Question
Dave Esler
Dave
Steve Howell
> Was red dwarf a low buget production? Why are there only 6 episodes a season?
>
> Dave
That's the standard season of British comedy shows. Note that other famed
shows like Fawlty Towers and Ab-Fab also have seasons of 6 shows. It has
nothing to do with budget.
I believe it has to do with the British practice of only having one or
two writers on a show, rather than the large teams you get in the States.
Examples are Galton & Simpson, Cleese and Booth, Grant and Naylor etc.
6 shows is enough pressure for one or two writers to tackle at a time.
--
Steve Howell
Anybody want some toast?
Steve Howell
FAQ, which has just been posted.
Friday
> Was red dwarf a low buget production?
Reasonably. Almost certainly made on a shoestring compared to the
budgets of something like ST:TNG.
> Why are there only 6 episodes a season?
This is normal for British series - and not just comedy. I could name
*loads* of British TV series which have had only 6 episodes per season.
I won't, but I'll mention some to illustrate my point:
The Young Ones
Blackadder, 2, 3, Goes Forth
Red Dwarf, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld,
Ballykissangel
Think *quality* over quantity. =)
--
And why not?
Raz
> Was red dwarf a low buget production? Why are there only 6 episodes a season?
You have indeed hit upon the sad truth, Dave. Red Dwarf, like most TV
programmes produced for the BBC, receive little or no funding from the
Corporation itself. The Beeb often makes concessions, yes, such as
issuing meal tickets which allow the production crew and cast to make use
of canteen facilities, and tokens for bathrooms, but in the main,
programmes are funded from what little change the executive producers can
find down the backs of their sofas, and that which can be raised through
street theatre and car-boot sales.
While writers always hope that their creations will last a full season,
this just isn't a realistic outlook under BBC policy. There have actually
been reports of scripts disappearing, manuscripts burnt and writers and
producers being beaten after BBC "Programme Assessment Teams" call to visit
them - usually in response to request for extended funding to cover more
episodes. Programme makers have found that they can usually fund a six
episode series-run, providing costs are kept low by hand-building sets from
basic materials, usually cardboard sheeting and Prittstik.
There have been hopes expressed that the BBC will someday loosen their
creative constraints, but nothing looks set to change in the near future.
Raz
A. Rosin
: Ballykissangel
Did you watch this, or am I *still*the only person in the universe
who has.
Ang
"We've got enough of yours"
"*We've* got enought of ours!"
The Cat
fri...@cobalt.demon.co.uk "Friday" writes:
> > Was red dwarf a low buget production?
>
> Reasonably. Almost certainly made on a shoestring compared to the
> budgets of something like ST:TNG.
But you're forgeting that it's done by the BBC =)
> Think *quality* over quantity. =)
Too right. BBC comedys are always the best. =)
--
Duck!!
Friday
> Friday (fri...@cobalt.demon.co.uk) wrote:
>
> : Ballykissangel
>
> Did you watch this, or am I *still*the only person in the universe
> who has.
I sorta watched it kind of while I did "stuff".
--
When God gave out brains, I thought he said trains,
and asked for a small, slow one.
Paul Rhodes
>: Ballykissangel
>Did you watch this, or am I *still*the only person in the universe
>who has.
I watched it. I even thought it was quite funny.
_______________________(short.lived.sig)______________paul....@liffe.com
"Hilary worked in an office with a rubber plant and a man whose name she'd
forgotten, and she lived with her mother and her mother's father who was 76
and deaf and who secretly ate dog food..." [Hilary, by Anthony Hodgson]
lor...@halcyon.com
> "Ahhh, I needed that," sighed Dave Esler, and said:
> > Was red dwarf a low buget production? Why are there only 6 episodes a season?
>
> You have indeed hit upon the sad truth, Dave. Red Dwarf, like most TV
> programmes produced for the BBC, receive little or no funding from the
> Corporation itself.
Well, speaking as an American, spoiled by our country's beloved
mainstream "products" brought to us by corporate mellonheads
at Hollywood, I've always been impressed by Red Dwarf's quality.
The FX improve every season, the stories are intriguing and funny
at the same time -- this is probably the *only* true SF comedy that
has ever existed (3rd Rock from the Sun is a comedy, *not* SF).
Limited budget or not, limited run of episodes or not, kudos to
everyone involved in the production of Red Dwarf.
Brian
lor...@halcyon.com
Cma
>> Reasonably. Almost certainly made on a shoestring compared to the
>> budgets of something like ST:TNG.
>
>But you're forgeting that it's done by the BBC =)
No it's not. It's done by Grant Naylor Productions. If the BBC turned round
and said "Bugger off, we don't want any more," I expect Grant Naylor
Productions would make a very quick phone call to their old mate Paul
Jackson who is now Lord and Owner (almost) of TV scheduling at Carlton TV.
And thus it would come to pass that RD might have adverts in the middle.
Cma___________________________________
They may say she had a burst ventrical
but I say she died of a broken heart.
The Cat
fri...@cobalt.demon.co.uk "Friday" writes:
> --
> When God gave out brains, I thought he said trains,
> and asked for a small, slow one.
And when God gave out chins, i thought he said Gins so i asked for a large
double. And when God gave out noses, i thought he said Roses so i asked for a
large red one......
(I could go on but i wont)
--
Has anyone seen a Moose around here??
Legion
example, 36 eps per season, and the first 6 seasons were crammed into
1, the show would degenerate much more quickly. With short seasons,
it lets them spend more time on the quality of writing, with no real
deadline pressure (oh no we have to get 4 shows written by monday!).
Charles Daniels
> *loads* of British TV series which have had only 6 episodes per
> season. I won't, but I'll mention some to illustrate my point:
Does Joking Apart have 6 episode seasons or 8?
--
: Fidonet: Charles Daniels 1:203/42 .. speaking for only myself.
: Internet: Charles...@42.gigo.com
Attachment
>at the same time -- this is probably the *only* true SF comedy that
>has ever existed (3rd Rock from the Sun is a comedy, *not* SF).
3rd Rock is what RD could have become had GN not stepped in to
prevent it. They (NBC) wanted to lose the ship and locate the
action in a living room centered around a couch. Well, that's
what 3rd Rock is. It's 4 aliens who have come to investigate
Earth and it's human infestation and that's all the SF there
is to the whole program.
Bette 'but I still like it' Llewellyn
Raz
> > find down the backs of their sofas, and that which can be raised through
> > street theatre and car-boot sales.
>
> Well, I think Raz is guilty of a bit of artistic license
> here, trying to make things sound a bit worse than they
> really are.
No no no, not so! I have it all on good authority. Remember those faeries
who told me about series 7?
> There, I just wanted to make that one small correction,
> otherwise Raz's commentary is spot on, and, so as to
> not be completely unappreciative, I'll say "good show!"
<grin> Don't thank *me*, or my little winged friends will throw apples at
me.
Raz
A G Varty
: "Ahhh, I needed that," sighed Dave Esler, and said:
:Was red dwarf a low buget production?
: You have indeed hit upon the sad truth, Dave. Red Dwarf, like most TV
: programmes produced for the BBC, receive little or no funding from the
: Corporation itself.
Ah, but you forgot about the covert product placement. For instance starbug
is sponsored by granny smiths apples and the opening credits of RD1 and
RD2 were funded by Coopers Exterior Paint (for an even coating in zero gee).
Andy
Siggy played guitar.
David Rosenfield
> is sponsored by granny smiths apples and the opening credits of RD1 and
> RD2 were funded by Coopers Exterior Paint (for an even coating in zero gee).
Let's not forget Express Lifts, the International Esperanto Society, and
Crapola, Inc.
--
David Rosenfield (You are a total, total, ... a word has yet to
be invented to describe how totally whatever it is you are,
but you are one, and a total, total one at that!)