From: frink@homer.cmp.liv.ac.uk   
      
   On 2009-04-13, Brian (aka Zod)  wrote:   
   > Thats what I thought about the new episodes.  Didn't hate 'em, didn't   
   > love 'em.  The soul of Red Dwarf seems to have been lost.   
      
   I went in to the first episode trying to maintain an open mind and spent   
   30 minutes being bored off my arse. The acting of everyone seemed flat,   
   the lack of studio audience made it feel stilted and awkward.   
      
   The characterisation is following the slump that started for me ~series   
   6 and plummeted in series 7/8. I didn't laugh once. The gf laughed twice   
   but was similarly unimpressed. Within 30 seconds of watching some of   
   Quarantine I was smiling and giggling. Very telling.   
      
   Lots of forums are claiming it's now "comedy drama", but even if that   
   was the intent I don't want RD comedy drama, I want RD comedy. That is   
   what people watched RD for in the first place and it's what we've been   
   waiting years to see more of.   
      
   I was so utterly unimpressed I didn't even watch the next two parts.   
   Judging by the synopses online I'm glad I didn't, it sounded just as   
   daft, pointless and smugly self-referential as I feared it would be.   
      
   Doug, give it up, it just ain't Dwarf any more. If you want to do comedy   
   drama come up with something new and don't cheaply milk the past   
   glories.   
      
   Frink   
      
   --   
   Doctor J. Frink     : 'Rampant Ribald Ringtail'   
   See his mind here   : http://www.cmp.liv.ac.uk/frink/   
   Annoy his mind here : pjf at cmp dot liv dot ack dot ook   
   "No sir, I didn't like it!" - Mr Horse   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)