Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 5 2012, 4:05 PM BST

Sorry.

I meant: Hyperdrive - a BBC sci-fi comedy starring Nick Frost and Miranda Hart. It had a number of the same elements of Red Dwarf but wasn't really very funny. So just having a sci-fi hook isn't enough to make a winning sitcom.

My question still stands, if this had been a brand new sitcom, would it still be receiving the same level of praise?

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The same level of praise as what exactly?

It took Red Dwarf a good while to find more than a cult following. It took endless repeats to find a bigger audience and when it started to pander to a wider demographic it lost its way.

Hyperdrive is a good example of how not to do sci-fi comedy. Red Dwarf set the bar.

Implying that Hyperdrive was rubbish and not well recieved doesn't have anything to do with the amount of praise this latest episode of Red Dwarf is recieving. Red Dwarf has shown its capable of being a fantastic show and Hyperdrive did the opposite.

Quote: Bob Hicks @ October 5 2012, 4:15 PM BST

Red Dwarf has shown its capable of being a fantastic show and Hyperdrive did the opposite.

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That's kind of the point I'm trying to make. Did last night's offering stand on it's own two feet as a work of sitcom mastery or are the reviews ecstatic because it wasn't as shit as series 7-9 and Back To The Earth?

Nostalgia and myopia are all well and good, but when it clouds your objective judgement, it can be very detrimental.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 5 2012, 4:05 PM BST

Sorry.

I meant: Hyperdrive - a BBC sci-fi comedy starring Nick Frost and Miranda Hart. It had a number of the same elements of Red Dwarf but wasn't really very funny. So just having a sci-fi hook isn't enough to make a winning sitcom.

My question still stands, if this had been a brand new sitcom, would it still be receiving the same level of praise?

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Is it recieving that much praise? The common consensus seems to be it's not bad. Not as good as the halycon days of Red Dwarf but not as bad as some of the series either.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 5 2012, 4:05 PM BST

Explaining what 'smeg' is to a young child seems much more embarrassing then explaining 'twat'.

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As a kid I just thought it meant the same as idiot, I didn't think it had any other meaning.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 5 2012, 4:05 PM BST

My question still stands, if this had been a brand new sitcom, would it still be receiving the same level of praise?

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I imagine most on here are very familiar with the show, so an impartial view is all but impossible. I think the general view has been that it was surprisingly solid, and offered plenty of laughs; I don't think most will say (After just one episode!) that it's right up there with the classic episodes. Let's see how things go over the next five episodes.

that "lern to cope with failure" was so painfully set up. "Dont worry, I have read the book, I can deal with it if I fail" (get the trombone ready) Then he reads the letter and gets really angry. wa wa wa waaaa

Quote: Badhead @ October 5 2012, 5:52 PM BST

that "lern to cope with failure" was so painfully set up. "Dont worry, I have read the book, I can deal with it if I fail" (get the trombone ready) Then he reads the letter and gets really angry. wa wa wa waaaa

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That bit was painfully predictable.

The thing about Red Dwarf is that it was never the funniest of shows

It's never had startlingly witty and clever scripts

A lot of the humour was always a bit naff and silly

Red Dwarf was and is a great show because it has a great cast, great characters and is just a load of silly nonsense

If some people think this new series is going to be wildy hilarious then they will be disappointed

It's a very fun show - it's never been a very funny show

Feelgood telly

Quote: lofthouse @ October 5 2012, 8:15 PM BST

The thing about Red Dwarf is that it was never the funniest of shows

It's never had startlingly witty and clever scripts

A lot of the humour was always a bit naff and silly

Red Dwarf was and is a great show because it has a great cast, great characters and is just a load of silly nonsense

If some people think this new series is going to be wildy hilarious then they will be disappointed

It's a very fun show - it's never been a very funny show

Feelgood telly

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Sorry, can't agree with that, it was extremely witty and funny when it was at it's best, I invite you to remember the first scene in the episode 'The Inquisitor': Inquisitor - "Thomas Ullman, you have been found unworthy of ever having existed!" TU - "Is that you mother?" Well written throw away line that doesn't require any excruciatingly predictable and patronising set-up, Red Dwarf used to be full of them. Watch last night's episode then watch the episode 'Back to Reality', the gap between them is a chasm.

Well yes sure there was some very funny moments

But not many IMO

In fact, some of the lines were so corny you can almost sense the actors were almost embarrassed to say them

Don't get me wrong , I adore Red Dwarf

I have all 8 series and have watched every episode about 15 times

It would be in my top 20

I just don't think it's ever been 'hilarious'

IMO!!

Quote: TBone @ October 5 2012, 8:30 PM BST

Sorry, can't agree with that, it was extremely witty and funny when it was at it's best, I invite you to remember the first scene in the episode 'The Inquisitor': Inquisitor - "Thomas Ullman, you have been found unworthy of ever having existed!" TU - "Is that you mother?" Well written throw away line that doesn't require any excruciatingly predictable and patronising set-up, Red Dwarf used to be full of them. Watch last night's episode then watch the episode 'Back to Reality', the gap between them is a chasm.

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This is why I find the idea that no one would be praising last night's episode if it had been a brand new sitcom a bit weird. It would have got far fewer viewers, but I don't think not having that backlog of material to live up to would have harmed it at all.

I mean, look at this thread. It's full of people saying it didn't match the first 5/6 series for some reason or another. If it was a brand new show then people's reactions would be along the lines of "well, I laughed, so it's better than 99.7% of other sitcoms around at the minute".

I haven't read all the comments here for fear of spoilers so I may be covering old ground here. I could only bear to watch the first 8 minutes and once I build up the determination to I will return to dave and watch the rest.
it was painful to watch, the moose joke made me laugh, then smile and finally cringe. it was drawn out too much and reeked of desperation, the pacing was off and the gag spoiled like a pear in the sun.
then off to see rimmer, why is he still trying to pass his navigation exam? wasn't that joke played out already? whatevs.

then the plot device; rimmer won't save his brother untill he passes his blah blaah blaaaaah..... and off goes the telly!

as I said I will return to watch it all, perhaps, and then I may see what some of the posters here are seeing. however, it seems that the only reason it has received glowing reviews here is because the writers managed to resist the urge to involve dwayn dibbly, ace rimmer or crotch attachments for easy crowd pleasing applause.

Personally found the twi series of "Hyperdrive" funnier than the recent incarnations of RD!

I also thought the use of the word "twat" inappropriate and unnecessary. I take unmbridge at one posters suggestion that its acceptable language today! If so, how very sad?

The second series of Hyperdrive was great

Almost gutted they didn't make a third

First series was garbage

Until recently I didn't even know that Red Dwarf had gone beyond series 6, but this felt just like those old episodes to me (which I haven't seen in at least a decade). Hubby, who was never a Dwarf fan didn't intend to watch with me, but got hooked within the first minute and declared it one of the funniest things he's seen in ages. But then we both also love 'Cuckoo', so clearly have no taste!

Just watched the repeat, and actually enjoyed it even more second time around. I hope the rest can keep to at least that standard, or hopefully improve even.