Red Dwarf - Series 8 (1989)

Great series/season!

I love Red Dwarf. Seasons 5-7 were getting a bit lame (not horrible, but not as good as previous), but this (last?) season picks it back up and freshens all the jokes back up again. Very good season and good DVD. April 28, 2008

Beef - What's with the price discrepancy?

Not a review but I love the series. I own up to season 6 and have to say each season is better then the prior. 6 was a delite!
My beef is why the price increase for the US DVD's. Amazon UK sells the UK versions for half the price we have to pay in the US. For instance 1-3 convert to be $14 USD each, 4 is $16, 5 is $17, 6 is $19, 7-8 are $23 each. Also they have a DVD set that is just the shows. 1-4 of this is only $20! 5-8 is $60. So for $80, you can purchase just the shows.
They do have a 17.5% tax rate but that is their tax and goes to their government so it not part of this discussion.
Lastly, what is the deal with the combo 7-8 pack for $81? Do you think we can't add? 7 is $35 and 8 is $35 = $70. Why is the combo $11 more?
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UPDATE: only days later since I wrote this and they just now dropped the price for 7 & 8 to 19.50 each. Finally I can complete my collection! March 10, 2008

Not a bad way to end Red Dwarf

Or is the end? Most people agree that Red Dwarf will return in some form, either a feature film or a TV show, but as it stands this is where Red Dwarf officially ended.

And I'll say it right now; I think it's good. The last two series of Red Dwarf are regarded noteably lower that previous series but I think a large part of that is the symdrome that applies to any long running thing, whether rock band, TV show etc. The earlier stuff is always considered the "classic" era, and later efforts are never regarded as highly. It's a case of looking back through rose tinted glasses, and selective recollection. I have seen all the series (bar series 4) and I rate this series as about middle of the pack. And for what it's worth Series 8 is actually the series that the actors enjoyed making the most.

Yes, the "nanobots" are a lazy plot device. To bring back characters, and ships from very early on because "teenty little robots" rebuilt them is objectively really kind of lame. Only in a sci fi comedy would this be allowed. I personally though thought it was good to see many of the characters from Series 1 back again. One of the main premises of Series 8 was to try go for a Series 1 kind of style; the bunk scenes are back, The Captains office, Red Dwarf corridors. So in that respect Red Dwarf has come full circle.

As for the actual comedy, some have complained that it's "silly". Well, when was Red Dwarf not silly? I personally think that the first series was quite hit and miss, and also contains the worst Red Dwarf episode, Waiting For God. Tha actual humour of Series 8 is about on par with the earlier series, and I liked it more that the weaker comedy drama of Series 7. There are a couple of unfunny, forced humour parts for example, the scene where the miniature Starbug is going down an air conditioning vent gets ebedded in a rat from the posterior side and Holly says "I hope we don't get stopped by the police. The don't like it when you're rat @rsed" It might have seemed hilarious to Doug Naylor when he wrote it and there was huge laughter from the audience, but I just found it unfunny and cringeworthy. But there are some really good jokes in it, both physical and verbal. My favourite moment in any red Dwarf episode is where Rimmer travels to a mirror universe where the cat has become a frumpy chemistry professor. Doug Naylor gave him the name of a chemical formula to say which he thought was actually unpronounceable, but Danny John Jules manages not only to say it, but say it quickly and with his best serious professor look on his face.

There is some CGI in this series, which some fans lamented. The CGI is by todays standards fairly bland, but it's adequate enough. The dinosaur and Blue Midget scenes were about as good as TV CGI could get in 1998.

There are some good extras on this set. Out-takes, 1 hour documentary on the making of the series, Gallery, and even a half hour documentary on the history of red Dwarf. The cast commentary though is largely useless. With 6 cast members sharing the microphone, it sounds more like they're reminiscing on a recently discovered phot album than anything; "Oh I remember filming this", "I worked with that guy in theatre, nice bloke he is" and there are times when literally there are 4 people talking at the same time, and you can't understand what any of them are trying to say.

If you haven't seen Red Dwarf yet, then I probably wouldn't suggest this series first. But if you managed to become a fan of the show, then I think this is a series that shouldn't be overlooked, regardless of it's lukewarm reception. January 30, 2008

Arrived in time for Christmas

The item arrived in time for Christmas and that was good since it was a Christmas present. January 1, 2008

Not as bad as some have said

OK, so this isn't the finest season of Red Dwarf. But I held off buying it for a while based on some of the reviews. Really, it's not as bad as some reviews would have you believe. The writing is not as crisp as in the previous series, and I wasn't entirely thrilled with the "resurrect the crew and throw the gang in prison" plot line.
But it has it's moments, and it's still worth watching if you've seen the rest of the series. September 9, 2007

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