It might surprise Linda’s Book Bag readers to know that I loved the television series Red Dwarf when it first came out. Consequently, when I heard that Tom Salinsky had written an unofficial tie in book that lovely Charlotte Wakely from Gingerbread Agency sent me, I simply had to invite Tom to stay in with me to chat all about it.
Let’s find out more:
Staying in with Tom Salinsky
Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Tom. Thank you for staying in with me. Which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?
My new book Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series. It’s a complete guide to the television series Red Dwarf. Actually, that’s not quite true – this is volume one of two. But this is a complete guide to the first six series and the second volume will cover the remaining television episodes plus apocrypha such as the failed US remake, comic strips, abandoned stories, video games and such like. I’ve chosen it because it’s the latest in my series looking at popular TV and movie franchises, following on from a similar book about Star Trek. But the Star Trek book had over 300 episodes to cover, and this one has only 36, so there’s more space for behind-the-scenes stories, of which there are plenty.
What a great book for those of us who loved the series. What can we expect from an evening in with Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series?
I couldn’t decide which of three different approaches to take, so I took all three (which is why the book is so long and had to be split into two volumes). For each season you get a complete behind-the-scenes account of the planning, writing, production and release of the episodes.
You do indeed. I’ve been reading it!
Making a show like this isn’t easy and Red Dwarf was constantly running into snags whether it was the young cast partying a little too hard, over ambitious special effects or just the regular challenge of trying to combine novel science fiction concepts, strong character work and good jokes every thirty seconds.
I think it’s the tweaking that had to go on behind the scenes that I’ve found most interesting Tom.
Then I’ll give my analysis and let you know what I thought of each episode. I love Red Dwarf but I’m still grading on a curve. No point having a five-star rating system if you give everything four and five stars. And lastly, I’ll check off some regular features like the influences on the writers, when the continuity is on point – or isn’t – and I’ll nominate a best gag and a worst special effect.
I absolutely agree about star ratings. I loathe them. I only blog about books I’ve loved (quietly forgetting those I didn’t like) so when I put my reviews on places that demand stars they are all 4 or 5 stars which feels as if it’s debasing the currency!
What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?
One of the things which I thought was so incredible when I was a kid was that one of the characters was a creature who had evolved from a pet cat over three million years. The selfish, self-regarding, clothes obsessed, always hungry, always horny character brought brilliantly to life by Danny John-Jules is a highlight of many episodes, and as a crazy cat person myself I thought it was a complete triumph of imagination and comedy. But nothing compares to the comfort and company of real cats, so I’ll bring my three – brother and sister Seymour and Audrey and their older companion, the very fluffy Toast. The only thing which makes watching Red Dwarf better is having one of them on my lap while I do it.
Oh yes! I adore cats. That sounds like a purrfect evening! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series. I’ll give readers a few more details:
Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series
Did you know …
Red Dwarf would never have been made if it wasn’t for little known 1980’s BBC Sitcom ‘Happy Families’?
Where did the ships “made-up” swear word ‘gwenlan’ came from?
What’s the significance of 23rd March 2077?
That Norman Lovett – who played Holly – originally auditioned for the part of Rimmer and Chris Barrie – who played Rimmer – originally auditioned for the part of Lister?
That Danny John Jules arrived for his audition as Cat in full character and costume.
How well do you know Red Dwarf? Author Tom Salinsky’s latest book is the most comprehensive work yet on the beloved sci-fi comedy series which fans all over the globe have loved since the very first episode.
Virtually unique among British sitcoms, Red Dwarf began in 1988 and 12 seasons, one miniseries and one feature length special later, it’s very recently been confirmed that the much loved programme will be returning – yet again – with new episodes in 2025, making it one of the longest running sitcoms in the world, of all time; with fans who know each and every episode by heart. But despite the hugely devoted fan base, few will likely be as dedicated as Tom, who – following the success of his first book (Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series) embarked on a mission to watch every episode, come rain, or shine, or impending asteroid collision, and create a complete compendium of the entire thing. Volume 1 covers 1988-1993.
At its peak in 1999, Red Dwarf had over 8,000,000 weekly viewers in the UK. It also won an Emmy and a British Comedy Award, ranked 80th on Empire’s list of 100 best series of all time and 17th in the Radio Times’ list as recently as 2021. And yet, this is a show nobody wanted to make, and which only barely made it to our screens.
Red Dwarf originally developed from a Radio 4 sketch series, drawing inspiration from Star Trek, Alien and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Adding a large element of British style comedy and satire, Red Dwarf ultimately moulded into the form of a sci-fi sitcom – contrasting strongly with the drawing rooms and sofas which were the norm when it launched, and now with the fast-cut mockumentary style which is popular today. At first, the BBC rejected the pilot on fears that a sitcom in the sci-fi space wouldn’t be popular. They were proven very wrong as the fans took the show into their hearts. One such fan was Tom, who now, with his new book ‘Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series’, has taken a dimension jump into the Red Dwarf universe, ensuring no stone – or planet – is left unturned.
Following in Arnold Rimmer’s neatly catalogued, colour coded, labelled footsteps; Tom has kept a log of his Red Dwarf journey, ensuring every smegging moment is savoured. The first tome will cover 36 episodes (six series of six episodes) with a review and episode synopsis for each and every one. But, this isn’t just fan’s account, it’s a detailed and entertaining critical analysis of the show and combines all of the behind-the-scenes mishaps, innovations, near misses and happy accidents written in a clear and accessible style, all with a sense of humour that makes it exceptionally accessible to Red Dwarf fans.
Along with the detailed episode cataloguing, the book also tells the story of exactly how Red Dwarf came to be, who was originally considered for the cast, how it was radically reinvented for the third, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth seasons and how it survived the break-up of its key creative partnership, the loss of the original spaceship models, BBC strikes and the departure of a major cast member.
Published by Pen and Sword imprint White Owl on 30th September 2024, Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series is available for purchase here.
To celebrate the launch of the book, comedian Bec Hill will be interviewing Tom at an event on Thursday 3rd October in London. There will also be readings from the book and a prize quiz. Tickets are available here.
About Tom Salinsky
Tom Salinsky is a writer, podcaster and corporate coach living in London with his wife and too many cats. With Deborah Frances-White, he is the author of The Improv Handbook (Methuen Drama, 2008). With Robert Khan he is the author of five plays and many audio dramas for Big Finish. With his podcast colleagues John Dorney and Jessica Regan, he is the author of Best Pick: A Journey Through Film History and the Academy Awards (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022). As a solo author, he has published Star Trek: Discovering the Television Series (Pen & Sword, 2024), the second volume of which is due for release in 2025.
For further information you can find Tom on Facebook, Twitter/X @tomsalinsky and Instagram.
English (US) · 