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   10 things we'd like to see in the next series of Red Dwarf   
   James T. Cornish   
   Red Dwarf will soon be returning to our screens courtesy of Dave. Here   
   are ten of James' hopes for the next series...   
   Published on Feb 22, 2011   
   It was an absolute delight to see the Red Dwarf crew back for Easter   
   2009. I even got Freeview, specifically so I could watch it. And now   
   Dave has made an incredibly smart decision in commissioning a six   
   episode series that is due to go into production in 2011.   
   Back To Earth had its moments, but it was decidedly patchy. In fact, the   
   programme has drifted away from its roots. It's still consistently   
   entertaining, but it's certainly not what it was in its early days.   
   So, here is my wishlist for Series 9...   
   A resolution to the end of the last episode of season 8, Only The   
   Good...   
   Practically everybody wants this. Leaving it open (again) would just be   
   a colossal middle finger to the fans. Also, it might be nice to see   
   Rimmer being heroic in a similar fashion to his "better dead than smeg"   
   moment at the end of Out Of Time.   
   The resolution I'd really like to see was the one that never was: Ace   
   Rimmer appearing and saving Rimmer and the ship.   
   Kill Rimmer immediately.   
   It has to happen at some point, so that the next series ties in with   
   Back To Earth. So, why not do it right from the off?   
   Personally, I'd like to see him survive the events of Only the Good...,   
   but then die in an incredibly senseless way like at the end of   
   Timeslides.   
   More bunkroom scenes.   
   The bunkroom scenes of Series 1 and 2 were fantastically written and   
   epitomised the premise of the entire programme: two people marooned in   
   space together who can't stand each other.   
   Those scenes really fleshed out the characters of Lister and Rimmer and   
   helped us to see them as more rounded people. Also, they were absolutely   
   hilarious and were a good way of doing a sci-fi sitcom on a low budget.   
   When they were brought back for Series 8, they were arguably the best   
   part of what was a somewhat mediocre series. It would be a real treat to   
   see them back again.   
   Another Polymorph episode.   
   Was the bit of Polymorph skin we saw in Back To Earth: Part Two a not so   
   subtle hint? I, for one, certainly hope so.   
   The Polymorph is an ingenious concept and it's hilarious to see the   
   characters after they've had certain emotions drained away. The hippy   
   version of Rimmer and the tramp version of the Cat were real highlights   
   of Series 3, for me. So, come on, Doug. Bring the Polymorph back for a   
   lap of honour.   
   The return of Ace Rimmer and Duane Dibbley.   
   Duane Dibbley is a brilliant comic creation. The comedy stems from how   
   different he is to the Cat. The same goes for Ace Rimmer. They're both   
   wonderfully funny and are an enduringly popular element of the   
   programme. And having them pop up would surely give a boost to Series 9,   
   especially if the current Ace turned out to be the original Rimmer.   
   Start using model shots again.   
   Various factors resulted in the CGI used for Series 7 being absolute   
   crap. In fact, none of the CGI in Red Dwarf holds a candle to the model   
   shots.   
   If it takes a large chunk out of the budget, so be it. The CGI was too   
   glossy and artificial. Give us back our model shots.   
   Make the 'lost' Series 7 episode, Identity Within.   
   A first draft was written, but the episode was axed for budgetary   
   reasons and replaced with Duct Soup. The plot was that if the Cat   
   doesn't have sex, he'll die. It also dealt with the issue of the Cat   
   becoming more and more human and less feline.   
   The reconstruction on the Series 7 DVD was very well made, but it would   
   be great to see the episode done properly. And it would be nice to   
   finally give the Cat some more depth.   
   Make Holly useful again.   
   Right up until the point where he/she was written out, Holly was a vital   
   part of the Red Dwarf crew, particularly in Back To Reality, where she   
   stopped the others from killing themselves.   
   But after the events of Back In The Red, Holly was pretty much useless   
   and just popped up sporadically to do a few gags. Even with the presence   
   of Kryten, Holly can still be useful.   
   9. An episode similar to Marooned.   
   Marooned is my favourite episode of Red Dwarf. It follows that grand old   
   sitcom tradition: lock your characters together and see what they say to   
   each other.   
   Marooned is basically a two-hander, where Starbug crashes on an icy   
   planet and Lister and Rimmer are trapped together while Lister tries to   
   stave off death. It's full of fantastic moments and a similar episode   
   would be a great addition to Series 9.   
   One of the things Doug Naylor should try to do is to move away from   
   cramming Red Dwarf full of sci-fi spectacle and return the show a little   
   more to its core. Marooned is a great example of just how well that can   
   turn out.   
   Use a studio audience.   
   Having a live studio audience may be considered the hallmark of a bad or   
   outdated sitcom, but for Red Dwarf it seems to work. The cast seem at   
   their best when they're able to play off the audience's reaction.   
   The best example of this would probably be Rimmer's salute in Back In   
   The Red: Part Two. I doubt Chris Barrie would have taken it to such   
   extreme lengths if the audience had not been present to give him such a   
   positive response.   
   That's what I want from Series 9. If you disagree with my ideas or think   
   I've missed anything out, please leave a comment. I'll finish by saying,   
   smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast.   
   See Also:   
   Red Dwarf is back - good news, or not?    
   The Lazy Geek's Guide to: Red Dwarf    
   Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here  .   
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   Users Comments   
   Re: 10 things we'd like to see in the next series of Red Dwarf Posted By   
   grebn 1 February 23, 2011 07:53:17 AM   
   I pretty much agree with all that; mind you, I think one of the reasons   
   the bunkroom scenes were so good was because we were still getting to   
   know Lister and Rimmer through them (and because the writing was so   
   strong). They were great for background on the characters - don't know   
   how well they'd work now we know everything there is to know about them.   
   Re: 10 things we'd like to see in the next series of Red Dwarf Posted By   
   SebPatrick 1 February 23, 2011 07:54:25 AM   
   "Practically everybody" wants a resolution to Only The Good? Not sure   
   what other fans you've spoken to, but NONE of the ones I know want this.   
   The majority of fandom seem to be happy leaving the end of VIII where it   
   belongs - dead and buried and forgotten. As for killing Rimmer... well,   
   he was already a hologram again in Back to Earth, so that one's taken   
   care of. And more Duane? After the character's overuse led to the   
   utterly ghastly scenes in VIII... no thanks.   
      
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