OT - The "Red Dwarf" filmmakers GET it.

[michaelfaries]

Since learning of the "Lone Ranger" remake travesty yesterday via AICN, I thought this was a VERY welcome breath of fresh air. The British sci-fi series "Red Dwarf" may be finally returning -- and appearing on the big screen. IMHO, the production team "gets it" where the original series is involved.

Michael

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FROM:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/film/2801499.stm


Big screen hope for Red Dwarf

By Darren Waters
BBC News Online entertainment staff

A planned film version of BBC sitcom Red Dwarf is hoping to avoid pitfalls suffered by other adaptations of TV comedy and science fiction.

Producer Charles Armitage told BBC News Online that he was optimistic Red Dwarf would get made, despite the fact it has been in the development stage
for several years.

Movies based on the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who have been in the pipeline for at least 10 years but have yet to reach the big screen.

The comedy series has a loyal, cult following with DVD and video sales of the programme topping 400,000 copies.

"We are in that twilight world of pre, pre-production," said Mr Armitage, of Noel Gay films.

Fan base

"We are looking at co-production possibilities and the director will be going out soon to look at locations."

The stars of the original TV series, including Craig Charles and Robert Llewelyn, are expected to return in the film version.

Mr Armitage said there was a big enough fan base for Red Dwarf to support a film version.

"If you put Red Dwarf into Google search engine you will find about 50,000 fan sites.

"Fifty percent of those are in the States, where the PBS channel has done a very good job of promoting the programme."

But he is not put off by problems that hit Doctor Who or Hitch-hikers. Reports of film versions of the two cult classics have been in circulation for many
years.

Doctor Who is still a project under consideration for development by BBC Films but the classic series is no closer to being turned into a movie.

Mr Armitage said: "There is quite a big difference between Dr Who and Red Dwarf.

'Getting older'

"Dr Who has a loyal fan base which has been around for a long time.

"The fans of Dr Who, and I might be wrong here, seem to me to be getting older.

"We are bringing a new generation of fans to Red Dwarf."

The film will be written and directed by Doug Naylor, one of the co-creators of the original series.

Mr Armitage said: "Doug Naylor has written it in a way that it is totally accessible to everyone.

"People who have never seen a Red Dwarf episode before will be able to follow it.

"But there will be enough in there to please die-hard fans also."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/film/2801499.stm

Published: 2003/02/26 16:42:54

[Kai]

moving to 'Sci-Fi across the pond' to join the rest of the Red Dwarf Move news ;)

[RikiWataru]

Britain,
makes great TV. I rarely watch US crap anymore. I had been wondering for a long while when I could see the next series of the Dwarf. All the fan sites were out of date and I'd come to the impression that it had regretabbly been cancelled.

Thankfully during a PBS pledge break it was revealed that the show wasn't cancelled they just took a break to make the movie and will return for an 8th season where they left off. Or 9th? I think 8th.

Best news I had all year! Yes, the British understand.

It's probably why the US steals so many UK shows and re-shoots them. I heard about the US Red Dwarf and was actually happy the dropped the project just because of the US track record in forcing shows to conform with the 'lowest common denominator' that frequents the US trash TV. Just the UK touch helps immensely.

I remember watching 'Three's Company' and thinking, this sucks royally! Yet on PBS I saw the British series it was based on 'Man About the House' and thinking it was great! I'd even compare the two side by side and the US often ripped scripts off word for word, and yet couldn't manage the magic of the UK version. I don't know how, but the UK version worked for me while the US version was worthless tripe. Even the sequal of 'MAtH' named 'Robin's Nest' as a play on words because England's Jack Tripper was named Robin worked, because I can't remember the name of the US remake of it, which had Jack get married and open a resaturant. US even tried cloning 'Fawlty Towers' wis Bea Arthur in JOhn Cleese's role and it had the US stink about it.

Maybe the BSG remake proponents should take a page from the British, huh?

[Kai]

I've actually seen the US RD Pilot

I had heard the rumours that the audience had walked out during the test showing.. which made me curious lol

they were right

It was worse than crap.

[Hito]

I heard that the Red dwarf movie will feeature the same cast but will retell the story from the begining.

So if you think that is the way to go with galactica then yeah they got the right idea.

[Kai]

sorry hito.. dunno where you got that info from, but it's a continuation of the last season..

[moovok]

Originally posted by Kai
sorry hito.. dunno where you got that info from, but it's a continuation of the last season..

Actually, Hito is sorta right. It's not a continuation from the series, because the writers, producers and everyone didn't want to make the Film a continuation.

They wanted to make a film about Red Dwarf, which is both loyal and enjoyable to the fans, but also allow new fans to watch it and understand it.

Now, it's looking more like they'll start from the beginning, before the series began, and maybe move the series in a different direction. It's too uncertain to say. But they DEFINATELY Aren't starting near the end.

This is what I read somewhere, on three different websites. Most of it came out of the mouth of the producer's and stuff (I'm sure it was on the Red Dwarf website where I saw an interview), but there's also a synopsis going around, though that isn't 100% accurate.

Red Dwarf The Movie is set in the distance future where Homo Sapienoids - a fearsome combination of flesh and machiine - have taken over the solar system and almost wiped out the human race. The only survivors are the crews of long-haul space freighters that left Earth before the conflict began. The Sapienoids send forth fleets of Death Ships to hunt them down.

One by one - the human ships fall, until only one remains.

It's name Red Dwarf...

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=14580

[Kai]

we're so screwed

so the Hollywood idiots screwed up Dwarf as well

[moovok]

No... and its not Hollywood who's doing it, the writer's wanna do it.

I personally would rather like a movie like this, than a continuation of the series. But that's me

[Kai]

but we wanna know..

Rimmer and the vending machine!