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Liverpool legend Craig Charles has spoken out against web geeks taking online pot shots at the new comedy series to declare the upcoming Red Dwarf X is going to mark a return to form and promised a treat for fans.
Craig stars as Lister, the Scouser left under the Aigburth Arms’ pool table in a cardboard box marked… ‘Ouroboros’ and is set to return to our screens tonight in the new 10th series commissioned by his character’s namesake digital channel Dave.
Locked in a three million year funk – Dave Lister has become resolved to his fate and plays social worker for the crew – looking after Rimmer, The Cat and Kryten as much as they are supposed to keep him sane.
Speaking before he took to the BBC6 airwaves for his Funk and Soul show Craig said that it’s sad that the original writing duo of Doug Naylor and Rob Grant fell out and defended the glossy special effects on the show as a need ‘to evolve.’
He said: “It would be great if the writers got back together, all the cast would love it.
Their split is sad you know – Rob and Doug have known each other since they were seven years old or something, they even went to Uni together in Liverpool, which is where they started writing. The Aigburth Arms was their local, near their student digs.
“The new series is good, but our lips have been sealed on plot details. Not long to wait now eh.
“Red Dwarf has moved on in terms of tech and what we can do with a small budget. I thought Back To Earth looked great, the effects had a filmic quality.
“Believe it or not I liked Series 8 and Back To Earth, they had good energy. Series 5 and 6 were about the best and Back To Reality was a real high.
“But we always wanted it to be better. I know the fans hanker after the simpler times, but that’s all nostalgia for how you felt back then too – the show’s got to evolve.
“We never wanted it to look shite, it was just what we had available and it was always an amazing team effort to bring the stories to life.”
Taking another flight of fantasy Craig said he would be tempted to swap the Jupiter Mining Corps for the TARDIS and become the first black Dr Who if he was asked.
He added: “Yeah, having a black Doctor Who and to be asked would be double cool, but think there is too much cross-over with Red Dwarf and the thing about Dr Who that always pissed me off was the graphics are crap.
“But I’m the first black man to own a house on Corrie, which is as good a claim to fame.”
The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show is on BBC6 on Saturday 7~10pm and Red Dwarf Series X hits Dave tonight.