Red Dwarf: Episode 3 Lemons. Set Report.

[KingRichard76]

On the 11th of November 2011 at 14:00pm, application for Tickets for the long awaited tenth series of Red Dwarf went Live on the Ticketing Agency website, the demand was so greatthat the website crashed and after several minutes of anxiety surging through eager fans we were greeted with an alternative way to apply.

 

This was either via email or phone, I sent my email at 14:19 for Three Tickets, within twenty or so minutes all 1,800 Tickets were grabbed up and we were told in due course if we had been lucky or not.

 

On Wednesday November 16th at precisely 10:04am I received this email:

 

"Thank you for your application for 3 ticket(s) for the recording of RED DWARF

We're very pleased to let you know that you have been successful in getting tickets for Sat 07 January at 5:30 PM, recording at:

Shepperton Studios."

 

Spin forward to the 7th of January, I boarded the Train at around 10:44am my Destination, London Liverpool Street where just a few stops later I arrived at Waterloo- instead of getting the Train out from Waterloo I ended upgoing to Epsom in Surrey to meet up with a Friend (a fellow Red Dwarf Fan - I know his Wife from Twitter) and his father, we then drove from Epsom to Shepperton...

 

Unlike previous weeks where fellow Dwarfers went round the back entrance we were going through the hallowed front gates of Shepperton, drove to the multi storey carpark and with everyone else lined up and was taken to the holding pen. Inside everyone was very excited, this gave us a chance to have a Cup of Tea/Drink "Whatevers your poison." unleash the full contents of our bladders what have you, I did notice that there was a Camera Crew surveying the room and Interviewing people, so no doubt that will be in an upcoming promo dvd or something. And then after a lot of waiting we were called over in different numbers over to...

 

STAGE K! We all huddled inside this gigantic Soundstage (where numerous Motion Pictures have been shot) and got our firsst glimpse of the Red Dwarf Set - and "WOW!" what a set it was, it was freakin' magnificient, we just looked around in pure amazement at what we saw before us, we were on the far right of the Studio so my seat would have been four from the end of the aisle, in time there was a lot of hustle and bustle on the set, different people setting up etc, and on the sleeping quarters/bunk room set there was something that was hidden from us covered over in a black cloth if I remember correctly. Anyways the warm up man, Ray Peacock shortly arrived and started his jokes and they were very funny too, he spoke about briefly how someone at the last recording had filmed Danny John Jules singing Tongue Tied and put it on Youtube and how many people responded to that - HARSHLY! ANd Ray seemed very supportive of this.

 

Presently, Doug (CoCreator/Writer) Naylor came out, said a quick "Hello." and that he had to fight with Dave (Production Company) to get an Audience in and that Series ELEVEN! Would rely heavily on us keeping our mouths SHUT! No spoilers, no leaks, no nothing. And (This is why up until today the 18th of October 2012 I have kept my mouth shut and with what I saw to myself) presently we were introduced to the Cast, and when Craig (Lister) Charles, Chris (Arnold "Judas" Rimmer) Barrie, Robert (Kryten) Llewellyn and Danny (Cat) John Jules all came out they did so with rupturous applause.

 

The very first scene we saw was Craig in the Bunkroom set cooking away and singing "Ganymede and Titan, yessir I've been around." now, for those of you who arent familiar with Red Dwarf, these were the VERY first words we heard at the start of Red Dwarfs history, as in the very first words when the first episode aired and I'm very sure 299 other people couldnt help but try not to go "WOW!" in an Amazing sense of nostalgia, this scene between Lister and Cat took quite a few times to film, different outtakes what haveyou. And I dont think afterwards that he was too happy with Ray for mocking him.

 

Next scene (we saw being filmed - obviously the shots of Red Dwarf and other model shots were filmed months later) was between Lister and Rimmer in the cockpity set, Craig actually had his Script in the book he's reading and fluffed his lines a few times to which Danny even came up to him during the take to show him how to fluff lines the right way!!! Hysterical if you can imagine such a thing, but even more hysterical seeing it on the monitor. Theres one scene where the Camera (aboard the dolly) moved from right to left during a take and a line spoken by Chris Barrie, twice or so there was a squeaky creak.

 

A scene or two later we saw a prerecorded segment (which was the ONLY on location - well in the grounds of Shepperton - pieece used in the entired series) where our Four Dwarfers use "Lemons" to get to where they're going to... Cue a wonderful visual, this was of course the "Shepperton" on the map gag which saw a very healthy and loud bout of laughter from us.

 

For us, we just enjoyed the show, and after the prerecorded segment the next setup, a large (even though it looks like its an exterior shot) outdoor setup which saw the guys sitting down and chatting away, then during this Craig/Lister uttered the line "Jesus!" to which (until then one of the people on the set sitting down turned around) and when this character turned arounnd and said that NOW Immortal line, "Yes?" this saw us ALL both laugh and clap, and we clapped, and we laughed to the point that when this aired it was substantially cut out.

 

Also there was a line, long and technical that Kryten delivered when they built the Lemon Battery and after he'd said this he got a huge round of applause.

 

Back on Red Dwarf when Kryten tells Lister how (technically) he had been eating his own organs, this received quite a big "Eeeuuugh." from us.

 

The rest, as they say, is History and Red Dwarf History at that

 

 

KingRichard76, Thursday 18th October 2012.

[Starbug]

i have to admit i was disappointed with this episode i was hoping for a lot more from this ep the previos eps where far better then lemons i hope next weeks episode makes up for this one and i dont nomerly critisize either

Edited October 20, 2012 by Starbug

[timelord81r]

loved this episode, best so far i think, best part was the organ/lister operations scene, i actually laughed out loud which ive not done this series yet, not like that anyway.

 

i still think this series is missing something that i cant put my finger on, coherence? ep plot? a less staged atmosphere? im not sure, BUT its still godo dwarf and gold compared to back to earth

[KingRichard76]

loved this episode, best so far i think, best part was the organ/lister operations scene, i actually laughed out loud which ive not done this series yet, not like that anyway.

 

i still think this series is missing something that i cant put my finger on, coherence? ep plot? a less staged atmosphere? im not sure, BUT its still godo dwarf and gold compared to back to earth

 

This is something that was missing from the actual recording through to final cut.

 

"I'm going to give my opinion on a few things, that was left out in the final cut:

* In the opening scene, Lister sings the first few lines of, "Ganymede and Titan, yessir I've been around."

* During the Map Graphic prerecord it showed "Shepperton" which saw a lot of us laugh, and I kind of wished they'd kept that in.

* The FIRST reveal of Jesus saw us bringing down the house... Well Stage K with the round of applause/laughter.

* ALso, when Lister and Cat realise they've been eating Listers organs, there was quite a big "EUGH!" from us.

* The penultimate scene where Jesus is walking down and saying "Guys, get your bags." he then offers one to the lady who was selling the Lemons.

For me personally I wasn't very happy that these were cut out and in many ways it made the Episode memorable for me, also I think in places the laughter may have been swapped around, but again not too sure.

I asked both Jesus (James) and Script Editor Andrew Ellard about our first reaction to the Jesus reveal and this is what Jesus said:

"the guys know what there doing you've got to trust there decision, like they trusted mine." and I shall take thus as gospel

From Andrew:

"The choice to go for *lesser* reactions in a laugh track mix is one of the least realised things about TV audience comedy.""