From: valmont@hardy.u.washington.edu (Monsieur de Valmont)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.red-dwarf,news.answers
Subject: alt.tv.red-dwarf Frequently Asked Questions List
Summary: A whole stack of neat info about the BBC Science Fiction/Comedy
	  Series, "Red Dwarf."  Please read this file before posting questions
	  to alt.tv.red-dwarf.
Date: 5 Jan 93 03:26:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: shelley.1iav5kINNl69
Reply-To: valmont@hardy.u.washington.edu
Followup-To: alt.tv.red-dwarf
Organization: The People Who Brought You BEEEEER *milkshakes!*
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Archive-name: red_dwarf-faq
Last-modified: 1993/01/03
Version: 3.3


           --------------------------------------------------------
            THE  "RED  DWARF"  FREQUENTLY - ASKED  QUESTIONS  LIST
           --------------------------------------------------------
Prepared by:  Michael J                                     RD.faq Version 3.3 
Montoure and Renee Byrd					    Revised:  01/03/93 
           --------------------------------------------------------

________________________
CONTENTS OF THIS LIST

   I.	What is "Red Dwarf"?
  II.	Where can I see "Red Dwarf" in the United States?
 III.	Did "Red Dwarf" start on radio?
  IV.	Is there an Episode Guide for "Red Dwarf"?
   V.	How do you know the title of the last episode of Season Two?
  VI.	Why is Holly now a woman?  Why did Kryten change?
 VII.	What are the lyrics to the theme song from the end credits?
VIII.	What are the lyrics to "Tongue Tied"?
  IX.	What are they really saying in "Backwards?"
   X.	What does "Smeg" mean?
  XI.	What are some of the foods mentioned on the show?
 XII.	Is there going to be an American "Red Dwarf"?
XIII.	Will there be any more substantial changes in Season Six?
 XIV.	Is there a "Red Dwarf" ftp site?
  XV.	Are there "Red Dwarf" novels?
 XVI.	Where else can I find out more about "Red Dwarf"? 


_______________________
WHAT IS "RED DWARF"?

	"Red Dwarf" is a British Science-fiction comedy series that has been
        on the air for five seasons, each season lasting for six episodes.
	It is the brainchild of "Grant Naylor", a creative team consisting
	of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who write and produce the show.
        The fifth season recently finished on the BBC, and preparations are
        being made for a sixth season, which is all but confirmed and should
	reach the British airwaves in the spring of 1993.  

	The premise of the series is best summed up by the opening 
	narration used in the first season:

	"This is an S.O.S. distress call from the mining ship Red Dwarf. The 
	crew are dead, killed by a radiation leak.   The only survivors are: 
	Dave Lister, who was in suspended animation during the disaster, and 
	his pregnant cat, who was safely sealed in the hold.   Revived three
        million years later, Lister's only companions are:   a life form who
	evolved from his cat, and Arnold Rimmer,a hologram simulation of one
	of the dead crew."    ---   Holly, the Ship's Computer

____________________________________________________
WHERE CAN I SEE "RED DWARF" IN THE UNITED STATES?

	"Red Dwarf" is seen on public television stations across
	the country.  If your local PBS station won't show it, 
	write to them, and convince your friends to write to them,
	until they will!  All five seasons are available for purchase
	by PBS stations.

	For those of you who have friends in England, the BBC has 
	started to release videotapes of the series.  Seasons 
	Two, Three and Four have been released, and Season One
	will be released in March, probably to coincide with the 
	premiere of Season Six.

__________________________________
DID "RED DWARF" START ON RADIO?

	Not exactly.  There was an episode of the short-lived Radio 4 
	series "Son of Cliche" that was written by Rob Grant and Doug 
	Naylor which contained several ideas they later incorporated 
	into "Red Dwarf".  A space cadet named Dave is trapped all alone
	on a spaceship with a slightly senile computer, called HAB.
	(The voice of HAB, by the way, was provided by Chris Barrie, 
	who later went on to star as Rimmer.)  While this was clearly
	the forerunner for "Red Dwarf," there isn't any direct connection. 


___________________________________________
IS THERE AN EPISODE GUIDE FOR RED DWARF?

	Otto Heuer has written a very good guide, available by 
	anonymous ftp on toaster.ee.ubc.ca, but here's a quick list 
	to get you started: 

Series One:	Series Two:	Series Three:	Series Four:	Series Five:
-----------     -----------     -------------   ------------    ------------
"The End"       "Kryten"        "Backwards"      "Camille"      "Holoship"
"Future Echoes" "Better Than    "Marooned"       "D.N.A."       "The Inquisitor"
"Balance of        Life"        "Polymorph"      "Justice"      "Terrorform"
   Power"       "Thanks for     "Body Swap"      "White Hole"   "Quarantine"
"Waiting for       The Memory"  "Time Slides"    "Dimension     "Demons and 
   God"         "Stasis Leak"   "The Last Day"      Jump"          Angels"
"Confidence     "Queeg"                          "Melt Down"    "Back to 
   + Paranoia"  "Parallel 					   Reality"  
"Me ^ 2"           Universe"


_________________________________________________________
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE TITLE OF THE LAST EPISODE OF SEASON TWO?

	There was no title given in the original broadcast.  The 
	episode opened with a musical number instead of the normal titles. 
	Most British fans learned that the episode's name was "Parallel
	Universe" from its listing in the Radio Times; some American fans
	called it "Tongue Tied", after the song in the opening musical
	performance.  "Parallel Universe" was the most common title
	used, and it has now been confirmed as the official title as 
	printed on the BBC videotape releases.


____________________________________________________
WHY IS HOLLY NOW A WOMAN?  HOW DID KRYTEN CHANGE?

	The original actor to play Holly, Norman Lovett, decided 
	to leave the series to further his career.  (There is no 
	truth to the rumor that he died.)   Also, Kryten's original
	actor, David Ross, wasn't available to commit to a series when
	they decided to make Kryten a continuing character, so he was 
	replaced by Robert Llewellyn.  (Ross later returns in "White
	Hole" as the new voice of Talkie Toaster.)

	Hattie Hayridge, the actress called in to play Holly, had
	previously appeared in "Parallel Universe" as Hilly, Holly's female
        counterpart.  "There were no plans to call me back," Hayridge explains.
	". . . when Norman said he wasn't doing another series, I auditioned." 
	The character of Holly kept the same name and personality despite the
	recasting.

	Along with the recasting, the reclassification of Red Dwarf from 
	a Paul Jackson Production to a Grant Naylor Production (making it 
	now officially a production outside the BBC, although it is still 
	filmed at Noel Gay Television) brought with it several changes in 
	the show's "look" between Seasons Two and Three, including changes
	in costumes, sets, and miniatures, including the addition of the 
	StarBug and its hangar bay.   

	The majority of these changes were more or less briefly explained 
	by the following explanation that scrolled up the screen at high-speed
	at the beginning of "Backwards": 

	"Three million years in the future, Dave Lister, the last human being 
	alive, discovers he is pregnant after a liaison with his female self 
	in a parallel universe. His pregnancy concludes with the successful 
	delivery of twin boys, Jim and Bexley. However, because the boys were
	conceived in another universe, with different physical laws, they
	suffer from highly accelerated growth rates and are both eighteen
	years old within three days of being born. In order to save their 
	lives, Lister returns them to the universe of their origin, where
	they are reunited with their father (a woman), and are able to lead
	comparatively normal lives. Well, as normal as you can be if you've 
	been born in a parallel universe and your father's a woman and your 
	mother's a man and you're eighteen years old three days after your 
	birth.  Shortly afterward, Kryten, the service mechanoid, who had
	left the ship after being rescued from his own crashed vessel, the
	Nova 5, is found in pieces after his space bike crashed into an
	asteroid. Lister rebuilds the 'noid, but is unable to recapture
	his former personality. Meanwhile, Holly, the increasingly erratic 
	computer, performs a head sex change operation on himself. He bases 
	his new face on Hilly, a female computer with whom he'd once fallen
	madly in love."
	
	It IS possible to read all this, using a VCR with good freeze-frame 
	capabilities.  Try it.


______________________________________________________________
WHAT ARE THE LYRICS TO THE THEME SONG FROM THE END CREDITS?

     	"It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere,
     	I'm all alone, more or less.
     	Let me fly far away from here,
     	Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun.

     	I want to lie shipwrecked and comatose,
     	drinking fresh mango juice.
     	Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes,  *
	Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun,
     	Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun."

	(*:  There has been some debate over this line -- it is not sang very
	 clearly, and many fans think it is simply "Goldfish ARE nibbling..."
	 However, in the fourth season episode "Meltdown," the end theme is
	 performed by "Elvis" [Clayton Mark], and the word "shoals" is more
	 distinct.  Also, some fans who have seen the episode on closed-
	 captioned broadcasts report that the subtitles do read "shoals."
         A "shoal" is a school of fish.)  



________________________________________
WHAT ARE THE LYRICS TO "TONGUE TIED"?

	As mentioned above, "Parallel Universe" began with a musical
	number, which turns out to be a dream had by the self-centered
	Cat.  The studio audience's laughter makes the lyrics a little
	hard to understand, but combining a couple of different posters'
	ideas of what they were gave us this:

The Cat:					(Chorus -- Lister and Rimmer:)
 
When I saw you for the first time 		(first time)
My knees began to quiver 			(quiver)
And I got a funny feeling 			(feeling)
In my kidneys and my liver 			(digestive system baby)
 
My hands they started shakin' 			(shakin')
My heart began a-thumpin' 			(boom boom boom)
My breakfast left my body 			(huey huey huey)
It all really tells me something
 
Girl you make me tongue tied 			(tongue tied)
Tongue tied, whenever you are near me
Tied tongue 					(tied tongue)
Tied tongue 					(tied tongue)
Whenever you're in town 
 
I saw you on the dance floor 			(dancin')
I thought of birds and bees 			(reproductive system baby)
I barely tried to speak to ya 			(talk talk)
My tongue unraveled to my knees 		(flippety-flippety-thump)
 
I tried to say I love you 			(love you)
But it came out kind of wrong girl 		(wrong girl)
It sounded like min-oo-bitty-boo		(tongue tied)
Na-nee-ner-ner-nee-nung, nirl
 
'Cause you make me tongue tied	 		(tongue tied)
Tongue tied, whenever you are near me
Be-dobby-durgle 				(dobby-durgle)
Tongue tied 					(tongue tied)
Whenever you're around
 
Oh I'm beggin' on my knees
Sweet, sweet darling, listen please
Understand me when I saaaaaay
Bedurble-diggle-doggle-dooby-doggle-durgle-day
 
I'm trying to say nungy-nangy 			(nangy-nungy)
Ningy-nongy, but I can't tell you clearly 	(clearly)
Be-dobby-durgle 				(dobby-durgle)
Durgle-dobby 					(durble-dobby)
Whenever you're around 				(around)
Whenever you're around 				(around)


______________________________________________
WHAT ARE THEY REALLY SAYING IN "BACKWARDS"?

	Most of the reversed dialogue in the episode "Backwards" 
	is pretty much either what the subtitles say it is or what 
	you'd expect from context; some of it actually appears to
	be random noise.  There are two good counterexamples, however.
	
	When Lister and the Cat steal a bicycle, its owner yells after
	them, "You scoundrels!  Return my bike immediately!" -- at least,
	according to the subtitles.  What he actually says, however, is,
	"Oi!  Hey!  Oi, you robbing bastards, that's our tandem!"

	Later, when the stage manager comes in to yell at Rimmer and 
	Kryten, he appears to be blaming them for starting the "fight."
	Here's what he's actually saying:

	"Frankly, your act's crap.  Anyway, anybody could have done it.  
	I hate the lot of you.  Bollocks to you! . . . You are a stupid,
	square-headed, bald git, aren't you?  I ain't pointing at you, 
	I'm pointing at you.  But I'm not actually addressing you, I'm
	addressing the one prat in the country who's bothered to get hold
	of this recording, turn it round, and actually work out the rubbish
	that I'm saying.  What a poor, sad life he's got!"


_________________________
WHAT DOES "SMEG" MEAN?

	The characters in the show use it as an all-purpose profanity.
	Apparently derived from "smegma," the term for a particularly 
	unpleasant bodily secretion, the slang term "smeg" was reportedly
	in use in England before the show premiered, although not commonly.
	Grant and Naylor presumably adopted this little-known bit of Scouse
	profanity as a blanket replacement for all other swearing, to keep
	them out of trouble with the BBC and to poke fun at the long-standing
	convention in science-fiction of inventing "futuristic" slang. 


____________________________________________________
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FOODS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW?

	"Vindaloo," the most commonly referred to food item on the program,
	is a very, very hot Indian curry dish.  Most Indian restaurants will
	have them on the menu.  They can contain almost any variety of meat,
	thus Lister's references to "mutton vindaloo," "chicken vindaloo", etc.

	"Poppadoms", another Indian food item, are thin lentil-flour wafers
	resembling tortillas, deep-fried until crisp.

	"Gazpacho soup" really does exist and really is meant to be served
	cold.  Several different recipes exist. 

	A "pot noodle" is, judging by its appearance, similar to the 
	American Cup O' Noodles.  Its quality is apparently very questionable. 


________________________________________________
IS THERE GOING TO BE AN AMERICAN "RED DWARF"?

	Maybe.  A pilot was produced for NBC, involving Grant Naylor
	as technical consultants, Craig Bierko as Lister, Chris Eigelman
	as Rimmer, Jane Leeves as Holly, Tony award winner Hinton Battle 
	as Cat, and Robert Llewellyn reprising his role as Kryten from
	the British cast.

	Historically, many English shows have been redone for an American 
	audience ("Max Headroom" being an example), but many fans
	are still apprehensive about the uniquely British humor
	not translating too well.  

	Some fans who had a chance to see the filming report that some
	suprising and odd changes were made, for example, the transformation
	of Lister to a clean-cut and well-dressed causcasian, and the 
	replacement of the "H" on Rimmer's forehead with a glowing red dot.

	The pilot reportedly was a retelling of "The End", with some
	elements of "Future Echoes" thrown in for good measure.

	After rejecting this version, NBC commissioned a *second* pilot, 
	which had some further odd chages, such as casting a woman as the Cat.  
	
	Both pilots are finished, but it is uncertain at this point whether
	either of them will ever air.  It's very unlikely that the option 
	to make the series will be picked up.  Sounds like we won't be 
	missing much, however.	


____________________________________________________________
WILL THERE BE ANY MORE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES IN SEASON SIX?

	A couple.  First off, although the American pilot didn't succeed
	(see below), Robert Llewellyn got to keep the new Kryten suit -- 
	which, being made by a California-based special effects house, is of 
	somewhat better quality than the old BBC version -- and he'll be 
	wearing it in Season Six. 

	Secondly, we've heard from a couple of different sources now 
	that Hattie Hayridge will NOT be returning as Holly next season --
	and that there *won't* be anyone replacing her.  Apparently, they 
	feel that Kryten provides enough scientific plot exposition -- and
	can move around -- that Holly isn't really necessary anymore.  It 
	will be interesting to see how they manage this ....


___________________________________
IS THERE A "RED DWARF" FTP SITE?

	Yes.  Dave Gagne (daveg@ee.ubc.ca) has been kind enough to
	put an anonymous ftp site on toaster.ee.ubc.ca (137.82.56.10).
	There's a lot of good stuff there in the /pub/red-dwarf directory.    
	There are also two subdirectories, sounds and gifs, for digitized
	sounds (in Sun .au format) and pictures (in .gif format, obviously).
	Here's a list of the files currently on the site:

FAQ		    - You don't NEED to get this -- you're reading it.  :)
episode-list        - Short list of all Red Dwarf episodes.
episode-guide       - (Barry Williams) Guide to all Red Dwarf episodes.
favorite-quotes     - Best lines in Red Dwarf.
fortune-quotes      - Best lines in Red Dwarf in "fortune" format.
script-II.2         - Script of RD Season II, episode 2: Better Than Life
script-II.3         - Script of RD Season II, episode 3: Thanks for the Memory
script-V.1          - Script of RD Season V,  episode 1: Holoship
script-V.2          - Script of RD Season V,  episode 2: The Inquisitor
script-V.3          - Script of RD Season V,  episode 3: Terrorform
script-V.4          - Script of RD Season V,  episode 4: Quarantine
script-V.5          - Script of RD Season V,  episode 5: Demons and Angels
script-V.6          - Script of RD Season V,  episode 6: Back to Reality
review-IV           - Review of RD Season IV (all episodes)
backwards           - (Ross Smith) What they're saying in 'Backwards'


________________________________
ARE THERE "RED DWARF" NOVELS?

	Yes -- two so far, "Red Dwarf:  Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers" 
	and "Red Dwarf:  Better Than Life."  The books greatly expand on,
	and are greatly different from, the television series:  although they
	do contain several ideas from the series, these ideas are put 
	together in new and interesting ways.  

	The two books are published by Penguin Books.  The ISBN of 
	"IWCD" is 0-14-012437-3.  "BTL"'s ISBN is 0-14-012438-1.
	These books are starting to be available in the United States
	and you should be able to order them from your local Waldenbooks. 
	 
	A third novel is in the works, as they are contracted to do at
	least one more, although their schedule producing the show hasn't
	allowed them to confirm when it will be finished.  In the meantime,
	however, the two books have been combined into one large re-release
	called the "Red Dwarf Omnibus," which contains some new material. 


____________________________________________________
WHERE ELSE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT "RED DWARF"?

	There is now a new, fully sanctioned fan club for "Red Dwarf".
	Membership is $17 and includes four issues of their magazine,
	"Better than Life", a badge, and a membership card.  Write to:  

	THE OFFICIAL RED DWARF FAN CLUB 
	c/o MARK KENNEDY
	PO BOX 50552
	PALO ALTO, CA 94303

	There is also an official magazine for the series being 
	published in England.  There are supposed to be overseas
	subscriptions available, and you can find it at some specialty
        shops and convenions.  The magazine seems aimed at a younger 
	audience, but is fairly clever and has nice interviews (and 
	great photos).  The title sometimes appears on the cover as 
	"Red Dwarf Smegazine."  For more information, write to:

	RED DWARF MAGAZINE 
	FLEETWAY EDITIONS LIMITED
	3RD FLOOR
	GREATER LONDON HOUSE
	HAMPSTEAD ROAD 
	LONDON
	ENGLAND
	NW1 7QQ

	For those of you who are interested in fanzines (unofficial,
	fan-written publications), there is a new one being put out
	by Space Rat Press, entitled "Stasis Leak," including 
	several interviews and episode guides.  The first issue of
	the 'zine costs $10.00 plus $2.00 for postage and handling.
	(Make checks payable to Space Rat Press.)  They seem to have
	obtained permission from Grant/Naylor to do this, which is 
	rare for a fanzine to do.  They don't know whether there will
	be a second issue or not, but the first issue is finally out,
	and it looks really good.  Write to: 

	SPACE RAT PRESS
	P.O. BOX 422
	PARK RIDGE, NJ  07656 

	Also just released in England (although you can get it at 
	a few conventions in the States) is the OFFICIAL RED DWARF 
	COMPANION, a thin little book that has a lot of wasted space, 
	but some interesting quotes and information and some wonderful 
	color photos throughout.  If you're looking for in-depth, solid 
	information about the show, this isn't where you'll find it;
	but if you want a nice, light read, a collector's item, and
	an attractive coffee-table-book, this is it.  Here's the info:

	THE OFFICIAL RED DWARF COMPANION
	by Bruce Dessau
	95 pages, 6.99 pounds
	ISBN:  1 85286 456 7
	Titan Books Ltd, 19 Valentine Place, London, SE1 8QH


           --------------------------------------------------------
This F.A.Q. may be reproduced, electronically or in print, so long as the 
authors' names remain intact.   It may not be used for profit without the 
express written permission of both authors.  
           --------------------------------------------------------
MANY THANKS TO: Paul S. Winalski,           "There's an emergency going on."
D.J. Clark, Neil Postlethwaite,                 MICHAEL J MONTOURE AND 
Kimble Ketolainen, Jim Lyon, Geoff                  RENEE ANN BYRD 	
Lane, Dave Gagne, Ross Smith, and Otto Heuer    "It's still going on."
           --------------------------------------------------------
					        valmont@hardy. 
If you have any comments or questions, e-mail:    or          u.washington.edu
					  	franken@stein. 
Newsgroups: alt.tv.red-dwarf