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You're right.

I was misremembering.

Series VIII was not good and I'm not sure I even watched them all!

Series I to VI: Superb.

After that, it's all hit and miss, but I'm mostly all right with the more recent X, XI, XII. Not 'golden era', but watchable.

I enjoyed 1-5, but 6 was either weaker or I'd just grown out of it by then, or both. Forced myself to sit through the first episode of 7 and never went back. Haven't seen a full "new" episode since then. RD was definitely "of an era" for me, I loved it aged 14-16 or so then just completely went off it. Will occasionally watch a few minutes of older episodes out of nostalgia but that's it.
 
I enjoyed 1-5, but 6 was either weaker or I'd just grown out of it by then, or both. Forced myself to sit through the first episode of 7 and never went back. Haven't seen a full "new" episode since then. RD was definitely "of an era" for me, I loved it aged 14-16 or so then just completely went off it. Will occasionally watch a few minutes of older episodes out of nostalgia but that's it.

As I mentioned upthread, I went back a couple of years ago and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing in Series 1.

The enclosed environment and very limited cat made it somewhat like sci-fi Porridge.
 
As I mentioned upthread, I went back a couple of years ago and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing in Series 1.

The enclosed environment and very limited cat made it somewhat like sci-fi Porridge.

I think the budgetary limits were one of its strengths. I recall reading that building the sets and models took up most of the budget for series one and so that's why they decided to create a universe with no aliens. Series 2 had a low budget also but the sets were built. They significantly up scaled the budget for 3 and changed the look. I thought series 1 was good at the time, 2 was much better, 3 the apex and 4 and 5 slight steps down. May end up revisiting them now we are all shut ins.

As time went on and it got a spire along budget it became too "Sci Fi Adventure" for me, series onwards really.
 
I enjoyed 1-5, but 6 was either weaker or I'd just grown out of it by then, or both. Forced myself to sit through the first episode of 7 and never went back. Haven't seen a full "new" episode since then. RD was definitely "of an era" for me, I loved it aged 14-16 or so then just completely went off it. Will occasionally watch a few minutes of older episodes out of nostalgia but that's it.
I did love and still to love Red Dwarf series 1-6 but found the ones after that OTT and remember one episode but can't remember the name of it where they tried to recreate a scene from one of the episodes with Rimmer and Lister from 1988 and it didn't work as 1988 Rimmer was slim but by late 1990s Rimmer had put on some pounds.
 
Only 20 minutes in to The Promised Land and already more laughs than in all 9 episodes of Avenue 9.

Welcome back to the boys from the Dwarf - this is how sci-fi comedy should be done!

Loving it!

I had forgotten about it. Thank you for the reminder. :)
 
Only 20 minutes in to The Promised Land and already more laughs than in all 9 episodes of Avenue 9.

Welcome back to the boys from the Dwarf - this is how sci-fi comedy should be done!

Loving it!

I've seen the ads for it on TV, I'm really weirded out by old they look, even Kryten- you can tell Llewelyn's older under the prosthetics.
 
I've just finished the first episode and I enjoyed it. If one character looks old, it's Cat--his face looks like it's been carved from mahogany.

The two giant sight gags were good.

My only quibble so far is that Holly--my favourite--hasn't had a single gag!
 
I've just finished the first episode and I enjoyed it. If one character looks old, it's Cat--his face looks like it's been carved from mahogany.

The two giant sight gags were good.

My only quibble so far is that Holly--my favourite--hasn't had a single gag!

Apart from the (and I may be paraphrasing) :

Lister "are you sure that's safe?"

Holly "Well I'm miles away, so I'll be fine".
 
and "Hol. We desperately need a way out of here"

- "Have you tried opening a door?"
 
At 5‘4” and a day on the allotment, in the sun, I look like a Red Dwarf!
 
Apart from the (and I may be paraphrasing) :

Lister "are you sure that's safe?"

Holly "Well I'm miles away, so I'll be fine".

That's from the second part, which I've just finished.

The series of jokes that starts just before Holly reboots with his last available backup is the best of the whole episode.

My faith art restoreth.
 
That's from the second part, which I've just finished.

The series of jokes that starts just before Holly reboots with his last available backup is the best of the whole episode.

My faith art restoreth.

Your "first episode" description confused me a bit, as it was just one, feature-length episode.

The bit that almost made me spit my beer out from laughing was Rimmer and his extension leads.
 
Your "first episode" description confused me a bit, as it was just one, feature-length episode.

The bit that almost made me spit my beer out from laughing was Rimmer and his extension leads.

I didn't watch it when broadcast and was sent a download of a stream in two parts (with the theme and credits to start both).

I didn't realise it aired as one continuous episode.

Anyway, I enjoyed it and will watch it again.
 
I watched it last night.... loved it. I needed a good laugh and Promised Land delivered the goods.
 
Weirdly (I thought) most of the fans on the official Red Dwarf site seemed to like it, too. There are still some familiar names there, but I suppose there are also a lot who have only got into the show since the Dave era. Back when I used to hang out there, virtually none of the long term members liked anything after series VI.

I thought this new one was okay. Well, it was pretty good.
 
Wasn't very sure at first, maybe because of the audience clapping instead of laughing (when your mate tells you a joke, do you give them a round of applause? No), but after about ten minutes I started laughing and all was right in the world (universe) for a while. Even the scene where Lister cheers up Rimmer was really sweet, when it could have been cringey. Nice work all round.
 
Red Dwarf Quarrantine: some of the team behind the series chat and dissect various episodes--the latest (of three so far) features Chris Barrie:

Rob Grant, Paul Jackson and Ed Bye bring you "minimum leisure facilities" during this period of Quarantine, with an exclusive online commentary on Red Dwarf Series I Episode 2, FUTURE ECHOES!

 
I didn't watch it when broadcast and was sent a download of a stream in two parts (with the theme and credits to start both).

I didn't realise it aired as one continuous episode.

Anyway, I enjoyed it and will watch it again.

It's split into two episodes on UKTVPlay (Dave's iPlayer).

Loved it - the last two series have been great too, if you enjoyed The Promised Land you should give them a go.
 
With nothing more pressing to do, I found myself rewatching series 1 and 2 of Red Dwarf the other day. I actually thought they were alright, and (yes I'm probably reading too much into it) seemed to have quite a philosophical slant, being about the nature of life and death and the prospect of being stuck in permanent lock down with no contact with the rest of the human race, and how when you're rude to the ones you live with, it's actually more of a reflection of your ego and insecurities than theirs (I could feel a thesis coming on :) ) I started series 3 but it seemed to have turned into a Space Comedy and less about the people? so I didn't feel so bothered to continue on.

But my point is (which I can't find mentioned on the forum elsewhere) - at one point there is a fish fall in Lister's room. How much more fortean can you get?
 
A bit of a Norman Lovett rarity: Lovett Goes To Town (1990).

Some people hate his brand of aimless observational fluff, but personally I find it wryly dry.

There are no burst of laughter, but a smile slowly spreads.

Edit: opinion on what town or city he's walking around after 6:00? Looks familiar.
Edit 2: Waverley Station suggests Edinburgh.

 
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A friend of mine saw Norman Lovett at the Edinburgh Fringe last year and said almost all his material seemed to be on his smugness about having a teenage daughter. Wasn't very funny, either. I did used to like I, Lovett, though haven't seen it in years.
 
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