Red Dwarf

[DaleCooper]

I'm sure there must be some Red Dwarf fans out there so maybe you'd be interested in/able to throw some light on this. I was watching the very first episode from 1988 and there appears to be a 16:9 flatscreen television in Lister and Rimmer's cabin. This seems remarkably prescient especially as the computer displays appear to be 4:3 CRTs. Now I'll just wait to be told that this is old news.

 

[krus_aragon]

Ah, good old ocean grey... (or is it military grey?)

I wasn't that convinced when looking at your screenshot that the aspect ratio of the display is indeed 16:9. It's not square-on to the camera, but when I cropped out the display from your screenshot and measured its aspect ratio, it was 1.4:1, which is closer to 4:3 (1.33:1) than 16:9 (1.78:1).

As to the flatscreen element, I believe that the images on the mirror/display were in fact superimposed in post-production (or a reflective sheet was used instead when used as a mirror). If you've got episode 6 (me[sup]2[/sup]) to hand, have a look at when Lister's watching the video of Rimmer's death (09:15 to 09:30 in). The video image can be seen drifting down and across slightly, overlapping the display screen's border, and revealing the plain military grey paint behind. Or is it ocean grey paint?

 

[DaleCooper]

I should have included this screenshot which is the scene displayed on the television, you can see it has been cropped top and bottom. Measurements are a bit misleading because for some reason the screenshots are 5:4 not the 4:3 original. If you take this into account and adjust for perspective it comes out at about 1.68:1

Of course I know it's not a real flatscreen I was just impressed that they thought to create one.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Would the green or blue screen technology have existed back when Red Dwarf was made? If it did they might have used that

 

[dgl]

Would the green or blue screen technology have existed back when Red Dwarf was made? If it did they might have used that

Green/blue screen tech has been around for years (at least the 70's) so could have been an option. Or some sort of rear projection.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Green/blue screen tech has been around for years (at least the 70's) so could have been an option. Or some sort of rear projection.

Almost certain it would be blue/green screen.

 

[DaleCooper]

It's not the technology for creating the effect that's remarkable (in fact in terms of film special effects it's probably trivial, for instance they could have used an ordinary television with a 16:9 mask over it.) it's the prediction that televisions would look like that. What grabbed my attention was that it looked just like a present day television.

 

[Johnny_w]

given that 90% of the attraction of the small rogue one was it's ridiculously cheap budget....

are we sure it's just not a CRT buried in the polystyrene walls?!

JW

 

[Tetchytyke]

The early Red Dwarf episodes were "touched up" a few years ago, it could be that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's not the technology for creating the effect that's remarkable (in fact in terms of film special effects it's probably trivial, for instance they could have used an ordinary television with a 16:9 mask over it.) it's the prediction that televisions would look like that. What grabbed my attention was that it looked just like a present day television.

Fair point. I think technology developed in a way that might be expected - after all cinema screens have long been wide, and once we got away from the limits of the cathode ray tube it made sense that we'd start having TVs in a shape more like that.

(I know there were widescreen CRTs, but it didn't take long for that to be superceded)

 

[90019]

It's not the technology for creating the effect that's remarkable (in fact in terms of film special effects it's probably trivial, for instance they could have used an ordinary television with a 16:9 mask over it.) it's the prediction that televisions would look like that. What grabbed my attention was that it looked just like a present day television.

I think you may be over analysing and giving them more future predicting credit than they possibly deserve - since the screen is in the mirror above the sink, and the mirror is flat, the screen must be too.

 

[DaleCooper]

I think you may be over analysing and giving them more future predicting credit than they possibly deserve - since the screen is in the mirror above the sink, and the mirror is flat, the screen must be too.

Having watched a some more epsodes I think you're probably right and it was just an example of serendipity.

 

[yorkie]

Anyone remember this?

And if you've not seen it before, you may find this amusing.

Enjoy

[youtube]Q3Sq-s7V_qg[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Sq-s7V_qg

 

[AM9]

Anyone remember this?

And if you've not seen it before, you may find this amusing.

Enjoy

[youtube]Q3Sq-s7V_qg[/youtube]

Not sure what happened here but the link is only visible to me by displaying the reply text box.

 

[SS4]

Not sure what happened here but the link is only visible to me by displaying the reply text box.

Do you have flash? I don't and I have a box showing that a plugin is needed. I can still paste the video reference into youtube and see the video.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r-Y3kcQf3o

That's a funny clip, was probably from the Smeg Ups program.

@yorkie was that a deleted scene, I don't remember it

 

[flymo]

Bring on Red Dwarf - The Smegging Movie..... (I can but hope). .

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r-Y3kcQf3o

That's a funny clip, was probably from the Smeg Ups program.

@yorkie was that a deleted scene, I don't remember it

If I may answer...

No, it appears in both my VHS copy and DVD - its when they went down to go through the "magic door"

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Now I'm not into this series, but what doesn't appear to have been mentioned but which will interest you all is that two new series have been commissioned and are already starting to be worked on.

How do I know this? Because Craig Charles has just left Coronation Street ( for a while at least ) to participate in the filming...

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I already knew this, but I guess some people may not have.

Red Dwarf has been very good to him over the years - upto and including letting him back on the show after the very long break between seasons when he was banged up on false charges (which he was cleared off by the way).

And I've also heard a rumour of doing them doing the movie at long last

 

[Strat-tastic]

given that 90% of the attraction of the small rogue one was it's ridiculously cheap budget....

Hogey the roguey?

Bring on RDXI and RDXII!!!

 

[SS4]

And I've also heard a rumour of doing them doing the movie at long last

Hasn't that one been doing the rounds for about the last 20 years

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Deleted as it's duplicated.

 

[yorkie]

@yorkie was that a deleted scene, I don't remember it

Don't think so!

I see the rail industry is operating a foot provider service from Burscough Bridge to Burscough Junction, priced at £12.30 return, departing at regular intervals (see attachment for a screenshot).

Perhaps this service might one day consist of a consignment of 'escort boots' as shown in Red Dwarf Series 4 Episode 3 'Justice'? That could justify the fare
[youtube]B36z4cUErAs[/youtube]

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Dave Lister is being written out of Corrie soon for Red Dwarf filming.

*cough* post #19 above...

 

[SS4]

*cough* post #19 above...

It's not his fault, he got caught in a stasis booth