exercise in nostalgia.

What I didn't like: The secondary characters were all extremely weak I thought...be it the vending machines, the new computer, the simulants etc. I don't think they quite got those characters right at all. Some of the middle/late season eps also needed to be much stronger too, but on the whole...there wasn't too much I didn't like. No deal breakers for a new season anyway.

4/5 from me. Speak your mind!

Jimoslimos · 10-11-2012 3:19am

2 - Poor

I honestly don't know. Glad to see it back in a form other than BTE and maybe because of that my expectations have been slightly lower. A real mixed bag combining the good (but not I-VI excellent) and the bad.

Improvement of plot/storylines (which in some cases were paper-thin) and character development would be welcome. Although a massive part of the humour was always based on the 1D nature of the characters. Definitely agree that the writing for secondary characters was weak. Also some jokes were definitely stretched too far - take for example the sword polishing/hari kari simulant scene from Ep 6, it was good but dragged out IMO

Would definitely watch a Season 11 (not sure about a Season 9 though - that leads back to BTE!), but wouldn't mind a few fresh ideas, whilst keeping some of the old charm. Impossible to please I guess!

gufnork · 10-11-2012 12:31pm

3 - Average

I've yet to see this weeks episode but have enjoyed the rest, but then I'm not the type to analyze it too much. I think it's at it's best when you just pour yourself a beer, sit back and let it work it's magic. The acting was fine, no better or worse than ever and the humour was good for the most part.

Things I liked a lot - the new computer, lister and the vending machine and a lot else that I've already forgotten.

Things I didn't like - nothing really. I enjoyed watching it all.

It's a great show and I always miss it when it's gone. That's probably the best compliment you can give when alls said and done.

Myrddin · 10-11-2012 2:16pm

3 - Average

gufnork wrote: »

I think it's at it's best when you just pour yourself a beer, sit back and let it work it's magic.

Couldn't agree more, well said.

cherryghost · 10-11-2012 6:11pm

3 - Average

4 good episodes and 2 very poor ones. The thing about Red Dwarf is that a lot of episodes are hit and miss anyway in every season. Gave it a 4/5 though. Great to see them back and on form (mostly anyway).

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-11-2012 6:25pm

2 - Poor

im glad it came back but i hope this is the end of it now

whatever they had in season 1-6 is missing and i'm afraid that something was rob grant. i was always kind of hopeful that new red dwarf could be as good or almost as good as the classics but now I've come to terms with it and am willing to just let it die peacefully.

RADIUS · 10-11-2012 6:37pm

3 - Average

The new episodes have so far given me a few good unexpected laughs and have generally been enjoyable. I agree that some of the supporting characters are a bit weak. I think that Chris Barry does a great job of maintaining that classic dynamic with Craig Charles which I feel is really central to the comedy while Kryton and Kat provide the cheap laughs. Kryton seems to have gotten dumber and it's good to see Kat has more lines than in the last few seasons where he almost became a background character.

G.K. · 10-11-2012 9:41pm

2 - Poor

Voted 3 by accident. Meant to put 4.

johnny_ultimate · 12-11-2012 1:04am

1 - Meh

I'm going to be the Internet pessimist and give this my lowest rating ever - two thumbs up (out of five

). Some episodes were decent / average, others fairly weak, and one straight up dreadful. The first two were probably the strongest (watchable, with a hearty chuckle or two per episode), and was fairly indifferent to the rest of them. The old "decent idea underdeveloped" criticism was true of almost all the episodes - every one played like a first draft of something that, with a bit more care, energy and resources, could have been much more enjoyable. Also thought the 'new' characters - from vending machines to the demented AI to the cyborgs of episode six - were universally dreadful and embarrassingly acted. Production values a mixed bag throughout - cool sets, bad SFX.

That said, the comic timing and energy of the leads is largely undiminished, especially Llewyelen and Barrie - it's the material they have to work with that is a shadow of its former self, and The Cat particularly underwritten this time around. And, although this is fairly faint praise, it wasn't anywhere near as obnoxiously awful as Back to Earth - with the notable exception of episode five, which felt like a genuine waste of cast, crew and audience time.

A little bit below mediocre on the whole then, occasionally falling above or below that particular watermark. I've seen worse seasons of television, but I'll be honest my enthusiasm for the show has very much waned over the course of this new seasons. Red Dwarf has had its day, maybe time to put it into indefinite cryosleep.

pixelburp · 12-11-2012 8:54am

2 - Poor

I would say I was pleasantly surprised & mildly disappointed; it wasn't as bad as I was expecting - some of the episodes made me laugh a fair bit, but also it seemed a lot less than it could have been. The new series did give me the idea to watch some older episodes from previous series & there's really no comparison in the writing & the general quality-level of comedy. Compared against the classic series, series X is like watching a fan-series tbh.

Some moments were very good but overall the scripts desperately need some quality control & serious editing. I think it's fairly obvious who of the scripting duo had the greater comic-writing chops, and I would hope that someone has a quiet word in Naylors ear, persuading him to take on more staff / ideas. In the cold light of day, sci-fi has moved on since the heyday of RD and X's comedy just feels flat & stale in the light of other shows at the moment. A lot of primetime sci-fi (both sides of the Atlantic) have much better comedic writing than X displayed & it doesn't matter how many subbeteo jokes you use, Red Dwarf can't just pretend it's still the 1980s

Shows potential, must try harder.

steve_r · 12-11-2012 11:47am

2 - Poor

I’m glad it’s back, albeit not to the standard of prior incarnations.
It’s nice to have new episodes of a show you love, and it was a real comfort watch on Thursday’s that I’ll miss.
That said, I will be hoping they up their game if they come back next season!
What I liked: Same kind of charm that lead me to the show in the first place, the vending machine incident, some great back-and-forth between the characters.

What I didn't like: Thought they under-used Rimmer, some of the jokes felt flat, agree with the point that the secondary characters were disappointing. I agree with a lot (not all!) of johnny_ultimate’s points but ultimately (see what I did there?) I think I’m quick to forgive the show its weak points. I miss Rob Grant, because it’s not quite the same show I grew to love.
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 for me.

Myrddin · 12-11-2012 11:55am

3 - Average

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Also thought the 'new' characters - from vending machines to the demented AI to the cyborgs of episode six - were universally dreadful and embarrassingly acted.

Utterly appalling I thought, how they got them all so consistently bad is beyond me

johnny_ultimate · 13-11-2012 11:40am

1 - Meh

EnterNow wrote: »

Utterly appalling I thought, how they got them all so consistently bad is beyond me

Again, I think it can be simply explained by the absence of Rob Grant. What's still enjoyable about the show was there from the beginning - primarily the interactions between the core characters. They're memorable comic creations, and Llewyelen and Barrie particularly always bring their A-game even when the material is B-grade. It was the creative scriptwriting of Grant Naylor that allowed the cast to really sing, but alas it just seems as if Naylor-solo cannot keep that level of creativity and energy going - in fact, many of the new ideas have been actively bad (said new characters).

cherryghost · 13-11-2012 11:51am

3 - Average

EnterNow wrote: »

Utterly appalling I thought, how they got them all so consistently bad is beyond me

I toast therefore I am!

Myrddin · 13-11-2012 12:28pm

3 - Average

cherryghost wrote: »

I toast therefore I am!

Talkie Toaster had more screen presence than any of Series 10's extra characters. It says a lot when your out-acted by a toaster!

briany · 13-11-2012 5:52pm

I couldn't rate this series but I do know that I enjoyed it. Does it top anything they've done before? I could only say in all honesty that it tops BtE. The series felt like what series VII would have been if Chris Barrie had stayed on full time and the series remained stylistically consistent with what went before.

I liked that the series was an effort to get back to the nuts and bolts but some things about it came off a bit pantomime. Craig Charles has lost the subtlety he once had in playing Lister, almost like he's just having a really good time doing it and doesn't care if that comes across, even when he's trying to play it sad. Rimmer and Cat were easily the two winners of the foursome, and the characters were played just about as well as could be hoped. Kryten was thankfully toned down a bit from previous series having gotten way too silly and hysterical in series VII and VIII.

Storyline wise, the series was fine but in every episode I could see echoes of old plotlines going through every one. In some ways, though, this has always been the case. Most, if not every episode has been based on loneliness, bad news derelicts, time travel, alternate realities and personalities, biological/techno nasties or virtual reality. In the Red Dwarf universe, there doesn't seem to be much else out there.

Ridley · 28-01-2013 1:00pm

Swiped from Twitter: the worst Red Dwarf review ever.

ArnoldJRimmer · 06-07-2013 4:20pm

I've only just noticed that this forum exists. Thought it would be rude not to at least pop in and say hello

cherryghost · 06-07-2013 4:26pm

3 - Average

Smeg off, Alphabet Head!

Jimoslimos · 06-07-2013 4:31pm

2 - Poor

Goalpost Head!

(hey we're allowed abuse posters here if their name is Rimmer?!)

Red Dwarf Season 10 - Your Thoughts?

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