Future Echoes

"Future Echoes"
Red Dwarf episode

A "future echo" of Lister's future self holding his two baby sons, Jim and Bexley.
Episode no. Series 1
Episode 2
Directed by Ed Bye
Written by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
Original air date 22 February 1988 (1988-02-22)
Guest actors

John Lenahan as Toaster
Tony Hawks as Dispensing Machine

"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series one,[1] and was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 22 February 1988.[2] Written by co-creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye.[3]

The episode — which has the crew witnessing events from the future as Red Dwarf breaks the light barrier — was considered to be one of the better efforts from the first series,[4] so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series.[5] The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.[6]

Plot

Lister (Craig Charles) has decided, much to the annoyance of Rimmer (Chris Barrie), to take the Cat (Danny John-Jules) with him as he spends the remainder of the journey back to Earth in stasis. As Lister is shaving in preparation for stasis the ship jolts. Holly (Norman Lovett) explains that after three million years of constant acceleration the ship has just broken the light barrier. Reassuring Lister that everything will be alright Holly goes back to navigating the ship. Lister however starts seeing odd occurrences in the mirror; his reflection reels back in pain as he cuts his chin with the razor. Lister feels his own chin and sees no blood. Carrying on regardless he then sees the reflection of Rimmer racing up behind him. He turns and sees no one there. Later, Lister goes to speak to Rimmer in the drive room, only to see him apparently talking to no-one and speaking gibberish. Rimmer walks out of the drive room, only for Lister to see another Rimmer immediately walk in the other side of the room, and in their subsequent conversation Rimmer says exactly the same things he did previously, this time making perfect sense. Finally, the Cat runs past Rimmer and Lister in the corridor shouting about how he lost a tooth, but Lister and Rimmer then find Cat in Lister's quarters, happily trying to eat Lister's robotic goldfish and with all his teeth intact. After discussing the occurrences with Holly it appears that they are experiencing "Future Echoes"; events that will occur in the future that can be seen in the present.[7]

After the impact of an explosion rips through the corridors Rimmer tells Lister that he saw a vision of somebody die in an accident in the drive room. Due to the similar build and clothes he believes that it was Lister. Lister comes to believe that the Cat will break a tooth on one of the robotic goldfish, and that if he can prevent that, he can prevent his death. Unfortunately for Lister, he ends up knocking the Cat's tooth out himself during their struggle over the goldfish. Soon the drive room navicomp starts malfunctioning and Lister is the only person that can repair it. Lister boldly goes to the drive room to face his destiny the same way as he came into the world; kicking and screaming.[7] Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.[8]

Another "future echo" appears as Lister and Rimmer enter their sleeping quarters. There lying on the bunk is an old Lister with aged grey dreadlocks. The old Lister tells them that it was one of Lister's twin sons, Bexley, that Rimmer saw die, and then tells them to go to the medical unit with a camera. As they race to the medical unit Rimmer asks how Lister would get twin sons with no women on board. Lister doesn't know but insists that it's going to be a laugh finding out. The door to the medical unit slides open and another Lister, of similar age, walks out carrying two crying babies and poses for the camera.[8]

Production

Split-screen techniques were used to achieve the Rimmer echo

It was the fourth episode recorded and they felt it worked well, but it proved very difficult to write and the script confused a lot of people. Director Ed Bye was even said to have been sceptical and baffled by it.[5] The writers were convinced viewers would be swayed by the unusual premise of the show, and an introduction was written to be read by Holly at the beginning of each episode to remind audiences of the premise of the show and what events had preceded that particular episode. Co-creator and writer, Doug Naylor, frequently had to remind the cast of these things too, as it took them a while to get their heads around the plot.[5] Despite this, it was eventually decided by the producers that it actually introduced the fact this was a sit-com which used real scientific principles better than previously recorded episodes and aired it as the second episode.

Split-screen techniques were used as Lister talked to Rimmer's echo — just as the original Rimmer walked out the door. While Craig Charles interacted with Chris Barrie the first time, he had to then act with thin air. Where in fact, the finished shot would have Rimmer's echo walking in from the other direction and Lister trying to talk to him. This was achieved by shooting the scene with Charles and Barrie and then a separate shot of Barrie was added to the scene to follow on with the conversation with Charles.[9]

The skutters, the tiny, motorised, three-clawed service droids, were actual working models. They were made up of parts including old shoe boxes and the engines of radio controlled cars. Interference originating from the radios of a nearby taxi company, which was particularly busy during filming of "Future Echoes", caused havoc with the skutter models on set. One reportedly poked Craig Charles in the eye, and another launched an unsuspecting attack on Chris Barrie's groin. Coincidentally the skutters were in the script very inept towards their maintenance work and mischievous towards humans.[10]

John Lenahan voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.[3]

After the episode aired Rob Grant and Doug Naylor became uncomfortable with how casually Lister takes the news of his future son's violent death. When this episode was adapted for Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, this was altered so it's actually Lister's grandson who dies in the navicomp explosion.

Cultural references

This was the first episode of the series to deal with a science fiction plot based on real scientific theory, which was to become a common occurrence in later Red Dwarf episodes. For this particular episode, time dilation and various assorted time anomalies caused by travelling close to the speed of light (or indeed even at the speed of light) are referenced in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.

Reception

"Future Echoes" was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 February 1988 in the 9:00pm evening time slot.[2] Although the pilot episode "The End" gained over five million viewers, this was now tailing off slightly as the series progressed.[11] The episode was considered to be one of the better ones from the first series.[4] Co-creator and writer, Rob Grant, stated that if it weren't for "Future Echoes" then the show would have been nonexistent. It was the fourth episode recorded and they felt it worked so well they brought it forward in the schedule to second.[5]

Remastering

Video effects were added to the existing footage to give the illusion of breaking light speed

The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s.[12] Changes carried out included replacement of the opening credits (re-instating the original idea of the one shot of pulling away from the ship),[13] the picture has been given a colour grade and filmised,[14] new computer generated special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space,[15] and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.[15]

Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning,[16] and computer generated special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier.[16] Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier.[16] An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.[16]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "British Sitcom Guide — Red Dwarf — Series 1". www.sitcom.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. 1 2 "BBC Programme Catalogue RED DWARF — FUTURE ECHOES". BBC. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  3. 1 2 "Future Echoes cast and crew". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. 1 2 Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603
  5. 1 2 3 4 Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993
  6. ↑ "Sci-Fi-London Film Festival — The Bodysnatcher Collection". www.sci-fi-london.com. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  7. 1 2 Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46.
  8. 1 2 Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
  9. ↑ Remastering Crew (2007). The Beginning DVD documentary (DVD). Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset disc 1: BBC.
  10. ↑ Intrerview: Peter Wragg, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 8, October 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603
  11. ↑ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 8-9.
  12. ↑ "Remasters of the Universe". www.reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2008-01-04. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  13. ↑ "Series I Remastering". www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  14. ↑ Remastering Crew (2007). The End Re-Mastered DVD Commentary (DVD). Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset disc 1: BBC.
  15. 1 2 Remastering Crew (2007). 'Re-Dwarf' Documentary (DVD). Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset disc 1: BBC.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Remastering Crew (2007). Future Echoes Re-Mastered text commentary (DVD). Bodysnatcher DVD Boxset disc 1: BBC.
  17. ↑ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 209.

References

External links

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