| Red Dwarf episode | |
| "Camille" | |
| Episode № | 1 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | February 14, 1991 |
| Writer(s) | Rob Grant & Doug Naylor |
| Director | Ed Bye |
| Guest star(s) | Judy Pascoe Francesca Folan Suzanne Rhatigan Francesca Folan Rupert Bates |
| Series IV February 14 – March 21, 1991 |
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| List of all Red Dwarf episodes... | |
"Camille" is the first episode of Red Dwarf IV and the nineteenth episode in the series run. It premiered on 14 Feb 1991 in the 9:00pm BBC2 time slot,[1] although it was planned to be broadcast as the third episode, it was moved forward in the schedule to be shown on Valentine's Day.[2] Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye. The episode, a subtle parody of the Casablanca film, sees Kryten rescue and fall in love with an android who seems to be the same model as himself.
Contents |
Synopsis
Lister begins trying to break Kryten's programming to make him able to lie, cheat and be insulting to humans. Despite achieving a few successes involving oranges and bananas, Kryten still obediently takes Rimmer asteroid-spotting in Starbug. When the pair receive a distress call from a doomed planet Lister's insubordination training allows Kryten to go search for survivors despite Rimmer's order to keep a safe distance. Kryten goes alone onto the surface where he finds Camille, who appears to him to be a female 4000 GTi mechanoid: "You’ve got all those little extras like realistic toes and a slide back sun-roof head!" The two fall instantly in love. After returning to Red Dwarf, when it becomes apparent that all four crew members see Camille as a different person with whom they all fall in love, the truth outs: she is a Pleasure GELF, designed to be everyone's perfect mate. She reverts to her real appearance (a big green blob), but Kryten still takes her out on a date. The relationship is put in jeopardy when Camille's partner Hector arrives. In a pastiche of the end of Casablanca (one of the movies Lister made him watch to see how lying can be noble), Kryten convinces Camille to be with her partner, then laments that Lister taught him how to lie so effectively.
Production
This episode was originally planned to be transmitted as the third episode of series IV, and indeed was transmitted as so in repeat runs in both 1992 and 1994, but on the series' original transmission it was felt more appropriate to run the episode on Valentine's Day and so it went out first. Further changes to the series' running order came about because of the outbreak of the Gulf War and the subject matter of some of the other episodes, notably "Dimension Jump" featuring the war-hero Ace Rimmer and the anti-war-themed "Meltdown".[3] This was the first episode of Red Dwarf to be recorded and transmitted in stereo. "Camille" was recorded during the week of 6 December 1990.[4] Starting in series IV, recording of the show moved from the studios in Manchester to Shepperton Studios due to the old studio undergoing refurbishment.[5] Shepperton turned out to be blessing to the show as it allowed for use of the sets for rehearsals in addition to recording.[5] Production starting with series IV also permanently shifted to Grant Naylor Productions.[6] The droid version of the GELF was played by Judy Pascoe, Robert Llewellyn's then girlfriend (they have since married).[7] She is also the voice of the blob Camille. Robert has often joked how he use to complain to Judy about the amount of make-up he has to endure, and yet when Judy wore it she had no complaints. She also provided the voice of the blob version, which was controlled from inside by effects artist Mike Tucker.[8] The initial plan was for Camille to appear as Kristine Kochanski in Lister's eyes, while this changed, Suzanne Rhatigan was still credited as "Kochanski Camille".[9] Like Pascoe and Llewellyn, Rhatigan and Craig Charles were in a relationship at the time of the recording.[7] The Hologram Camille was played by Francesca Folan.[10] Rupert Bates voiced the Hector Blob. This was the first episode to show the new Red Dwarf spaceship.[clarify]
Cultural references
Casablanca, Lister's favourite film, was used for the main plot of the episode and is mentioned and referenced throughout. Kryten and Camille even watch the film in the episode. When Lister explains to Kryten why it is needed to lie he mentions examples of Humphrey Bogart in the Casablanca ending scene and Nelson's "I see no ships" line. The ending of Casablanca is also parodied in the Kryten and Camille farewell scene. Lister watches a vid recording of the television show Tales of the Riverbank: The Next Generation, a parody of the Tales of the Riverbank show. Lister compares the main character Hammy Hamster the rodent equivalent of Marlon Brando. The television show St. Elsewhere is named by Lister, having seen every episode, as a qualification for being a surgeon. His Spider-man costume is also mentioned. Steve McQueen and the film The Blob are referenced by Lister after Kryten takes the true form of Camille to dinner.
External links
- Camille at the Internet Movie Database
- Red Dwarf: Camille - TV.com
- Episode Guide - Series 4 at RedDwarf.co.uk
References
- ^ BBC - BBC - Programme Catalogue - RED DWARF IV - CAMILLE. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Red Dwarf Programme Guide. Section 1: The History: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-682-1.
- ^ Red Dwarf Series IV Aftermath. RedDwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Red Dwarf Series IV Episodes. RedDwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ a b Red Dwarf Series IV Production. RedDwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Red Dwarf Programme Guide (1997), p. 86.
- ^ a b Red Dwarf Programme Guide (1997), p. 88.
- ^ Red Dwarf Series IV Effects. RedDwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Red Dwarf Series IV Writing. RedDwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ "Red Dwarf" Camille (1991) - Full cast and crew. IMDb.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- Howarths, Chris; Steve Lyons (1997). Red Dwarf Programme Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-682-1.
