Chris Barrie: Rimmer’s Return

When the final episode of Red Dwarf’s eighth series was broadcast 10 years ago, no one could have predicted it would take a decade to bring the sci-fi sitcom back to TV screens. Yet Red Dwarf is finally returning this Easter weekend with a three-part special entitled Back To Earth, being broadcast by digital channel Dave. Chris Barrie is one of the few people to have been with the show from the beginning, playing self-centred hologram Arnold Rimmer, and David Baldwin sat down for a chat with him just after filming for the new episodes had wrapped…

Did you ever think Red Dwarf would be back, or were you convinced it was dead and buried?

Oh no, I seriously thought there would be new product at some point, and I thought it was going to be a film. We all did. To be frank, I got rather tired of answering the question, “When’s the film coming out?” So I’m very glad and relieved that here we have, in Back To Earth, what’s virtually a 70-minute film split into three parts.

Do you think this long overdue return is in large part due to Red Dwarf’s vocal fanbase?

I think the fanbase is one reason, but it’s also the fact that everyone who works on Red Dwarf has been very keen to continue doing the show in some shape or form, not least the cast. While some people thought that Red Dwarf was finished completely, we always liked to keep it open, because we knew that something would eventually happen. And here it is!

Are you surprised that digital channel Dave picked it up and not the BBC?

Well, rumour has it that they were happy to let Red Dwarf go because they weren’t after ‘that particular audience’ anymore. And I’m thinking, ‘Crumbs, for a broadcaster to say that they’re not after an audience is extraordinary.’ There’s no doubt a certain amount of politics is going on there. But in many ways, because of the way Dave have picked the show up, it’s been a blessing, because they really have got behind it and been so good in terms of getting it on the air again. Dave is very definitely our new home.

They’ve been doing a great job with the viral marketing...

We’ve noticed this as well! My kids keep running in saying that, in the middle of Top Gear, they’ve seen Rimmer saying something, or heard a Red Dwarf-ism. It’s very clever, and we’re thrilled with what Dave have been doing.

So can you tell us details about Back To Earth’s top secret storyline?

Um, not really! (laughs) It’s just a great yarn. It’s Red Dwarf being Red Dwarf. I think people will see some of the best Red Dwarf that’s ever been. I’m talking about the updated 21st century visual effects, the way it’s shot, the look of it and of course the dialogue and the chemistry between the characters. I think it’s another very clever story from Doug Naylor.

So is there much difference in style regarding how Back To Earth is filmed as compared to previous episodes?

There will be a slightly different tone and feel to Back To Earth, because it’s been shot like a film and without a studio audience. Whether doing it without an audience is a good or bad thing, I don’t actually know. I get asked that question a lot actually, but it’s swings and roundabouts really. What you lose on one you gain with the other.

I did enjoy performing for the live audience, because there was this thing about keeping the element of vaudeville there, shouting out the lines and getting the laughs. When you’re shooting it without an audience, it’s a slightly modified version of the same performance, because you’re playing to the camera and you don’t have 250 people hanging on your every line, waiting to shriek with laughter. I will miss that, but we’ve gained an awful lot from this filmic style. Filming is still as hectic as it ever was. But then sometimes to achieve what you want, you’ve got to do more work. There’s no doubt about it, making Red Dwarf can be very hard work. A lot is asked of everyone who works on the show, but in the end it’s always been worth it.

Was it easy slipping back into the character of Rimmer?

Very easy. It’s strange, because although it’s been 10 years since we all worked together, it felt more like ten weeks. Part of it was the fact that the cast has never really lost touch; we meet up at conventions or when we’re filming extras for the DVDs, so we’ve always kept in touch. Red Dwarf is like a family production, so it was quite straightforward to go right back to the characters.

Why do you think Red Dwarf has lasted so long - is it because it offers both comedy and some fascinating science fiction ideas?

I’d say it’s a mixture of many things, including those. It’s the whole package, really – even back in the late 80s, the effects always looked great, and then you have Rob Grant and Doug Naylor’s attention to detail. If a story’s not going well on paper, Doug will just chuck it out and start again. There’s no, ‘Oh, let’s just try and make this work.’ It has to be an absolutely rock solid idea for Doug to go through with it.

There’s also the fact that Red Dwarf doesn’t take itself too seriously. The show isn’t afraid of doing the odd touch of Buster Keaton-style slapstick amongst the sophisticated storylines. I just think Red Dwarf is a genius show. I know the word ‘genius’ is bandied about too much these days, but I really believe it.

So if the show continued beyond these specials, would you be happy to continue?

Yes, I think I would. I mean, I don’t like to think too deeply into the future, especially when we haven’t even seen this one through yet. But in principle, I’m very keen to continue.

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