TV Guide: Red Dwarf (1988-)
Red Dwarf is a British sitcom, originally produced by the BBC, which began in 1988 and has aired on and off ever since. It is one of the classics of British television and one of its best-ever sitcoms.
It is renowned as a sci-fi sitcom but, while excelling at those two genres, it is more still. I would go so far as to say that, at its best, Red Dwarf is as good as television gets. It has depth, it has frights and chills, and it is sometimes very touching. All of it is character-driven, and the characters are as memorable as any in the annals of British comedy.
It also has a lo-fi feel that is absolutely charming. The production design is great, particularly in the “golden era” of seasons 3 to 5 when, to my mind, the ship’s interiors resemble an up-market leisure centre from that era (the early 1990s).
The model work, too, deserves praise, ranging from the pyrotechnic exit of Starbug from the mothership in Demons & Angels, to the ominous intro used throughout the first two seasons. Special mention should also go to the music, all composed by the very talented Howard Goodall.
Being a prestigious BBC property, Red Dwarf is very well-protected online which means that few of the episodes are available on video-sharing websites. I have linked where possible, but to view most of my recommendations you will need to “go the legal route”.
In my selections, eagle-eyed readers will notice a complete neglect of episodes post Season 6. That is sadly not an accident. Other than the moose gag in Trojan, I just don’t like any of it. This is a show that plainly needs both of its original writers - Doug Naylor and Rob Grant - in order to be up to par, and unless they can work together again, I don’t think it will ever recapture its 1988-92 glory.
The apex episodes
Marooned
This has a very simple storyline which mainly serves to place Rimmer and Lister alone together for an extended period of time. The episode rests on - and is loved for - the conversations they end up having. The contrast between the two characters allows for interesting chat about civilisation, achievement, confidence, vulnerability, sincerity, and what life is all about.
Back to Reality
This episode combines everything that made Red Dwarf great: comedy, science-fiction, philosophy, scares, and brilliant character work. The premise is an original one, especially for the time, and it is very well-executed by cast and crew. The show is famous for its cameos and this episode has not one but two, from Timothy Spall and Lenny Von Dohlen, both very memorable.
Season 1
I have a lot of affection for the first two seasons. They are very different from what follows, especially Season 1 which is ultra low budget. The storylines are generally quite weak, but the characters and dialogue are so good that it just doesn’t matter. There is also a more sombre tone, again especially in Season 1; outer space feels genuinely lonely here in a way it just doesn’t in later, more action-packed, seasons.
The End
It is necessary to watch this, the very first episode, so as to understand the premise of the show. It’s also quite a thrilling novelty to see the ship pre-accident with all of its crew going about their humdrum work. You see how life aboard the Red Dwarf was, when things were “normal”, and it is completely different from how it will be hereafter.
Me2
This is the first Rimmer-centric episode, and Chris Barrie makes it hilarious from start to finish. The idea is a simple one: could you live with a duplicate of yourself?
Season 2
Kryten
There are many funny moments in this, and it is interesting to see Kryten being played by a different actor (to be honest, the character is completely different in this debut appearance). This episode is also worth watching for the hilarious parody of Australian soap opera Neighbours.
Thanks for the Memory
This is probably the first “great” episode of Red Dwarf, achieving its classic combination of good character work, good sci-fi, good comedy, clever plotting, and a bit of substance. It’s also very moving.
I can’t talk about this episode without drawing attention to this lovely special effects shot, made by combining live action footage with several layers of model work. Amazing what you can do with a low budget, right?
Stasis Leak
This episode is funny, above all. It is one of the first times we see alternative versions of the main characters. It’s also great to revisit the ship pre-accident, which includes seeing Mac McDonald again as Captain Hollister and Clare Grogan as Kochanski. The plotting is intricate and the story intriguing. Also, some parts are very nicely done; there’s an ominous tone to the black & white “flashback” footage, a sense of danger and dread about what is going to happen on the ship very soon, an awareness of the sheer scale of the events that are being toyed with by this time-travel.
Season 3
Polymorph
An absurdist rip-off of Alien and every 1980s monster movie, this episode is one of the classics beloved by fans. Lots of memorable lines.
The Last Day
This is a touching episode centred around mechanoid Kryten having to be deactivated because his replacement has arrived. The replacement is Hudzen 10, “the ultimate machine” - another great cameo performance, this time by Gordon Kennedy. Robert Llewellyn also doubles as the spokesman of Divadroid International, with an amusing “yuppie” voice.
Season 4
Justice
An interesting sci-fi idea is at the centre of a revolutionary penal complex where prisoners learn to behave well. Lots of funny stuff, even before we get to that. (I’m thinking of Rimmer’s “holiday” snaps and Kryten’s suffering through them.)
White Hole
Again, an interesting sci-fi idea produces lots of funny moments. The characters have to deal with time dilations. After amusing moments where Rimmer admonishes Lister for drunkenness, we get a climax with the only ever interstellar game of pool.
Dimension Jump
The first (and only good) appearance of Ace Rimmer, this episode asks how you would feel if you met an alternative version of yourself who had done much better in life than you have - and how he would feel about you.
It’s also hilarious, riffing on Top Gun, a theme emphasised in the music by Howard Goodall.
Season 5
Holoship
This under-rated episode is the show’s second take on Casablanca (the first being Season 4’s Camille) and by far the more effective. It is not just very funny but very moving. What’s more, it is redemptive for Rimmer. A really great story.
The Inquisitor
An original and intriguing premise opens the door for many funny moments and lots of good character stuff. The Inquisitor himself is both funny and terrifying; his threat, the capability he has developed, is surely one of the most awful things imaginable. My favourite bit in this episode is Kryten’s monologue early on, telling the legend in a needlessly dramatic fashion.
Terrorform
A hilarious episode journeying into Rimmer’s psyche, where his insecurities and fears are manifest physically. It also has hilarious scenes before (with Kryten’s hand conveying his predicament to the crew) and after (when they have to sweet-talk Rimmer in order to survive). Look out for the cameo by the gorgeous Sara Stockbridge.
Quarantine
This is one of the funniest episodes overall, with Lister, Kryten and Cat being trapped in quarantine by a deranged Rimmer. But even before that, when they explore the research base, there are some hilarious moments, especially with Professor Lanstrom (another great cameo, this time by Maggie Steed). It’s also quite scary here and there. And I love the model shots of the research base.
Demons & Angels
This is another episode where we see alternative versions of the main characters, in fact two versions, and both are hilarious. Peak praise has to go to the “low” version of Rimmer - an unforgettable twist on the character.
Special effects fans should also enjoy the model work in this episode, which even thirty years later looks incredible.
Season 6
This is sadly when the show’s decline started, and it is perceptible immediately, with an excess of recycled jokes (especially the Space Corps directives), generally flatter character work, and the cast hamming it up (especially Chris Barrie) so that they don’t seem like “real” characters any more. However, it does have three good episodes: Legion, Out of Time, and...
Gunmen of the Apocalypse
Many consider this one of the overall “apex” episodes, and it is very good. It adds “Western” to the genres the show has flirted with, and even throws in some Film Noir as well. The storyline is complex and the premise interesting, and there are lots of funny character moments.
Episodes that show Earth
Thanks for the Memory (flashbacks)
Backwards
Timeslides
Tikka to Ride
Ouroboros (flashback to Aigburth Arms pub)
Back to Earth
Episodes with pre-accident flashbacks
Balance of Power
Me2
Stasis Leak
Ouroboros
Where to see the shuttles
Blue Midget (original) - Thanks for the Memory
Starbug - season 3 onwards
White Midget - Ouroboros
Blue Midget (new) - Back in the Red (Part 3)
White Giant - Cassandra
Touching episodes
Kryten - when Kryten talks about his dream of a garden
Better Than Life - when Rimmer talks about his father
Thanks for the Memory - when they talk about lost love
Marooned - when Rimmer talks about his father
The Last Day - when the characters talk about their mothers
Holoship - when Nirvanah makes her sacrifice, and Rimmer makes his
Curiosities
Back to Earth - the only episodes not to have audience laughter. I miss it, but I think these episodes aren’t terrible and make for an interesting novelty.
The End (The Original Assembly) - included in the Bodysnatcher collection, this is the original take of the first episode, before emergency reshoots were done to solve teething issues with the cast and crew. It’s an interesting alternative, and a glimpse at the very first attempt to make this programme.
Marooned was shot mostly with handheld camera.
Bodyswap was shot without a live studio audience.
What I would have liked
I would like Marooned to have been a Christmas special, twice as long as a usual episode. Given the premise and the conversation topics between Rimmer and Lister, it could easily have been extended without becoming boring. In fact, the extra time would have helped to convey their plight. And, given the snowy planetoid they are marooned on, it would have been suitable for the festive season.
An episode later on, perhaps a finale episode, where they revisit the ship’s iconic sets that have appeared throughout the run, especially the original Drive Room from Season 1 - a set I love and which, unlike the original bunkroom, has never reappeared.
See my other TV guides here.
How do I know Red Dwarf was great? (in Brummie accent) "it's blatant!"
Growing up, the later series' were probably being repeated, so at a guess I'd say S5/S6 was what I knew. Don't remember seeing S7 come out, unless that was the one where Kachanski joined the crew? Didn't like it and wrote it off after watching one episode. It was years later that I finally saw The End. That solidified in my mind the notion that this was a bit more than just another sitcom. The cleverness of the programme never becomes too overt in the way that some might say of Blackadder, or Fry & Laurie. It's always fun, amusing, silly enough without being too silly. Above all it's so bloody creative. The sheer number of ideas crammed into it is impressive. Lastly, the quality of the acting is absolutely superb. From S1 to S5 (at least) Chris Barrie gives a masterclass in how to be a 'gimboid' and has the chops to make you actually sympathise with him, which I dare say not many could.
I rewatched the whole thing last year, really enjoyed it. I would disagree with "ponderous" for the first two seasons: the atmosphere is a little eerie, there is a sense that the situation could invite madness, but the show as a whole manages philosophy, psychology, sci fi, without becoming heavy-handed or lumbering, the balance of comedy and darkness is really very well done, very delicate. I've seen bits of modern Dr Who and they are exactly what I'd call ponderous, just blunt and unsubtle.
Rimmer is fascinating, it's like he has most of the qualities to be e.g. a British Army officer in 19th C India but unfortunately he's also a coward and a loser. Even his pretensions come across as flashes of what he should have been. Barrie has an impressive physique, and in real life seems rather based.
Seasons 7+ aren't funny but I enjoyed them just because of the familiar characters. Growing up with Red Dwarf I feel towards it maybe the way Boomers do about Dad's Army, it's just very comfy. It also, despite being majority ethnic, somehow never makes a point of it, it seems weirdly incidental, though it is kind of amusing that the utter genetrash that survives of humanity, Lister, is, well, what he is, and his non physical "friend" Rimmer looks like a perfect specimen of whiteness but is a) dead and b) totally dysfunctional. If it were done today it would be handled very clumsily, as it is I don't even know if it's intentional. Anyway, great essay Woes!