MovieChat Forums > Red Dwarf (1989) Discussion > Series 11 best since series 6.

Series 11 best since series 6.

posted 8 years ago by bookskds
13 replies | jump to latest

I have been generally disappointed with series 7, 8 and 10 (and the less said about "9" the better). They just didn't hold a candle to 2-6.

But series 11 for me has been the best and funniest since series 6.
I do agree with the claims that it was really derivative of the classic series.
I was a little surprised how few new ideas were used.

But I think that is what made it better - the fact that it returned to the kind of episodes that it did best.

Hopefully series 12 will be as good but with some new plot ideas.

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I said I'd feed you...I didn't say who to.

[–] Picnic10 8 years ago

Red Dwarf 11 is 'technically' good. It's what people, including me, asked for, something that often felt like series 5 or 6. I just didn't necessarily want it throughout the entire series. Hopefully they've got that level of retroness out of their system now because, at the moment, it feels like the crew are on a conveyor belt marked 'the past' which, in turn, has the effect of making them seem non self aware or like they're looking through old photos.
What's disappointing is that the lack of exterior / on location shots e.g. Better than Life, Meltdown. It's all so interior. We could now do with a few episodes where they're doing something relatively mundane.

Does anyone else feel that Lister has been cruelly wasted as a character too?
Wouldn't it be refreshing for him to get some new passion, change his fashion around a bit, have a concept largely based around him that wasn't so serious about his past as it often is?

[–] justinboggan 8 years ago

I agree. All the stuff inbetween has been flat or not funny. To bad it's such a short season. I complained "South Park" was getting ten episodes a season, but they have nothing on this show's new season.

However, I miss when the show was in its heyday. It could be better, but it's not, and it looks like they're not enjoying themselves as they once did and are just reading the pages to get it over with.

Plus there were no over-reaching arcs like there were in earlier seasons, so it felt like they were just spinning their wheels.

And for me, personally, I had a couple of grips about it:

1. Tracked score. Litterally a couple cues from earlier seasons, tracked in a few times. At this stage and decade, they can't afford new scoring from Goodall?

2. The lighting and set designs. What is with this blue-lite rooms and overly-sophisticated areas? I remember the day when part of the suffering for LKister was the cheap and cheesy areas and the crummy lighting. I'm not saying the sets have to look cheap or get knocked around like they did early on, but it's not just a little different, it's like night and day. And it doesn't really fit.

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The New Number 2: "Are you going to run?"
Number 6: "Like blazes. First chance I get."

[–] Painbow 8 years ago

I would agree in the most part (definitely the best since the BBC that's for sure).

However, there is still the issue of it not being as funny as it could be. I also miss the production values that were present in the BBC shows.

That being said, yes it's getting there.

[–] SteveResin 8 years ago

Yeah I agree, this has been a solid season and I've laughed consistently. X was the worst season imo, I thought the game was up and it was time to put it out of it's misery but credit where it's due this season was much better than I anticipated.

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Suburban Robot That Monitors Reality

[–] steve51184 8 years ago

Just an FYI there isn't a season 9

[–] bookskds 8 years ago

Yes, I realize that technically is true.

But you know as well as I do that Back to Earth located between series 8 and 10 is occasionally referred to as series 9.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf:_Back_to_Earth

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I said I'd feed you...I didn't say who to.

[–] steve51184 8 years ago

Yes it was filmed between 8 and 10 but that doesn't make it season 9 if you watched the DVD extras you'll know Doug has said its not season 9 himself

[–] steve51184 8 years ago

Yes it was filmed between season 8 and 10 but that doesn't make it season 9 plus Doug has said on the DVD extras it's not season 9 and explains why.. They also mention a fictional season 9 in back to earth (and season 10) for crying out load so it's definitely not season 9

[–] lucy-loo1 8 years ago

If people want to refer to Back to Earth as series 9, they should be able to do so, it really doesn't matter that much. Since what follows is labelled as series 10, Doug affectively shot himself in the foot there.

[–] mrmoo2001 8 years ago

6 is a silly benchmark

Take them to the security kitchen!

[–] bookskds 8 years ago

Based on?

Series 2-6 are considered the strongest by most fans. Whether 6 is the best or not is up for debate. I don't think anyone debates that everything AFTER series 6 was weaker.
And I still find series 11 better than series 10 or 7,8 and BTE. So yes, best since series 6.

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I said I'd feed you...I didn't say who to.

[–] mrmoo2001 8 years ago

Based on?

Well, let's see what you have to say about it

Whether 6 is the best or not is up for debate

Well would you look at that, series 6 isn't as universally well received as series 5 is. What could this possibly mean?

One usually uses the best example of something when they go a-typing "This is the best thing since [comparison thing]"

For example, you don't say that something is the best thing since sliced bread because people only slightly prefer sliced bread over bread they have to cut themselves. You say it because we all *beep* love sliced bread (Asia excepted).

You choose an undisputed favorite series, not one that has notable detractors. It's only logical.

And I still find series 11 better than series 10 or 7,8 and BTE. So yes, best since series 6.

I find series 10 better than series 11, but my preferences do not make a universally true statement, and neither do yours. No, you're not special.

I'm sorry.

Take them to the security kitchen!

[–] fredgarv79 8 years ago

it is kinda weird watching it as it seems almost like your living in retro land. the music, the jokes, etc just seems like they were trying to recreate the classic show. they succeeded in doing that. it's funny and fairly inventive but I do wish they had more money to do location filming. one thing that struck me was kryten's suit. He got fat and they had to make a new suit to fit him which makes him look like a fat android. lister just seems like the same old lister,but in his 50's. they all look pretty good for their age for sure but it's like they are still a bit too old to be doing this. rimmer for example I feel just needs to be young, brash and arrogant. now he seems more like he's just resigned to know he's a failure and is now old to boot. ok whatever, I still enjoy it immensely. but I think after the series 12 they should probably stop

for me the really really sad thing is they had 10 years or more when they didn't do any more shows thinking they were going to do this movie,which never happened. wasted time that they could have been doing more series. why is it that every great tv show feels like they have to do movies? like star trek. I'd rather have more tv shows galore than one two hour movie every 3 years that end up being nothing much but special effects extravaganzas like the last star trek movie was.