Dream Watch: Given the amount of time that has passed since the last series, was there any point where you were tempted to say "no thanks" and not film another run of episodes?
Robert Llewellyn: Maybe a little bit because it would be different and, from my point of view, it had been so long--such a big chunk of time. I'd had a pregnant wife, three year old son. I knew it had been a long time and this series was going to be different and I didn't want to do it if it was going to be crap. That feeling went away pretty quickly and was replaced by the euphoria of being back. It wasn't immediate, but it hit us all at about the same time. We were all joking about all the worse things that could happen, but all had that slight worry about it. Once we got going, saw what was going on... it's like a bloody snowball, it takes you and destroys your life in the process, but it has an extraordinary momentum once it gets going.
DW: Everyone concerned with the new series claims that this series is a return to form.
RL: I hope that people find it funny. I know that I think it is. It's been a shock to see it; we've seen less of it as we've gone on filming. We haven't had the immediate response this time, but what we have seen looks brilliant. For the first time I've been watching myself as Kryten and going "That was really funny, this guy's really good." I find it a little embarrassing, very disturbing to be laughing at this fridge-headed loony when there's other people watching it with me. "Oh so you think that's funny do you, Robert?" But no, it's been a great experience. The last couple of series, it's really been a `job'. I was fairly land-locked doing the first two series I did, after that I got the hang of it. With this one there's a feeling that it's really proper. But it requires a certain level of concentration and working out how to do some of the new stuff.
DW: Chloe Annett and Kochanski's arrival creates a new dynamic for the show. How easy was it for you and Kryten to have a new face onboard?
RL: It's very refreshing. It's great. I think we were originally very anxious about it. We met her briefly before the series, but by the time she arrived properly the original posse of four of us were already getting on better than ever. The relationships between the four of us were the best, we had a laugh. All of us wanted Chris to stay, even though we knew he was only there for four episodes. When Chloe arrived, nothing was actually expressed, but we all wondered what was going to happen. We felt anxious for her and about her. But that went out of the window. She is so funny. She burns off the screen. She looks great. It's an amazingcombination--to find a woman who's good-looking and funny! The camera loves her and thre are some great moments. Kryten hates her so much, it's great. I love the fact that there are lines were Kryten says, "But she's not as good as Rimmer!" That's actually stating the biggest fear we had. Kryten turns into this horrible old cow with her.
DW: How has filming without a studio audience changed the atmosphere?
RL: I certainly missed that, initially. I love working with an audience, that's where my background is. I know that my performances were lifted by that in the old days. In the technical run I'd be a bit flat, but when the audience came in, I knew just what to do. But I got over missing the audience quite quickly. You appreciate that you've got that extra bit of time to do it well. It's interesting how quickly we can detect if there's a lull. If we laughed at the first read-through, then we knew it was funny.
DW: This season looks set to benefit from some better location work and special effects. Have you noticed the difference?
RL: The locations and sets have been amazing. We've had so-so locations before that have been really difficult to use. This year we've been to some extraordinary places. We went to the wind-tunnel where they test Concorde. It's that situation where people who have worked for years in telvision walk out the door in this gret big building and say "Hell, man, you should see in there." You're working in a 65 ft. circular tube with weird mist and lights. God, it's weird. I think there's been because there's less `monster' special effects to do and the money's been better used. It's also a use of imagination.
DW: With the success it has had internationally, as well as in the UK, Red Dwarf seems to have become more than just another comedy show. When did you begin to realise that you were involved in something more than just a time-filler?
RL: For me, I wasn't really aware of it until after the fourth series. I did the third series and everyone thought that might be the last one, we had a wrap party and everything. Then we did another one and were set to do another. I began to be aware that it had become something cultural, that everyone was aware of it. Originally it was "Is that you on the `Red' thing?" Now I haven't met anyone for a long time who doesn't know what it is. They may not watch it, they may not like it, but they know what it is.
DW: So it's back to the latex. Is that the biggest draw-back of the show, or has it gotten better over the years?
RL: The time of it going on and coming off has gone down amazingly, but by six o'clock in the evening (when you've been up since 6 o'clock in the morning) you still feel like shit. You get tired, your skin gets tired. It may come off at eight in the evening and be on again by seven the next morning. The glue sticks to your skin, it's still very tough to do. Yeah, it's still the hardest thing. I mean, if I could do the show without all the make-up, I'd be in ecstasy! But I can get away without being famous, I can go down to the shops and nothing happens. Once a month or so, a kid--usually it's a kid--will make the connection and realize. Of course, if I'm with Danny, Craig, or Chris they recognize me by the fact that I'm with them. Actually, the fame and the glamour don't attract me at all. But the business does. I like the creative process, which is what I get from writing the various books I've done.