Red Dwarf - Series 1 & 2 (1989)

Notoriously, and entirely appropriately, the original outline for Doug Naylor and Rob Grant's comedy sci-fi series Red Dwarf was sketched on the back of a beer mat. When it finally appeared on British television in 1988, the show had clearly stayed true to its roots, mixing jokes about excessive curry consumption with affectionate parodies of classic sci-fi. Indeed, one of the show's most endearing and enduring features is its obvious respect for genre conventions, even as it gleefully subverts them. The scenario owes something to Douglas Adams's satirical Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, something to The Odd Couple, and a lot more to the slacker sci-fi of John Carpenter's Dark Star. Behind the crew's constant bickering there lurks an impending sense that life, the universe, and everything are all someone's idea of a terrible joke.

Later seasons broadened the show's horizons until at last its premise was so diluted as to be unrecognizable, but in the six episodes of the first season, the comedy is witty and intimate, focusing on characters and not special effects. Slob Dave Lister (Craig Charles) is the last human alive after a radiation leak wipes out the crew of the vast mining vessel Red Dwarf (episode 1, "The End"). He bums around the spaceship with the perpetually uptight and annoyed hologram of his dead bunkmate, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie, the show's greatest comedy asset), and a creature evolved from a cat (dapper Danny John-Jules). They are guided rather haphazardly by Holly, the worryingly thick main computer (lugubrious Norman Lovett).

The second season showcases the show's sardonic, sarcastic humor to perfection. The cast had gelled, the drab sets were spiced up, a little more money had been assigned to models and special effects, and the crew even went on location once in a while. "Kryten" introduces us to the eponymous house robot (here played by David Ross), although after this first episode he was not to reappear until season 3, when Robert Llewellyn made the role his own. Then in "Better Than Life" the show produced one of its all-time classic episodes, as the boys from the Dwarf take part in a virtual reality game that's ruined by Rimmer's tortured psyche. Other highlights include "Queeg," in which Holly is replaced by a domineering computer personality; the baffling time-travel paradox of "Stasis Leak"; the puzzling conundrum of "Thanks for the Memory"; and the astonishingly feminine "Parallel Universe." --Mark Walker Amazon.com

Red Dwarf Series I & II

As funny as I remember from so many years ago. So wonderful to see this series in color! April 5, 2008

Great Comedy and excellent Sci-Fi

my recent purchase of The Red dwarf was as I expected just wonderful! The show has some of the best English humor with some really great Sci-fi concepts. I recommend this program to anyone who likes British Comedy and enjoys interesting Science fiction.
June 14, 2007

Too Many Extras........Not enough Episodes

I love the show and have enjoyed watching it. However this page does not list how many episodes are on each series, there are only 6 in each. Although I probably should have investigated them individually I was really exited about the prospect of getting 2 full seasons (atleast from an American viewpoint) and when they arrived they were packaged together with the fronts facing out opposite each other, needless to say once I got the package opened and scanned the backs I realized I only had 12 episodes total on two discs, the other two are full of extras. At discovering this I wanted to return them but could not because I had to open the package to find out that there were only 6 episodes to a series. I have since discovered that they sell a copy of Just the Episodes that have Series 1,2,3,and 4, which I would have bought had I seen it before I had purchased this product. May 22, 2007

Red Dwarf Seasons 1 & 2 - Wonderful

This is in my opinion one of the great classics. If you like British shows, and dry humor, (these tend to go hand in hand in my experience) this is a wonderful show to start watching. With an 80's sci-fi twist this is a great addition to any TV show collection. A must have for British TV fans. March 23, 2007

Red Dwarf RULES!

This Show is soooo funny! :) It was nice to have the DVD versions finally. The bonus tracks are awesome and full of good info. The second season on the bonus disc has the full version of the "tongue tied" ensamble. There's even some good trivia info!

February 21, 2007

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