I concur, sadly. The only reason I continued to watch series 7 & 8 was because a poor episode of Red Dwarf was still preferrable to a lot of the shite that was on at the time. All this talk of specials and season episodes and the rest of it is just as sad, it really should just be left alone. Do we really need to see a Corrie regular and Lara Croft's butler on screen struggling to recapture the greatness of the later 80s/early 90s?

The mention of new Red Dwarf did make me happy because I have fond memories of watching it and it immediately made me dig out my Dwarf collection and revisit some of my fave moments. I am looking forward to seeing the new stuff but I am also resigned to the fact that I will be dissapointed. I've simply learnt over the years that trying to breath new life into something which should of just been left alone more often than not fails. It's like reinflating a bike tyre(or blow up doll hehehe ) that's got a slow puncture, you might enjoy the ride for two mins but it soon goes flat...

Series 7 did really make me tune out, I agree with other comments here regarding it's change in style. I dipped into series 8 a bit but perhaps only watched one or two episodes and I haven't felt compelled to catch up with it. For me it finished at the end of series 6. I'll give the new stuff a go, if it blows me away then hurrah but if it's awful then hey ho I've still got series 1-6 to enjoy on DVD.

Agreed, series 1 - 6 were the best but even 6 was starting to falter in the end and the missing Rimmer during several of the episodes proved that Red Dwarf couldnt really survive without him. Poor storylines plagued series 7 & 8 but its nice to hear that Doug and Rob are back together writing the new story and I for one am looking forwrd to seeing the Easter special. I, too, have all the series on dvd save for series 7 & 8, you do actually get quite a lot of content for your money, the audio commentaries are quite humourous too. Red Dwarf got me sent home college many years ago when I wore Lister's 'Lets Get Out There And Twat It' t-shirt for a bit of fun, the teachers had no sense of humour!

Is this true? ...Is Rob Grant back??
If this is true, then I'm be looking forward to it.


...Shame I can't get freeview.

I could be wrong, theres been rumours he was involved and as much as Id like to see them back together writing, Im not entirely sure this is the case.

Buggeration - I was wrong, this from the Red Dwarf site:

"Doug Naylor will be masterminding the four half-hour instalments, and the regular cast will all be reprising their iconic roles. They are being made by GNP for UKTV's free-to-air channel, Dave - our new best friends!"

Meh.

I'll still be interested in watching... I mean, at least we know that no matter how crap it is, it can't be worse than series 7.

There were funny moments in series 7, Tikka to Ride, I liked for instance, and the destruction of Bronte World was it, by Kryten using a honking great T-55 tank (not a WWII one as he said how sad am I) was amusing. Chloe Annett I feel also gets a bit unfairly criticised in her role as Kochanski, in Series 7, she was perhaps trying to find her feet, and maybe found it awkward to fit into the other long established cast. In Series 8 she seemed a bit more at ease and it had some good episodes.

It was ironic that Captain Hollister turned out to be as big a cheat as Rimmer would have been, and the episode Krytie TV was fairly good.

I'll have to disagree with you on the funny moments in series 7. ...obviously comedy is subjective, so one person's funny is another persons mildly amusing and predictable.
Chloe Annett had a hard time in series 7, and though everyone said she was a crap actor, I'd say she wasn't that bad... (She only had Clare Grogan's acting skills to live up to), but it was a terrible script she had to work with.

Captain Hollister was one of the best things about series 8. This is a character that was only really fleshed out in one episode before this (statis leak), and the kiss-arse relationship between him and Rimmer was a welcome return.
I especially liked the throw away 'Dennis the donut boy' line. ...one of the best of the series.
I didn't like krytie tv though. What's with the beard?... Who in 300 or even 3 million years time will remember Beadles About?
I'd say that this was 'jumping the shark' ... if the shark had not have been well an truly jumped the previous series on Tikka to Ride.*

*I just did a Freudian typo, & typed 'Dire' by mistake.

It seemed, for me, that returning to the Red Dwarf killed off the series for me as well as the addition of bringing back Kochanski to maybe fill in the gap that they knew Chris Barrie would be leaving when Rimmer was taken out of the equation. The episodes were boring and only got a slight chuckle from me once in while, for the first time I actually didnt mind missing the last two seasons and I wasnt disappointed that I had. I have seen them in the repeats but to be honest theyre not a patch on the older episodes, even series 6 was better than the last two combined, Legion & Gunmen being two of my favourite episodes from that series.

Robert Llewellyn keeps saying it is 'classic RD' and not at all like season 7.

I am finding it hard to not hope it is, but I am also expecting the seemingly inevitable dissapointment. I'll be watching it, regardless.

I didn't really watch it after series 6, a few episodes here & there, so if it's good it's good & if it isn't then it won't be a massive loss to me really as I gave up on the show a long time ago.

I must watch some of the old series again soon actually. It's been quite a while.

It is slightly ironic that the original background to Kochanski was that she was brought up in the 'Posh Gorbals area of Glasgow'. When this was written, to be frank, the Gorbals had a pretty crappy reputation, and now its full of luxury flats.

I really think a lot of people unfairly put down Chloe Annett, she's fairly decent, though some of her jokes were overused, that isn't the actresses fault. I do think the whole Dibbley joke was overused, it was funny in series 5, but it should have only been used once.

Yeah, agreed. I didn't mind the 2nd use of Dibbley... in series 6; Emohawk was like a greatest hits of Red Dwarf from the previous 3 series, re-using as it did, Duane Dibbley, Ace Rimmer & the Polymorph.
...A show of throwback jokes.
At the time, were any of us aware that this episode would signify that the writers had run out of good ideas?

Red Dwarf meets Coronation Street - contains picture spoilers!

Hmm. Let's hope this is just a joke sequence in the middle of an episode.

First 'official' pic

Maybe not the best picture, but I'd say of the four of them, Chris Barrie hasn't aged the best. It could be the light in that picture though. Any news on whether Kochanski, whether Claire Grogans version or Chloe Annett will be involved?

I think it is the slight balding and greyness of the hair that doesn't do him many favours

Kryten doesn't seemed to have aged much....

Prosthetics dont age you in that sense besides, he is supposed to be a mechanoid and they technically dont 'age'. Its the arthritic limp as you shuffle walk down the corridor that will catch you out. Not that Im saying Rob is arthritic!

Was just joking about that really..

Kryten almost appears to be sporting a ghost of a pencil 'stache. On this monitor, anyway...

They're going to Coronation Street?

Yes, but why is another matter altogether.

Boo. This is confusing. I know basically nothing of Corrie. Boo I say.

Danny John-Jules doesn't seem to have aged at all since the last series.

What is going on with Chris Barrie's hair though?

I don't understand all this Corrie stuff either. Hmnn...

Beats me an' all.
I am rewatching early Red Dwarf with cast commentaries as i make adjustments to the flat, and I'm probably getting far too optimistic for this special.

Isn't Craig Charles in Coronation St?

Yes.

And now I no longer care about this.

Yes, he shagging a Gelf.

And that doesn't stand for Granny Everybody'd Like to Fuck, believe me.

Llewellyn is looking younger than ever.
Considering they were all in their 20's/very early 30's when the series began they don't look too bad.

There's a nice website here with interviews and stuff:
www.listerscominghome.co.uk

I checked that out yesterday. Mysterious stuff.

Oops double post :S

Some really cool video interviews on there.

Oooh I can't wait

I nearly made the theme tune with the green buttons on the CatNav. There just ain't enough notes to make it all though. Eh, I tried.

Anyone else seen the adverts on Dave for the new episodes? I'm liking the fact that Kochanski is no where to be seen. That character and the actress that played her really weighed the last two series down.

I have just seen a few of the little teaser things that show nothing. I am looking forward to it, epsecially so if she is gone.

I've seen a couple of these trailers the last few days and they actually made me do a little 'squee'. I don't know why because I'm not necessarily expecting it to be great. I just found new Red Dwarf trailers a bit excitimicating.

Saw one of the trailers last night, a spoof of the bit in Bladerunner where she's running through windows while dekker shoots at her, fantastic !!

Been following Kryten (Booby L) on Twitter. He's been really bigging it up..but he would, wouldn't he.

Did love the dwarf even if it did lose its way toward the end, so I shall be watching..disappointing or not.

It had better be fucking good.

I am quite looking forward to it, despite the last couple of series not being up to the standard of the others.

I think I'll watch it in one hit on Monday evening.

My feelings on the possibilities for this can be summed up by the following question I asked a mate of mine in the pub last week:

''So, new Red Dwarf; bad idea, or terrible idea?''

I'm not saying it might not be good, I'm just saying that it won't be good.

So far:

Chris Barrie looks really fucking old.
Kryten was annoying.
I did one big laugh and one small chuckle.

So it's okay.

I enjoyed it when I was a kid... but only because I was a kid, and stupid things are funny when you're that young. Having rewatched some of the series recently I realised how shit it is (in my opinion), I can't say I'm tuning in for these specials.

That cgi squid is a bit shit, and this makes me sad.
Rimmer's face as it attacked made me giggle though.

ETA: Sophie Winkleman is foxy as hell though.

Danny John-Jules seems to be really forcing it. They all seem to be playing it as if it there is an audience there and they're waiting for the laughs. It's very distracting.