Being a few weeks into Series XI now (on UKTV Play at least), you may well expect that the only news e’d be talking about is that some episodes have aired already and when the next ones are out.
BUT YOU’D BE DAMNED WRONG.
I mean, yes, we are going to do a bit of that, but there’s more we promise! But in the interest of teasing it out, lets look at the other bits first.
In case you missed it: Samsara & Give and Take reviews, ratings and more
Before we get any further, with so much happening in the Red Dwarf world, here’s a quick round up of all of our recent coverage of Series XI.
Written review: Samsara – Andrew explores the second episode of Series XI and examines how different in tone it is to Twentica.
The Garbage Podcast: Samsara Review – Alex, James and Andrew convene for a new edition of our site’s podcast to dive deep into discussing Samsara in out continuing Series XI podcast review shows.
Ratings: Samsara – James takes a look at the overnight ratings for Samsara, how they compare to last week and what all of it means in the grand scheme of things.
Written review: Give and Take – James takes an in depth look at the third episode of Series XI.
Red Dwarf XI: The Game – Twentica Review – Our video review of the presently released first of six sections of the Series XI mobile game. You can watch the video below.
Watch Give and Take online
Yes, we know we said last week we wouldn’t recap again how you can watch Series XI. However, we are still seeing people asking, so for that one person that has somehow missed all of these details, here’s a quick reminder of how you can watch Give and Take and congratulations on slipping back out of your coma!
- The UKTV app
IOS users can download the app from app store, and it’s also available to Android users via the Google Play store. Once the app is downloaded, you’ll need to register an account free of charge before you can watch the episode.
- The UKTV Play website
The website allows you to watch the episode directly from your internet browser here. As with the app, you’ll need to sign up free of charge to watch via this method.
- Sky+
Sky+ customers can also download on-demand via your Sky box or the Sky Go app. For anyone with a Sky + HD subscription, you’ll also have the option to download in HD instead of SD.
If you don’t have access to any of these, or indeed you are just waiting for the TV broadcast, the episode airs next Thursday on Dave at 9PM on October 6th.
Please note that all of these methods only apply to UK residents.
Series XI: DVD release date and special features revealed
Last week’s roundup mentioned the listing of the Series XI DVD online, giving us a good indication of when it might be released. So good an indication was it in fact, that it proved to be entirely accurate when The Official Site confirmed this week that it will be released on Monday 14th November.
However, fans in the US will be able to buy the DVD in advance of this on Tuesday 8th November, the smug gits.
Also confirmed was that as well as the standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, there will also be a limited edition steelbook as has appeared listed on Amazon and Zavi. There’s no word yet on what the cover for this will look like, but here is the temporary and subject to change artwork presently listed:
But what of the normal edition? Well on that we have more solid details. After a bit of Twitter back and forth with Danny John Jules regarding a case of mistaken identity and a terrible fan art cover that somehow ended up getting used by the BBC Store, Doug tweeted the following details:
A fake US Red Dwarf XI DVD cover is circulating. This is the real one, hope that clears it all up @DannyJohnJules @CCfunkandsoul @bobbyllew pic.twitter.com/DMUnrgUmWd
— Doug Naylor (@DougRDNaylor) September 28, 2016
Reversible cover in UK for Red Dwarf XI – not U.S. I don't know why. No commentaries. Which we all hate. However, I have a solution.
— Doug Naylor (@DougRDNaylor) September 28, 2016
So from that confirmed DVD artwork, we now know that the special features will be:
- Behind the scenes
- Deleted scenes
- Smeg ups
- Trailers/ promos
- Visual effects
- Model shots
- Photo gallery
You can find more of our thoughts on on this as well as what we make of Doug’s critic comments with regards to the commentaries in our news update from earlier this week.
Samsara & Give and Take: The reviews are in
Because of the UKTV Play preview one week prior to the airing on Dave, it means that we are now getting reviews for Samsara at the same time that reviews for Samsara are still rolling in. Consequently, here are the Samsara reviews that have been published since our last round up, and the first of the Give and Take ones that have come in.
You’ll find a notable quote from each review and a link in the name of the source it’s from to read it in full:
Samsara
I was hoping for more Danny John-Jules in this season, and ‘Samsara’ certainly delivers in that area, as the Cat tells Lister his own confused version of world history. The Cat gets the lion’s share of the gags in this episode and, thankfully, there are some great ones. A pun on the word ‘knighthood’ is a particular highlight.
Everyone seems to be having an ace time filming it – you can tell. And there are several little lines which should become Dwarf classics one day. Kryten’s line of “I love dust, after fluff it’s my all time favourite dirt”, is just one.
Samsara is a very good slice of Dwarf, with a strong, so very Red Dwarf concept as its core and some real belly laughs throughout. More like this please!
The latest episode of the sci-fi sitcom is a treat for fans of the original series, as well as dealing with what appears to be a major development in Series XI – the increasing prominence of The Cat (Danny John-Jules) as a major character.
The scenes with Lister and Cat recall such classic early episodes as “Marooned” with their massively long duologues. We’re undeniably treated to some utterly brilliant, laugh-out-loud lines as Cat nearly drives Lister insane, but Cat, unlike Rimmer, doesn’t have any pathos to him.
Give and Take
Ten minutes into this week’s episode and you’ll genuinely be left wondering how on earth the crew is going to get out of the mess they’re in… But get out of it they do, thanks to more nimble-footed plotting from Doug Naylor and a script that gives Kryten all the best lines. “I could work for Fifa,” he boasts after finally getting the hang of telling lies.
The lighting and direction aboard the space station are truly atmospheric, and the design of the ‘no longer insane’ robot Asclepius may render him one of Red Dwarf’s most chilling antagonists. The escape from the space station may be one of the most cinematic moments the series has ever had to offer, with practical and digital effects work, skillful direction and Howard Goodall’s original score all combining to make it feel epic.
What a great little episode. Some of the best Red Dwarf episodes (like The Simpsons episodes) are the ones that seem to start off as one thing and end as another, twisting unexpectedly along the way. “Give And Take” certainly does that. We reckon years from now when people are looking back on the series they’ll talk about, “The one where Lister loses his kidneys”, “The one with the snack robot” and “the one where Rimmer pisses off a lift” as if they’re qll different episodes. But they dovetail brilliantly.
Along with some fantastic special effects, all in all this mash of sci-fi and comedy makes Red Dwarf the show to be watching on Dave right now.
‘No, we just hosed him down and gave him a hat’
A tiny update here really, but for those of you that have been refreshing the new Red Dwarf shop waiting for more items to be listed, a brand new ‘Trucker Cap’ has been added to the available items:
So, yeah.
It’s a hat.
What, you were expecting some kind of deeper analysis? Jesus. If you like hats, maybe pick it up. If you don’t then don’t. What am I, your mother?
‘We’d follow up with a whist drive, a car boot sale, some street theatre and possibly even some benefit concerts. OK?’
And finally, it’s story that seems to pop up every few months; the prospect of a live show. This time though, it comes with the slightly better authority of coming directly from Doug. Unfortunately, it was as part of an interview with The Daily Express, so for the many amongst you that would rather thrust your genitals into a bonfire than help their advertising revenue, here are the pertinent sections:
“In terms of a live show tour, we haven’t sat down properly and spoken about it but all the boys want to do a live tour and it will be great,” he said.
The star from Manchester went on to say that the audience would probably want “an hour-and-a-half or two hours with a story”, which would require planning and writing on his part.
“So it wouldn’t just be like Python at the O2 doing sketches and a lot of dances and songs,” he said.
Doug continued: “So it would have to be like a movie on stage with special effects and whether that then becomes incredibly expensive and therefore undoable, we don’t know until we’ve investigated it more.”
So where does that leave us? Well pretty much where it left us the last time we heard anything, but at least this time we’ve heard from Doug directly. Any live show is of course going to be very expensive to do, and as Doug alludes to, this may pose a serious problem in getting of the ground. We remain open to the idea though, even though presently we’re not really sure how they’d pull it off, though our priority as fans will always be for more episodes of the TV show over any other endeavour that might take away from them as with the movie.
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