Future Echoes
Encyclopedia
"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
series one, and was first broadcast on the British
television channel BBC2
on 22 February 1988. Written by co-creators Rob Grant
and Doug Naylor
, and directed by Ed Bye
.
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, so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series. The episode was re-mastered
, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.
(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 the exact 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 than can be seen in the present.
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. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.
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.
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. 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. 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.
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.
John Lenahan
voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks
provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.
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.
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
.
The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s. Changes carried out included replacement of the opening credits (re-instating the original idea of the one shot of pulling away from the ship), the picture has been given a colour grade and filmised
, new computer generated
special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space, and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.
Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning, and computer generated
special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier. Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier. An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.
"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
series one, and was first broadcast on the British
television channel BBC2
on 22 February 1988. Written by co-creators Rob Grant
and Doug Naylor
, and directed by Ed Bye
.
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,Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603 so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993 The episode was re-mastered
, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.
(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 the exact 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 than can be seen in the present.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
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.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603 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.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603 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.
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.Intrerview: Peter Wragg, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 8, October 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603
John Lenahan
voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks
provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.
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.
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
.
The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s. Changes carried out included replacement of the opening credits (re-instating the original idea of the one shot of pulling away from the ship), the picture has been given a colour grade and filmised
, new computer generated
special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space, and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.
Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning, and computer generated
special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier. Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier. An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.
"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
series one, and was first broadcast on the British
television channel BBC2
on 22 February 1988. Written by co-creators Rob Grant
and Doug Naylor
, and directed by Ed Bye
.
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,Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603 so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993 The episode was re-mastered
, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.
(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 the exact 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 than can be seen in the present.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
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.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603 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.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603 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.
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.Intrerview: Peter Wragg, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 8, October 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603
John Lenahan
voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks
provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.
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.
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
.
The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s. Changes carried out included replacement of the opening credits (re-instating the original idea of the one shot of pulling away from the ship), the picture has been given a colour grade and filmised
, new computer generated
special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space, and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.
Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning, and computer generated
special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier. Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier. An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
series one, and was first broadcast on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 22 February 1988. Written by co-creators Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
and Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, and directed by Ed Bye
Ed Bye
Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He is best known for his work with Grant Naylor, Harry Enfield and Jasper Carrott, and has worked with many of British TV's best known comedians and comedy actors...
.
The episode — which has the crew witnessing events from the future as Red Dwarf breaks the light barrier
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
— was considered to be one of the better efforts from the first series, so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series. The episode was re-mastered
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.
Plot
ListerDave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
(Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
) has decided, much to the annoyance of Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
(Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image...
), to take the Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
(Danny John-Jules
Danny John-Jules
Daniel "Danny" John-Jules is a British actor, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat in the television programme Red Dwarf.-Dance and song:John-Jules is a baritone...
) with him as he spends the remainder of the journey back to Earth in stasis
Stasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
. As Lister is shaving in preparation for stasis the ship jolts. Holly
Holly (Red Dwarf)
Holly is the ship's computer on the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf.The character is played by Norman Lovett in Series I and II and, following a "head sex change" to look like his parallel universe alter ego "Hilly", played by Hattie Hayridge in the series 3 episode Backwards, is female...
(Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
) 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 the exact 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 than can be seen in the present.
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. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.
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.
Production
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, frequently had to remind the cast of these things too, as it took them a while to get their heads around the plot. 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.
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.
John Lenahan
John Lenahan
For the pianist, see John LenehanJohn Lenahan is an American illusionist and entertainer resident in the UK since 1984...
voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks
Tony Hawks
Antony Gordon Hawksworth, better known as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.-Early life:Born in Brighton in 1960, Hawks was educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighton College...
provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.
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 dilationTime dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
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
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's theory of relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
.
Reception
"Future Echoes" was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 February 1988 in the 9:00pm evening time slot. Although the pilot episode "The End" gained over five million viewers, this was now tailing off slightly as the series progressed. The episode was considered to be one of the better ones from the first series. 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.Remastering
Filmizing
Filmizing is a process that makes video productions seem to have been shot on film. The term is generic and informal. The process is usually electronic, although filmizing can sometimes occur as an un-intentional by-product of some optical techniques, such as telerecording.-Differences between...
, new computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space, and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.
Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning, and computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier. Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier. An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.
"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
series one, and was first broadcast on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 22 February 1988. Written by co-creators Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
and Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, and directed by Ed Bye
Ed Bye
Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He is best known for his work with Grant Naylor, Harry Enfield and Jasper Carrott, and has worked with many of British TV's best known comedians and comedy actors...
.
The episode — which has the crew witnessing events from the future as Red Dwarf breaks the light barrier
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
— was considered to be one of the better efforts from the first series,Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603 so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993 The episode was re-mastered
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.
Plot
ListerDave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
(Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
) has decided, much to the annoyance of Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
(Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image...
), to take the Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
(Danny John-Jules
Danny John-Jules
Daniel "Danny" John-Jules is a British actor, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat in the television programme Red Dwarf.-Dance and song:John-Jules is a baritone...
) with him as he spends the remainder of the journey back to Earth in stasis
Stasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
. As Lister is shaving in preparation for stasis the ship jolts. Holly
Holly (Red Dwarf)
Holly is the ship's computer on the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf.The character is played by Norman Lovett in Series I and II and, following a "head sex change" to look like his parallel universe alter ego "Hilly", played by Hattie Hayridge in the series 3 episode Backwards, is female...
(Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
) 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 the exact 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 than can be seen in the present.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
Production
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, frequently had to remind the cast of these things too, as it took them a while to get their heads around the plot.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603 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.
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.Intrerview: Peter Wragg, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 8, October 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603
John Lenahan
John Lenahan
For the pianist, see John LenehanJohn Lenahan is an American illusionist and entertainer resident in the UK since 1984...
voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks
Tony Hawks
Antony Gordon Hawksworth, better known as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.-Early life:Born in Brighton in 1960, Hawks was educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighton College...
provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.
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 dilationTime dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
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
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's theory of relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
.
Reception
"Future Echoes" was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 February 1988 in the 9:00pm evening time slot. Although the pilot episode "The End" gained over five million viewers, this was now tailing off slightly as the series progressed.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 8-9. The episode was considered to be one of the better ones from the first series.Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603 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.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603Remastering
Filmizing
Filmizing is a process that makes video productions seem to have been shot on film. The term is generic and informal. The process is usually electronic, although filmizing can sometimes occur as an un-intentional by-product of some optical techniques, such as telerecording.-Differences between...
, new computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space, and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.
Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning, and computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier. Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier. An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.
"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
series one, and was first broadcast on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 22 February 1988. Written by co-creators Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
and Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, and directed by Ed Bye
Ed Bye
Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He is best known for his work with Grant Naylor, Harry Enfield and Jasper Carrott, and has worked with many of British TV's best known comedians and comedy actors...
.
The episode — which has the crew witnessing events from the future as Red Dwarf breaks the light barrier
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
— was considered to be one of the better efforts from the first series,Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603 so much so that it has been credited, by the creators, as having saved the series.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993 The episode was re-mastered
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to appeal more to international broadcasters.
Plot
ListerDave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
(Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
) has decided, much to the annoyance of Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
(Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image...
), to take the Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
(Danny John-Jules
Danny John-Jules
Daniel "Danny" John-Jules is a British actor, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat in the television programme Red Dwarf.-Dance and song:John-Jules is a baritone...
) with him as he spends the remainder of the journey back to Earth in stasis
Stasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
. As Lister is shaving in preparation for stasis the ship jolts. Holly
Holly (Red Dwarf)
Holly is the ship's computer on the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf.The character is played by Norman Lovett in Series I and II and, following a "head sex change" to look like his parallel universe alter ego "Hilly", played by Hattie Hayridge in the series 3 episode Backwards, is female...
(Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
) 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 the exact 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 than can be seen in the present.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 46. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
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.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 47.
Production
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, frequently had to remind the cast of these things too, as it took them a while to get their heads around the plot.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603 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.
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.Intrerview: Peter Wragg, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 8, October 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603
John Lenahan
John Lenahan
For the pianist, see John LenehanJohn Lenahan is an American illusionist and entertainer resident in the UK since 1984...
voiced the Toaster and Tony Hawks
Tony Hawks
Antony Gordon Hawksworth, better known as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.-Early life:Born in Brighton in 1960, Hawks was educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighton College...
provided his voice for the Dispensing machine.
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 dilationTime dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
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
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's theory of relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
.
Reception
"Future Echoes" was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 February 1988 in the 9:00pm evening time slot. Although the pilot episode "The End" gained over five million viewers, this was now tailing off slightly as the series progressed.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 8-9. The episode was considered to be one of the better ones from the first series.Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603 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.Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Future Echoes, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 2, June 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603Remastering
Filmizing
Filmizing is a process that makes video productions seem to have been shot on film. The term is generic and informal. The process is usually electronic, although filmizing can sometimes occur as an un-intentional by-product of some optical techniques, such as telerecording.-Differences between...
, new computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf flying through space, and many more visual, audio and scene adjustments.
Changes specific to "Future Echoes" include new bike shots of Lister inserted at the beginning, and computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf breaking the light barrier. Also post-production video effects of white flashes were added to scenes when the ship breaks the light barrier. An additional dramatic score was added to the scene of Lister's impending death.
See also
- Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers - the first Red Dwarf novel which features an expanded version of events from this episode, as well as new material not seen in the television episodes.Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 209.
- Time travel in fictionTime travel in fictionTime travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
External links
- "Future Echoes" at Total Red Dwarf
- Series 1 overview at RedDwarf.co.uk