Kryten (Red Dwarf episode)

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Red Dwarf episode
"Kryten"
Lister, Rimmer and Cat meet the women on the crashed ship Nova 5
Episode № 1
Airdate September 6, 1988
Writer(s) Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
Director Ed Bye
Guest star(s) David Ross
Johanna Hargreeves
Tony Slattery
Series II
September 6 – October 11, 1988
  1. Kryten
  2. Better Than Life
  3. Thanks for the Memory
  4. Stasis Leak
  5. Queeg
  6. Parallel Universe
List of all Red Dwarf episodes...

"Kryten" is the seventh episode[1] from science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf, the first from series two,[2] and was first broadcast on BBC2 on 6 September 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, this episode introduced the mechanoid character Kryten. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Red Dwarf receives a distress call from a crashed spaceship Nova 5. As usual, Rimmer (Chris Barrie) claims this to be aliens. But according to service mechanoid, Kryten (David Ross), the ship contains lifeforms of a much less hostile nature - women. The Red Dwarf crew boldly spruce themselves up to respond to the call. However, on arrival the gang are shocked to find Kryten has been looking after, clothing and feeding three skeletons ever since the crash, and have been that way for centuries. Kryten however, takes some convincing. How will he cope now? What will he do? After all, he is programmed to serve on the human race (as he explains, "I serve, therefore I am"). In the end, Lister (Craig Charles) takes pity on him and brings Kryten back to Red Dwarf.[3]

Rimmer, not surprisingly, gives Kryten a huge list of chores to do, but Lister, unused to face curtains and bendable boxers, decides to take Kryten under his wing. With a little help from Marlon Brando and James Dean he intends to turn the mechanoid into something of a rebel. It seems Lister's tutoring on rebelling are unsuccessful, until Kryten paints a picture of Rimmer sitting on a toilet in his admiral uniform. He then throws a container of liquid onto Rimmer's bunk and insults him while doing so. He then dresses up in leathers and borrows Lister's space bike and speeds off.[4]

[edit] Production

The writers realised that the huge Red Dwarf ship on its own did not generate enough story material and to accommodate this new direction for the series a small shuttle ship, Blue Midget, was designed to ferry the crew to and from different locations.[5] The new ship was based on an "every day car" that would go from A to B. Miniature crew models were made to fit inside the small ship and filming was added to footage of the Red Dwarf ship.[6]

It took up to eight hours for David Ross to get into the Kryten make-up
It took up to eight hours for David Ross to get into the Kryten make-up

This is the first appearance of Kryten, who wasn't originally intended to become a main character and is not seen again in Series 2. David Ross played Kryten in this episode, but because of scheduling clashes Robert Llewellyn played the character when he became a regular from Series III onwards.[7] The writers had resisted using robot characters as they had considered the practice a sci-fi cliché.[5]

Kryten's appearance was of a mechanical-looking butler with an angular head. The head mask had provided the most problems to the make up and effects team. Prosthetic foam originally used for the mask kept falling apart and eventually a latex piece was produced.[8] Initially it had taken David Ross up to eight hours to get into the full Kryten make-up. To make matters worse, Ross suffered from claustrophobia.[9]

Johanna Hargreeves appeared as the Esperanto teacher and Tony Slattery voiced an android actor in the Androids television show.[10]

[edit] Cultural references

The show always enjoyed the chance to parody existing films or television. Howard Goodall wrote the Androids theme tune with the Australian soap opera Neighbours in mind. The song, containing similar lyrics and tune, was trimmed down due to time constraints.[11]

Rimmer is trying to learn the Esperanto language and has been for the last eight years. He also appears dressed as an admiral to visit the crashed ship, and is described by Lister as looking like Clive of India. Rimmer describes the dead women as having "less meat on them than a Chicken McNugget".

Lister insists that Kryten should watch classic rebel films like The Wild One, Rebel Without a Cause and Easy Rider, hoping that the films, including the Marlon Brando rebel speech, would help the mechanoid break his servile programming. Kryten quotes Brando in the last line of the episode: Rimmer asks, "What are you rebelling against?" and Kryten replies in an affected voice, "What d'ya got?"[12]

[edit] Reception

Originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on the 6 September 1988 in the 9:00 pm evening slot,[13] the episode gained average viewing ratings,[14] and received a mixed response from viewers. One reviewer stating that "the six episodes in Red Dwarf Series II are excellent, the only stumbling block is the first episode, Kryten."[15] While another review stated that "the episode would be a brilliant one if Kryten weren't a little too C3PO-ish."[16] The episode also received a mixed response from fans, voting it 22nd in a Red Dwarf Magazine readers' poll with 1.4% of the votes.[17]

[edit] Remastering

See also: Red Dwarf remastered

The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s.[18] Changes throughout the series included replacement of the opening credits,[19] giving the picture a colour grade and filmizing,[20] computer generated special effects of Red Dwarf[21] and many more visual and audio enhancements.[21] Changes specific to "Kryten" include a new ending with Kryten flying Lister's space bike off into distant space away from Red Dwarf.[22]

[edit] See also

  • Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, the first Red Dwarf novel, features an expanded version of events from this episode and builds on the backstory.[23]
  • "Backwards", the Series III episode when Kryten begins appearing as a main character.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ TV.com - Kryten summary. www.tv.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  2. ^ British Sitcom Guide - Red Dwarf - Series 2. www.sitcom.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  3. ^ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 52.
  4. ^ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 53.
  5. ^ a b Red Dwarf Series II Writing. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  6. ^ Red Dwarf Series II Effects. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  7. ^ Series II Episode Guide, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 5, July 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603
  8. ^ Red Dwarf Series II Casting. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  9. ^ Interview: David Ross, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 1, March 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603
  10. ^ Kryten cast and crew. www.imdb.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  11. ^ Red Dwarf Series II Music. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  12. ^ Kryten movie connections. www.imdb.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  13. ^ BBC Programme Catalogue - RED DWARF -. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
  14. ^ Red Dwarf Series II Aftermath. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  15. ^ Red Dwarf - Series 2 Review. www.reviewcentre.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  16. ^ Red Dwarf Episode Guide: Series II. www.reviewsbygavrielle.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  17. ^ Readers survey results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, p. 27., issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603
  18. ^ Remasters of the Universe. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  19. ^ Red Dwarf Series I Remastering. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
  20. ^ Remastering Crew. The End Re-Mastered DVD Commentary [DVD]. Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset Red disc: BBC.
  21. ^ a b Remastering Crew. 'Re-Dwarf' Documentary [DVD]. Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset Red disc: BBC.
  22. ^ Remastering Crew. Kryten text commentary [DVD]. Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset, Blue disc: BBC.
  23. ^ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 206.

[edit] References

  • Howarth, Chris; Steve Lyons (1993). Red Dwarf Programme Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-682-1. 

[edit] External links

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