Why did Grant and Naylor stop working together on Red Dwarf?
Why did Grant and Naylor stop working together?
They fell out, long term friends since childhood. It happens, most writing partnerships last on average about ten years, with a few honourable exceptions, it must have been fairly acrimonious as they both wrote separate Red Dwarf books. I might be wrong but I think it was during the original novelisation that they fell out. C'est la vie.
I heard they fell out, but can't find out why, maybe it's secret?
I listened to an interview with Naylor recently, he didn't go into any detail, but I'm sure someone on this board will know more than me about the details.
Quote: Pingl @ September 24 2012, 10:45 AM BSTC'est la vie.
You sound like Del Boy! 
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ September 24 2012, 12:07 PM BSTYou sound like Del Boy!
mon pleasure senoir 
Several reasons have been given.
Doug Naylor has said that Rob Grant first suggested writing separately (as in separate episodes) right at the beginning of Red Dwarf. He then suggested it again around series 5 (if memory serves). He suggested it for the final time when they worked on the 3rd Red Dwarf novel and the ITV series The 10 Percenters. They tried to write one chapter of the novel alternately which didn't work and they each wrote 3 episodes of the ITV show although Grant left before it was made and his scripts were never filmed.
Doug Naylor has said that he thinks the reason was because Rob Grant felt that if he was writing on his own that it would remove all of the pressure.
Rob Grant said for a long time that it was because he wanted to be known for things other than Red Dwarf that the split happened. As they were working on The 10 Percenters at the time this doesn't ring entirely true.
In a more recent interview Rob Grant said that it was simply because as you get older and more experienced as a writer it becomes more difficult to compromise with a collaborator (the same reason Graham Linehan gave for his split with Arthur Matthews incidentally).
Another reason he has given is simply, 'musical differences'.
Strangely shortly after the split the two of them did record commentaries for a few episodes of the show.
They did complete the Bodysnatcher script together (albeit only communicating via email) and also recorded commentaries together for the box-set a few years ago.
From what insiders have told me, Doug Naylor bought a random Red Dwarf dialogue generator that automatically churned out the same old jokes over and over again. Just by pressing a button, comedy gold would come gushing forth, as evidenced by Red Dwarf: Back To Earth.
Do you really think that such hilarious gems as -
1. Kryten quotes overly long and unfunny space directives
2. Lister likes smelly curries that make him smell
3. Cat telling us that one coloured item of clothing clashes with another
4. Rimmer says how much he admires genocidal killers
5. Somebody says smeg
- write themselves? Oh wait, they do.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ September 24 2012, 1:19 PM BSTFrom what insiders have told me, Doug Naylor bought a random Red Dwarf dialogue generator that automatically churned out the same old jokes over and over again. Just by pressing a button, comedy gold would come gushing forth, as evidenced by Red Dwarf: Back To Earth.
Do you really think that such hilarious gems as -
1. Kryten quotes overly long and unfunny space directives
2. Lister likes smelly curries that make him smell
3. Cat telling us that one coloured item of clothing clashes with another
4. Rimmer says how much he admires genocidal killers
5. Somebody says smeg- write themselves? Oh wait, they do.
You missed out repetitive tortured similes, often involving Albania or Bulgaria for some reason.
By that point (series 6) it was mostly about the plot and sci-fi elements anyway, so all the jokes were single liners forced into the script rather than the plot revolving around the jokes.
When it comes to the third and fourth Red Dwarf books, I read that they didn't think they could meet the deadline and that's why they decided it would be quicker to write an alternative sequel (to books 1-2) each.
I actually read that today while trying to find out the lenth of the unabridged audiobooks!
Are the books any cop?
I enjoyed them. Some of them are on a much darker note than the series.
I literally hated the first Red Dwarf book.
Loathed it.
So I'm not even sure why I bothered to read the others
But I was glad I did
All the others are excellent
Quote: lofthouse @ October 31 2012, 6:07 PM GMTI literally hated the first Red Dwarf book.
Loathed it
Bonkers, loved those first books-!
I read a Doug Naylor interview, which was quite recent, that basically said Rob Grant was always wanting to break away from being in a partnership from quite an early stage. He wanted to do other things and do them as a solo writer.