Back From The Trash
Recovered Scenes - by Andrew Ellard
17 October, 2003
These days, I prefer to think of deleted scenes as recovered scenes. Partly because the footage is never (usually) erased, and partly because we're putting a huge collection of them on a DVD for everyone to see. Oh, and partly because they're a bugger to track down - nobody during the chaos of full production bothers to write down 'this line removed' when the deadlines are on and the editors are working into the night.
In total there are 26 deleted or extended scenes on the DVD, running well over 20 minutes. As before, none will be 'branched' back into the episodes, though that is definitely something to consider for the VII and VIII releases.
Anyway, here we have a full list of the deleted - excuse me, recovered - scenes for the upcoming Series III release.
Introductions
- Hattie delivers eight Holly jokes, six of which would have formed part of the, otherwise unrecorded, episode intros (as provided by Norman's Holly in Series I and II).
Backwards
- Wilma Flintstone - extended.
- Rimmer speaks backwards to his reverse audience, explaining the continuity error where they seem to understand his forward speech.
- More backwards talking, and gags, in the dressing room.
Marooned
- Lister, Cat and Kryten play strip poker (as seen on the Smeg Outs video).
Polymorph
- Some additional meal/autopsy lines, originally trimmed for time.
- Holly argues with Rimmer, originally trimmed for time.
- Lister, Petersen and the kebab, dialogue trimmed for time.
- The full, uncut growth of the polymorph model.
- Holly discusses the polymorph.
- More from Genny Mutant.
- A guilt-free Kryten in crude conversation with the drunken Cat.
Bodyswap
- Rimmer persuading Lister to swap bodies.
- A cut scene of Rimmer's gluttony and Lister's worry - featuring the original audio recorded of Craig and Chris impersonating each other!
- Rimmer's midnight snacking hits epic proportions.
- Lister realises how much punishment his body has taken.
Timeslides
- A lengthy section of Cat and Lister playing table golf.
- A second lengthy section of Lister and Cat on time-wasting games.
- The 'tension sheet' scene, later re-written and shot to remove the 'hologram box' that enables Rimmer to paint his model aeroplane.
- Rimmer's further attempts to persuade the rich Lister to come home with him.
- More Rimmer dialogue from the final 'I'm alive!' scene.
The Last Day
- A deleted section from the 'silicon heaven' scene.
- A second deleted section from the 'silicon heaven' scene.
- Lister tells Cat what part of the Monroe droid Petersen used to keep his hands warm.
- Holly's drunkenness takes its toll on her processors.
- The morning after, and Rimmer chips in to to 'support' Kryten.
It's a good collection of moments - shedding new light on episodes we've known for years - and also gives away some interesting information on how the production of Red Dwarf has evolved. As with Series I, some scenes here are alternate versions of what eventually appeared, something that was still happening on Series VIII.
Three scenes here - numbers 5, 19 and 25 fact-fans - were chopped for effects reasons, and a large section of number 13, from Bodyswap, was dropped when it became clear that the audience were ahead of the story and knew what Rimmer was about to suggest.
The only disappointment has been two lost spools that seem determined to stay lost. Robert Llewellyn's famous first day - being electrocuted in a sauna while lighting Craig's cigar - is nowhere to be found among the BBC's archive, and the same is true for a few small dialogue cuts from Marooned. It seems these few bits are, sadly, lost forever.
The two-disc Series III set will hit shops on November 3rd. Fans in Australia will wait just slightly longer, with a confirmed date now given of November 12th. As you await the release, cast an eye over the DVD adverts which will be appearing in the print media over the next month or so.
You can pre-order the Series III DVD from the Red Dwarf Shop.
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