Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 6 2012, 10:35 PM BST

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.

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Standard? What standard? Is this what British comedy has sunk to?

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 6 2012, 10:35 PM BST

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.

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Standard? What standard? Is this what British comedy has sunk to?

Quote: TBone @ October 7 2012, 12:33 AM BST

Standard? What standard? Is this what British comedy has sunk to?

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Very sorry for enjoying something you didn't.

Next week's clip on the BCG guide made me laugh.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 7 2012, 1:09 AM BST

Very sorry for enjoying something you didn't.

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You are welcome to like anything you want, obviously. I just think that 'standard' is the wrong word to use because it implies a high quality which in my opinion was lacking in this episode but was abundant in series 1-6. I will continue to watch this series as I have a deep affection for Red Dwarf and hope it improves as the series goes on.

Well it also implies a higher quality than other sitcoms at the moment, which is deserved IMO. I'm not worried that it's not up to the quality of series 1-6, because series 7-9 have already irreparably tarnished the memory of Red Dwarf, so series 10 can't really do any harm.

Quote: TBone @ October 7 2012, 9:53 AM BST

a high quality which in my opinion was lacking in this episode but was abundant in series 1-6.

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Quote: Raymond Terrific @ October 7 2012, 10:30 AM BST

Well it also implies a higher quality than other sitcoms at the moment, which is deserved IMO. I'm not worried that it's not up to the quality of series 1-6,

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Were the first few series of Red Dwarf that good? I remember them as being a bit ropey, and it only got really good at around series 4.

Quote: chipolata @ October 7 2012, 12:28 PM BST

I remember them as being a bit ropey, and it only got really good at around series 4.

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Then your memory is playing tricks. Pre-series 4 eps include such stories as 'Backwards', 'Marooned', 'Stasis leak', 'Polymorph', and more.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 7 2012, 12:56 PM BST

Then your memory is playing tricks.

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Pfff!

(The show was on an upward curve at that point, and did indeed have great episodes, but Series 4 to 6 seemed consistantly good with no duffers)

The first two series had lots of good stuff, I enjoy the second series in particular, but it was series three, with a new look, attitude and the inclusion of Krtyten as a regular character, that the show really took off.

Quote: chipolata @ October 7 2012, 12:57 PM BST

(The show was on an upward curve at that point, and did indeed have great episodes, but Series 4 to 6 seemed consistantly good with no duffers)

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There were no duffers in series three, to my mind, either; a classic run. Marooned in particular is my favourite episode of the whole show. Never bettered.

Quote: chipolata @ October 7 2012, 12:28 PM BST

Were the first few series of Red Dwarf that good? I remember them as being a bit ropey, and it only got really good at around series 4.

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Well... the first two series were a bit drab, and slightly thin on laughs. But they were based around a pretty solid odd-couple relationship, and full of pathos. The production has always been ropey, but I've never minded that personally, it added to the charm.

Anyway, the main point I was making was that there's no harm them making episodes that aren't necessarily as good as the first series, if they're still probably the most entertaining thing on TV right now.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 7 2012, 1:01 PM BST

Marooned in particular is my favourite episode of the whole show. Never bettered.

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Agreed. And that highlights what RD is all about in my opinion... the relationship between Lister and Rimmer.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 7 2012, 1:01 PM BST

The first two series had lots of good stuff, I enjoy the second series in particular, but it was series three, with a new look, attitude and the inclusion of Krtyten as a regular character, that the show really took off.

There were no duffers in series three, to my mind, either; a classic run. Marooned in particular is my favourite episode of the whole show. Never bettered.

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The first 2 series where when the show was at its best. The comedy was both funny and clever (no cheap jokes about hardons). The characters had depth. We see that Rimmer is the way he is because he was abused as a child. There are scens where the audience has sympathy for him, and we see in stories like "thanks for the memory" that Lister likes him deep down. By the time we get to about series 4. He had become a 1 dimensional smeghead who nobody likes. Lister came across as a regular bloke. A bit of a slob, and he like curry.But he was believable. The relationship between them was what made the show. The first 2 years there was nice character scenes you would never have got later. Like the scene in "Balance of power" where lister is in the culb alone drinking, and we get a flash back to him with his friends. Then it flashes back to lister on his own. Then there is the 2 scenes in the observation deck in series 2. You would never get a 5 minute scene of people talking about there past. But these scenes build the characters. This helps us care about them, and makes the comedy more funny. we began to loose this around series 4, and by series 6 it was gone. We where left with lame jokes, and people runing around.

I think the general consensus has always been that the first two series encapsulated what Grant and Naylor were going for - people trapped together with no escape. I think the phrase "Steptoe and Son on a spaceship" has been bandied about a bit over the years and it's a fair summary. Saying that, though, there were still some 'concept of the week' episodes back then such as Better Than Life.

I haven't watched any RD in about ten years but I gave it a go and quite enjoyed it. It's not an Arrested Development where you have to pay attention to every single word (and look for double meanings half the time), but it's a broad, cosy show that you can zone in and out of and still enjoy. Sometimes that's enough.

I enjoyed it very much, feels like they picked up right where they left off after series 6.

The majority of the commentaries are positive. Looks like I'll have to order the DVD when it's out (Damn, we don't have DAVE in Switzerland!).