Quarters In Full

Picking over that mammoth set photograph.

17 August, 2012

Although it was only one picture, last Friday's Red Dwarf X update was a spectacular visual overload - as one of the key design elements of the new series, the redesigned ship's sleeping quarters, was revealed in full for the first time.

Click image to enlarge

One of the most keenly-anticipated aspects of the new series, the brand new bunkroom thrilled live audiences the moment they walked into the studio at Shepperton last winter - and we're delighted to be able to show it off in detail to everyone else for the first time. Conceived by production designer Michael Ralph - of Primeval and Death in Paradise among many top-level credits - the new room has a deliberately grimy, industrial feel, in contrast to the bright, clean stylings of Back to Earth. But it's absolutely drenched in detail and texture - feeling more constantly alive than perhaps any set previously.

Just how much detail is in there, however? Well, join us as we work our way through the panoramic image, and you might just be surprised at how much you missed at first glance...

First of all - and award yourself fifty bonus points if you spotted this - it may not be immediately apparent, but the new set is actually a reworking and redressing of the room that was constructed for Back to Earth. It's deceptive, by virtue of the fact that most of the camera angles from which the white version was shown were at an angle, whereas here we're looking at it straight on - but if you follow the shape of the room around from the left-hand doorway, you'll see that all the major structural elements line up. Strip away all the extra piping and industrial detail, and close that right-hand door, and everything suddenly looks a lot more familiar. Clever, eh?

In the foreground, two major pieces of detail leap out. The first of these is the brand new table - replacing the central "console" of Back to Earth, this is a smaller and simpler unit - although the eagle-eyed may spot that the base of it looks very like a redressing of the original console surface. Although evidently designed to seat six - note the slots for chair stands at the base - our crew of four have decided against keeping any extra chairs in the room. And no, we don't know whether that thing in the middle is anything other than a futuristic-looking lamp.

The other new addition is Lister's striking sofa, set into a replica of a classic Cadillac, complete with working tail lights. It's an item that may initially seem jarring in the context of a Red Dwarf set - until you recall the glimpse we got into Lister's home décor tastes in Legion, which shared a similar penchant for '50s retro Americana. Also visible in this picture - although not actually a recurring feature in every episode - are a particularly old-fashioned gaming system controller and video screen, a far cry from the ship's known Artificial Reality capabilities.

Traditionally, catering facilities have rarely been shown on the ship - vending machines have generally tended to do the job - but the new kitchenette in the corner is reminiscent of the tiny galley onboard Starbug during Series VI and VII. Coupled with the industrial pipes and warning signs dotted around, this adds to the feel that for whatever reason, the crew are cramped together somewhere in the bowels of the ship. It's also worth noting that the styling of some of the kitchen equipment again fits with the 1950s retro aesthetic - and Lister's got a handy mini-fridge full of Leopard Lager at his beck and call.

The computer console in the left-hand corner of the room - next to the main door - is something else that's been altered from Back to Earth specification. No longer a static, malfunctioning machine, the three screens - as with all the display units on the ship - constantly crackle and buzz with activity, presumably displaying vital information about the ship's running (although whether any of the crew can understand it is another matter). The other major change from the Back to Earth layout, of course, is that as a three-walled set (to allow for filming in front of an audience) the huge window wall is missing - but you'll have to wait until broadcast to find out what the crew see when they look out from their bunks...

If all of this sounds new and frightening, however, it's worth pointing out the continuity touches that mark this bunkroom out as the latest in a connected line that goes all the way back to the first series. Quite aside from the fact that Lennon and McCartney are happily swimming in the corner of the room for the first time since Series II, if we look at Lister and Rimmer's individual bunks, we see many familiar objects. In fact, in both cases, it's almost all the same décor that was brought back for Back to Earth - from Lister's assorted photographs (Kochanski, his grandmother, Jim and Bexley, and so on), posters of Mugs Murphy and Fiji, and even a mini replica London Jets shirt; to Rimmer's revision timetable and "Arnie Does It Best" headlines.

There's plenty more detail to be found in the sets - both this room, and elsewhere on Red Dwarf... and beyond the confines of the ship! But this should give you a taster of just how much care and attention has gone into the look of Series X - and it's given us something that's at once both new and exciting, yet deeply reminiscent of the classic Red Dwarf feel. Somewhat like the series as a whole, in fact...

Keep checking Dave's website for new photo and video updates each Friday!