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{{Infobox_Television {{Infobox_Television
| show_name = Red Dwarf | show_name = Red Dwarf
| image = ] | image = ]
| caption = ''Red Dwarf'' logo | caption = ''Red Dwarf'' logo
| format = ] ] | format = ] ]
| runtime = 30 mins | runtime = 30 mins
| creator = ]<br/>(] and ]) | creator = ]<br/>(] and ])
| starring = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/> | starring = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>
| country = {{Flagicon|UK}} ] | country = ]
| network = ] | network = ]
| first_aired = ] ] | first_aired = ] ]
| last_aired = ] ] | last_aired = ] ]
| num_series = 8
| num_episodes = 52 | num_episodes = 52
| list_episodes = List of Red Dwarf episodes | list_episodes = List of Red Dwarf episodes
Line 18: Line 19:
| tv_com_id = 132 | tv_com_id = 132
}} }}
'''''Red Dwarf''''' is a ] ] ] ], the primary form of which comprises eight series of a post-] television ] that ran on ] between ] and ], and which has achieved a global ]. It was created and originally written by ] (a so-called '] entity', in reality a collective ] for the writing duo ] and ]). The show had its origins in a recurring sketch, '']'', in the mid-1980s ] comedy show '']'', also scripted by Grant and Naylor. In addition to the ''Red Dwarf'' television series, there have also been four bestselling ], a ] for an American version of the show, and a significant number of tie-in books, magazines and other merchandise. '''''Red Dwarf''''' is a ] ] ] ], the primary form of which comprises eight series of a television ] that ran on ] between ] and ], and which has achieved a global ].<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide">{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons |title=Red Dwarf Programme Guide |year=1993 |publisher=Virgin Books |location=Section 1: The History |isbn=0-86369-682-1}}</ref> It was created and originally written by ] (a so-called '] entity', in reality a collective ] for the writing duo ] and ]). The show's origins come from a recurring sketch, '']'', in the mid-1980s ] comedy show '']'', also scripted by Grant and Naylor.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide">{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons |title=Red Dwarf Programme Guide |year=1993 |publisher=Virgin Books |location=Section 1: The History |isbn=0-86369-682-1}}</ref> In addition to the ''Red Dwarf'' television series, there have also been four bestselling ], two ] for an American version of the show, and a significant number of tie-in books, magazines and other merchandise.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>


Despite the ] of science fiction used as a backdrop, ''Red Dwarf'' is primarily a character driven comedy, with many off-the-wall science fiction elements used as complementary ]s. For example, in the early series, a recurring source of comedy was the ] relationship between ] and ], the two central characters of the show, who have an intense dislike for each other but are trapped together in an isolated deep space scenario. Despite the ] of science fiction used as a backdrop, ''Red Dwarf'' is primarily a character driven comedy, with many off-the-wall science fiction elements used as complementary ]s. In the early series episodes, a recurring source of comedy was the ] relationship between ] and ], the two central characters of the show, who have an intense dislike for each other but are trapped together deep in space.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>


''Red Dwarf'''s highest accolade came in 1994, when an episode from the sixth series ('']'') won an ] in the Popular Arts category. The show also won Best BBC Comedy Series at the ] during the same year, and attracted its highest ratings — of over eight million viewers<ref>http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_8/aftermath.html</ref> — by the eighth series in 1999. ''Red Dwarf'''s highest accolade came in 1994, when an episode from the sixth series, "]", won an ] in the Popular Arts category. The show has also won Best BBC Comedy series at the ] during the same year, and attracted its highest ratings — of over eight million viewers — by the eighth series in 1999.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VIII Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_8/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VIII Aftermath| publisher =Red Dwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>


The current status of the show remains uncertain, as Doug Naylor (now in sole control of the franchise following the departure of Rob Grant in ]) is committed to writing and producing a ] version of the sitcom. Naylor has also stated that he hopes one day to tie up the ] upon which the eighth series ended, perhaps with a one-off, feature-length ] although a ninth series has not been ruled out, depending on the success of the feature film. The current status of the show remains uncertain, as Doug Naylor (now in sole control of the franchise following the departure of Rob Grant in ]) is committed to writing and producing a ] version of the sitcom. However the film's production itself remains uncertain as it has been plagued with many delays.<ref name="Red Dwarf: The Movie">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Red Dwarf: The Movie | work = | publisher =www.thereddwarfzone.co.uk | date = | url =http://www.thereddwarfzone.co.uk/movie.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-12-06}}</ref>

==Scenario and Plot Details==

:''See also: ]''

], ], and ]. In the background is ], and on the monitors is ] ].]]
The mining ship '']'' is a spaceship 6 miles (10&nbsp;km) long, 5 miles (8&nbsp;km) tall, and 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) wide belonging to the Jupiter Mining Corporation. In the first episode, an on-board radiation leak of Cadmium II kills everyone except for low-ranking technician ] (a genial ] slob, albeit a more intelligent one than is initially apparent), who is in suspended animation at the time, and his pregnant cat, Frankenstein, who is safely sealed in the cargo hold. Lister had smuggled Frankenstein aboard the ship following shore-leave on ], but had been caught in possession of the illegal life form and chose to be sentenced to eighteen months in ] imprisonment rather than surrender his pet to be dissected. Following the accident, the ship's computer ] has to keep Lister in stasis until the background radiation dies down — a process that takes three million years. Lister therefore emerges as the last human being in the universe — but not the only life form on-board the ship. His former bunkmate and immediate superior ] (a fussy, bureaucratic bully obsessed with rank and rules, who is at heart a neurotic coward), is resurrected by Holly as a ] after the accident to keep Lister sane, while a creature known only as ] is the last known surviving member of '']'', a race of humanoids that evolved in the ship's hold from Frankenstein and her kittens during the millions of years that Lister was in stasis.

The main dramatic thrust of the series is Lister's attempt to get back to Earth (indeed, in the novels, this was introduced as a desire of his, even before the accident that left him stranded three million light-years away). Along the way, however, are frequent distractions that usually see the not-so-intrepid ''Dwarf'' crew encountering strange races and lifeforms that have developed in the intervening millions of years (although a core tenet of the series is that there are no aliens anywhere in the universe — every element of the large and bizarre mix of intelligent life within the ''Red Dwarf'' universe is in one way or another derived from Earth, a result of developments in robotics and/or genetic engineering).

Furthermore, the crew roster changes as the years go by. During the second series, the "Dwarfers" encounter the sanitation ] ], rescuing him from a long-since crashed vessel. Initially, Kryten only appears in one episode of Series II (as Rob and Doug didn't want a robot as a main character), but by the beginning of Series III he has become a full time character in the series. At the end of Series V, however, disaster strikes when Lister loses ''Red Dwarf'', having forgotten which planetoid he parked it around (he offers this as an excuse initially, but Kryten almost immediately informs the crew that ''Red Dwarf'' was stolen). This forces the crew to travel in the smaller '']'' craft for two series, with the added side-effect that they lose contact with Holly. And in Series VII, Rimmer departs the crew to take up the role of his alter-ego from a parallel universe, ], whose name has become a long-standing legend and a legacy passed down from dimension to dimension. Shortly afterwards, the crew find a replacement for Rimmer when they encounter another parallel version of themselves. In this universe, it was ] — Lister's long-time crush and (because of merged realities) ex-girlfriend — who went into stasis, while Lister died and was brought back as a hologram. A complicated series of events leaves Kochanski stranded in 'our' universe, and she is forced to join the crew.

Finally, in the eighth (and so far final) series, ''Red Dwarf'' itself is reconstructed by Kryten's ] that had stolen it and broken it down into its constituent atoms. In the process, the entire crew of the ship — including Rimmer — are resurrected, but the ''Starbug'' crew all find themselves sentenced to two years in the ship's brig on a set of convoluted charges. The series ends, however, with ''Red Dwarf'' being eaten away by a virus and all on board evacuated, save for Rimmer who is left to face ], for the second time. Unhappy with his predicament, he knees Death in the groin and runs away &mdash; although the cliffhanger ending leaves this open to interpretation.

==Characters and actors==
:''Main article: ]''

===Regular cast===
*] plays ].
*] plays ].
*] plays ].
*] plays ] in Series I, II, VII and VIII. ] plays him/her in Series III to V. The character makes no appearance in Series VI.
*] plays ] from Series III onwards. In his original one-off appearance in Series II, Kryten was played by ].
*] plays ] in Series VII and VIII. Kochanski was originally, in Series I, II and VI, a supporting character played by ] vocalist ] (credited as CP Grogan).

===Recurring guest characters===
*] (played by ]) appears in Series VIII, two episodes of Series I and one episode of Series II.
*] (played by ]) appeared in three episodes and is mentioned regularly when Lister talks about the days before the accident. Typically Lister refers to this character by his surname only.
*] (played by David Gillespie and Paul Bradley, respectively) appeared in three episodes altogether.
*] (played by ]) and Baxter (played by ]) appeared in several episodes of Series VIII.
*] (played by ]) appears in Series VIII.
*] is a small maintenance robot and friend to the regular characters. Bob is married to another skutter named Madge.

===Guest actors===
*Actors who played more than one role in ''Red Dwarf'' include ], ] and ]. Guest stars have included ], ], ], ], ], ], Mark Caven, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

==Red Dwarf Ships==
:''Main article: ]''

===Red Dwarf===
]
]
The main ship after which the show is named. ''Red Dwarf'' is five miles long (sometimes said to be four or six), not including the scoop at the front, and can hold over a thousand crew members. It also holds a complement of Starbug and Blue Midget shuttlecrafts. The scoop (known as a or Ramjet in the scientific community) at the front of the ship uses electromagnetic fields to collect trace hydrogen gas from space and convert it into fuel: the ship, therefore, could theoretically keep on travelling forever.

In the book ''Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers'' The ship was hit by an asteroid on its starboard side when it was still under construction. The Jupiter Mining Corporation decided to incorporate the asteroid into the ship rather than further weaken the superstructure. There are hallways and rooms cut into the asteroid itself.

''Red Dwarf'' was redesigned for the ], making it even longer and more streamlined, with multiple smaller engines at the rear, as opposed to the singular long engine used on previous models. This design did not stick but was re-used in Series 8, after ''Red Dwarf'''s reconstruction by the nanobots, complete with Karaoke deck.

Originally mining was something done outside the ship on a planet or asteroid, however after the redesign large bays were added in the keel so the ship could capture asteroids and mine them on the fly. It was explained in series 8 that the Nanobots rebuilt the ship according to the original blueprints and thus didn't suffer from JMC's budget cuts; The ship was longer and didn't have an asteroid lodged in it.

===Blue Midget===
]

''Blue Midget'' is a type of shuttle that ''Red Dwarf'' carries, and was the primary craft in series 2 before being replaced by ], whose larger interior space afforded room for more complex scenes. It is built to resemble a truck or ], with caterpillar tracks and a bumper sticker that reads "My Other Space Ship is a Red Dwarf".

]
For ], Blue Midget was completely redesigned to resemble a bubble car with retractable legs used for taking off and walking (replacing the caterpillar tracks).

Blue Midget was redesigned in the ] to resemble a bubble car with retractable legs for "walking", and this design was also used for Series 8 (for the original episodes continuity, it is feasible that when ''Red Dwarf'' was reconstructed slightly differently the same thing happened to the Blue Midgets aboard the ship).

===Starbug===
]
The JMC transport vehicle ''Starbug'' is the model of a small shuttle craft, green in colour. It has three bulbous sections; the cockpit, mid-section and engine rooms, somewhat resembling a bug from the exterior. Starbug replaced ] as the crew's primary choice of shuttle in Series III and became the show's primary vehicle throughout Series VI and VII.

]
Series VI takes place a full 200 years after the final episodes of series V. During this time it is presumed that Kryten, being the only one not in deep-sleep, remodelled Starbug to better suit the crew's needs. Starbug's remodelling during this time, followed by a time-paradox effect between Series VI and VII, expanded the ship's interior dimensions and produced an additional sleeping quarters, engine deck and hangar bay. In episode 6.3 "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", Starbug was finally armed with laser cannons by rogue simulants.


==Production history== ==Production history==
The first series aired on ] in 1988. Seven further series have so far been produced, and a ] has been in ] almost continually since the last series in 1999. The first series aired on ] in 1988. Seven further series have so far been produced, and a ] has been in ] almost continually since before the last series in 1999.<ref name="Red Dwarf: The Movie">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Red Dwarf: The Movie | work = | publisher =www.thereddwarfzone.co.uk | date = | url =http://www.thereddwarfzone.co.uk/movie.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-12-06}}</ref>


===Concept and commission=== ===Concept and commission===
The concept for the show was originally developed from the sketch-series '']'' on the ] show '']'' in the mid-1980s, written by ] and ]. Some of their influences came from 1970s movies such as '']'', '']'', '']'', and the television series '']''; but their concept had a large element of British-style comedy and satire thrown into the mix, ultimately moulded into the form of a ]. Having first written the pilot script for ''Red Dwarf'' in ] during a stay at a ] ] owned by Naylor's father, the former '']'' writers had hawked their unusual and original script around a number of places but it was rejected by everyone at the BBC for three years, as it was believed a sitcom based around science fiction wouldn't be popular. The concept for the show was originally developed from the sketch-series '']'' on the ] show '']'' in the mid-1980s, written by ] and ]. <ref name="The Official Red Dwarf Companion">{{cite book |last=Dessau |first=Bruce |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Official Red Dwarf Companion |year=1992 |publisher=Titan |location=Red Dwarf Genesis |isbn=1-85286-456-7}}</ref> Some of their influences came from 1970s movies such as '']'', '']'', '']'', and the television series '']''; but their concept had a large element of British-style comedy and satire thrown into the mix, ultimately moulded into the form of a ]. Having first written the pilot script for ''Red Dwarf'' in ] during a stay at a ] ] owned by Naylor's father, the former '']'' writers had hawked their unusual and original script around a number of places but it was rejected by everyone at the BBC for three years, as it was believed a sitcom based around science fiction wouldn't be popular.<ref name="The Official Red Dwarf Companion"/>


However it was finally accepted by ] in ], a happy result of a spare budget being assigned for a second series of '']'' that would never arise. The show was lucky to be remounted after an ]'s ] partway through rehearsals shut the entire production down, and the first episode, '']'', finally made it onto screens on ] ]. The creators have long admitted that without the persistence of producers and commissioners such as ] and ], the series might never have seen the light of day. However it was finally accepted by ] in ], a happy result of a spare budget being assigned for a second series of '']'' that would never arise, and producer ]'s insistance that a new series called ''Red Dwarf'' should be filmed.<ref name="Red Dwarf series I Genesis">{{cite web | url
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_1/genesis.html | title =Red Dwarf series I Genesis | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-17}}</ref> The show was lucky to be remounted after an ]'s ] partway through rehearsals shut the entire production down,<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/> and the first episode, '']'', finally made it onto screens on ] ].<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>


===Casting=== ===Casting===
] and ] were two of the notable names that auditioned for roles in the series, with Molina actually being cast as Rimmer originally. However, after having difficulties with the concept of the series, and of his role in particular (it has been said by Doug Naylor that he was constantly wondering when his character would stop being a hologram), the role was recast and filled by ], a professional voice-actor and impressionist who had previously worked with both the writers on '']'', and with the producers on '']'' and various ] productions. ], a ] "punk poet", was given the role of Dave Lister. He was originally approached by Grant and Naylor for his opinion about the character 'The Cat' as they were concerned it may be considered by some people as racist. On the television programme 'Comedy Connections', Charles described the character as 'pretty cool' and after reading the script he decided he wanted to audition for the part of Dave Lister. Laconic ] ], who had originally tried out for the role of Rimmer, was kept in the show as the senile computer of the titular ], ]. A professional dancer and singer, ], arriving famously late for his appointment, stood out as ] immediately. This was partly due to his "cool" exterior, partly due to his dedicated research (reading ]'s book '']''), and partly because he showed up in character, wearing his father's 1950s-style suit. ] and ] were two of the notable names that auditioned for roles in the series, with Molina actually being cast as Rimmer originally.<ref name="Interview: Norman Lovett">Interview: Norman Lovett, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 9, November 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603</ref><ref name="Red Dwarf series 1 Episode One: The End">Red Dwarf series 1 Episode One: The End, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 1, May 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603</ref> However, after Molina having difficulties with the concept of the series, and of his role in particular, the role was recast and filled by ]. Barrie was a professional voice-actor and impressionist who had previously worked with both the writers on '']'', and with the producers on '']'' and various ] productions.<ref name="Red Dwarf series 1 Episode One: The End">Red Dwarf series 1 Episode One: The End, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 1, May 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603</ref> ], a ] "punk poet", was given the role of Dave Lister. He was originally approached by Grant and Naylor for his opinion about the character 'The Cat' as they were concerned it may be considered by some people as racist.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/> On the television programme 'Comedy Connections', Charles described the character as 'pretty cool' and after reading the script he decided he wanted to audition for the part of Dave Lister. Laconic ] ], who had originally tried out for the role of Rimmer,<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/> was kept in the show as the senile computer of the titular ], ]. A professional dancer and singer, ], arriving famously late for his appointment, stood out as ] immediately. This was partly due to his "cool" exterior, partly due to his dedicated research (reading ]'s book '']''), and partly because he showed up in character, wearing his father's 1950s-style suit.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>

] was originally intended to play the ill-fated captain of the titular ]. He was replaced by a lesser-known American actor, ], primarily due to McDonald's greater experience in comedy and sitcom. The captain of ''Red Dwarf'' was also written as a slightly-overweight, bumbling and inept fool, in line with the comedic tone of the show in general, which it was felt wouldn't have suited Mr. Connery. Other actors attached to the project with supposed major roles at some stage during the pre-production years of the show include ], ], and ].


===Writing, producing, and directing=== ===Writing, producing, and directing===
Grant and Naylor wrote the first six series together (using the pseudonym ] on the first two ] and later as the name of their production company, although never on the episodes themselves) before Grant left in 1996, leaving Naylor to write the final two with a group of new writers, notably including Paul Alexander and actor Robert Llewellyn. ]Grant and Naylor wrote the first six series together (using the pseudonym ] on the first two ] and later as the name of their production company, although never on the episodes themselves). Grant left in 1996 to pursue other projects, leaving Naylor to write the final two series with a group of new writers, notably including Paul Alexander and actor Robert Llewellyn who portrayed the ''Red Dwarf'' character Kryten.

For the most part, ] produced and directed the series. He left before Series V due to a scheduling clash (he ending up directing a series starring his wife, Ruby Wax), and Juliet May took over as director, but she parted ways with Grant and Naylor partway through the series for personal and professional reasons. Grant and Naylor took over direction of the series, in addition to writing and producing. Series VI was directed by Andy De Emmony, with Bye returning for the final two series.


For the most part, ] produced and directed the series. He left before Series V due to a scheduling clash (he ending up directing a series starring his wife, ]), and Juliet May took over as director, but she parted ways with Grant and Naylor partway through the series for personal and professional reasons. Grant and Naylor took over direction of the series, in addition to writing and producing.<ref name="Red Dwarf series V production">{{cite web | url
Series I, II and III were made by Paul Jackson Productions, with subsequent series produced by the writers' own company ], all for ]; all eight series were broadcast on BBC2. At the beginning of Series IV, production moved from the BBC's ] studios to ].
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_5/production.html | title =Red Dwarf series V production | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-17}}</ref> Series I, II and III were made by Paul Jackson Productions, with subsequent series produced by the writers' own company ], all for ]; all eight series were broadcast on BBC2. At the beginning of Series IV, production moved from the BBC's ] studios to ].<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>


The theme tune and incidental music were written and performed by ], with the distinctive vocals on the theme tune courtesy of ]. Goodall also wrote music for the show's various songs, including "Tongue Tied", with lyrics written by Grant and Naylor, which ] re-orchestrated and released as a Top 20 single. Craig Charles wrote, performed and sang "Cash" — from the episode "]" — with his band. Goodall's own voice can be heard in the version of the song "]" in "]" (Series II), and in the "Rimmer Munchkin Song" in "]" (Series VII). Chris Barrie purports to have been upset by not being invited to sing this song himself (Back from the Dead, series VII DVD); Howard Goodall, however, insists that Barrie was asked but turned the invitation down (Howard Goodall, Settling the Score, series VI DVD). The theme tune and incidental music were written and performed by ], with the distinctive vocals on the theme tune courtesy of ]. Goodall also wrote music for the show's various songs, including "Tongue Tied", with lyrics written by Grant and Naylor,<ref name="Interview: Howard Goodall">Interview: Howard Goodall, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603</ref> which ] re-orchestrated and released as a Top 20 UK single.<ref name="everyHit.com - UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts">{{cite web | url =http://www.everyhit.co.uk/searchsec.php | title =everyHit.com - UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts | publisher =www.everyhit.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>


===Hiatus, changes, and disputes=== ===Hiatus, changes, and disputes===
A period of three years elapsed between Series VI and VII, partly due to the imprisonment and subsequent exoneration of Craig Charles, but also due to cast and crew working on other projects (notably Chris Barrie in '']'') and disputes over pay. When the series returned, it was ] and no longer shot in front of a live audience (a common misconception is that canned laughter was used, when in fact the completed episodes were later shown to an audience), allowing for greater use of four-walled sets, ] and ] techniques. Although some critics praised the higher production values, many fans disliked the series (see "]"), and when the show returned for its eighth series two years later, it had dropped use of the filmising process and restored the live audience. A period of three years elapsed between series VI and VII, partly due to the parting of the Grant and Naylor partnership, but also due to cast and crew working on other projects.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VI Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_6/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VI Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-17}}</ref> When the series eventually returned, it was ] and no longer shot in front of a live audience (a common misconception is that canned laughter was used, when in fact the completed episodes were later shown to an audience), allowing for greater use of four-walled sets, ] and ] techniques.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Production">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/production.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Production | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-17}}</ref> When the show returned for its eighth series two years later, it had dropped use of the filmising process and restored the live audience<ref name="Red Dwarf series VIII Production">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_8/production.html | title =Red Dwarf series VIII Production | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>


===''Red Dwarf Remastered''=== ===''Red Dwarf Remastered''===
:''Main article: ]'' :''See also: ]''
In 1998, on the tenth anniversary of the show's first airing (and between the broadcast of series VII and VIII), the first three series of ''Red Dwarf'' were ] and released on ]. The remastering included replacing model shots with computer graphics, cutting various small pieces of dialogue (and, in some cases, entire scenes), re-filming Norman Lovett's Holly footage, creating a consistent set of opening titles for use in all episodes, and updating music and ambient sound effects with a digital master.<ref name="Red Dwarf series I Remastering">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_1/remastering.html | title =Red Dwarf series I Remastering | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>


==Setting and plot==
In 1998, on the tenth anniversary of the show's first airing (and between the broadcast of series VII and VIII), the first three series of ''Red Dwarf'' were ] and released on ]. The remastering included reformatting the series in 14:9 widescreen (albeit, only for the VHS releases. TV showings were in original 4:3), applying the same 'field-removal' film effect as Series VII, replacing model shots with computer graphics, cutting various small pieces of dialogue (and, in some cases, entire scenes), re-filming Norman Lovett's Holly footage, creating a consistent set of opening titles for use in all episodes, and updating music and ambient sound effects with a digital master. ] explained:
:''See also: ]''
]The main setting of the series the mining ship ''']''' which is a spaceship 6 miles (10&nbsp;km) long, 5 miles (8&nbsp;km) tall, and 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) wide belonging to the Jupiter Mining Corporation. In the first episode, an on-board radiation leak of Cadmium II kills everyone except for low-ranking technician ], who is in suspended animation at the time, and his pregnant cat, Frankenstein, who is safely sealed in the cargo hold. Following the accident, the ship's computer ] has to keep Lister in stasis until the background radiation dies down — a process that takes three million years. Lister therefore emerges as the last human being in the universe — but not the only life form on-board the ship. His former bunkmate and immediate superior ] is resurrected by Holly as a ] after the accident to keep Lister sane, while a creature known only as ] is the last known surviving member of ''']''', a race of humanoids that evolved in the ship's hold from Lister's cat Frankenstein and her kittens during the millions of years that Lister was in stasis.


The main dramatic thrust of the early series is Lister's desire to return home to Earth. Along the way are frequent distractions that usually see the not-so-intrepid ''Dwarf'' crew encountering strange races and lifeforms that have developed in the intervening millions of years.
{{cquote|We're basically remastering the whole of the first six series for BBC Worldwide (the video company) who feel that they would be able to sell it more easily in Europe and America if there was a more unified look and feel to the whole of the series. What this means is ... consistent opening titles; it means that in places we can replace and improve the model shots.}}


The crew roster changed as the years go by. During the second series, the group encounter the sanitation ] ], rescuing him from a long-since crashed vessel. Initially, Kryten only appeared in ] of series two, but by the beginning of series three he had become a regular character. At the end of series five, Red Dwarf itself is stolen from the crew, forcing them to travel in the smaller ''']''' craft for the subsequent two series, with the added side-effect that they lose contact with Holly. And in series seven, Rimmer departs the crew to take up the role of his alter-ego from a parallel universe, ], whose name has become a long-standing legend and a legacy passed down from dimension to dimension. Shortly afterwards, the crew find a replacement for Rimmer when they encounter another parallel version of themselves from a universe in which ], Lister's former girlfriend, was the person put into stasis and so the last remaining human. A complicated series of events leaves Kochanski stranded in "our" universe, and she is forced to join the crew.
'']'' was met with a generally poor fan reaction in the UK, but some measure of international broadcast success. However, no further series were remastered and the later DVD releases of the same series reverted to the original versions; although the first episode of Series VII ("]") would also include an alternative ''Remastered'' version, featuring upgraded CGI as the only difference to the original broadcast version.


In the eighth (and, so far, final) series, ''Red Dwarf'' itself is reconstructed by the ] that had originally stolen it and broken it down into its constituent atoms. In the process, the entire crew of the ship — including a pre-accident Rimmer — are resurrected, but the ''Starbug'' crew all find themselves sentenced to two years in the ship's ] on a set of convoluted charges. The series ends, however, with ''Red Dwarf'' being eaten away by a virus and all on board evacuated, save for Rimmer who is, in the cliffhanger ending, left stranded alone to face ].
The ''Remastered'' episodes are due to be re-released on DVD in October 2007, as part of the ''Red Dwarf : The Bodysnatcher Collection'' boxset.


==Characters and actors==
==Spin-offs==
{{main|Red Dwarf characters}}
===Books===


===Characters===
]]]
]] is played by ] and is a genial ] (and self-described bum). The lowest-ranking crew member on the ship (chicken soup machine technician) before the accident. He has a long-standing desire to return to Earth and start a farm on ], but is left impossibly far away by the accident that renders him the last surviving member of the human race.


His bunk mate ] (played by ]) is a fussy, ], ] coward, who is nevertheless judged by Holly to have the highest chance of keeping Lister sane when chosen to be the ship's one available hologram.
The franchise has expanded to include four novels, written by the show's creators, Doug Naylor and Rob Grant (under the combined name of Grant Naylor).


] (played by ]) is a humanoid creature who evolved from the offspring of Lister's smuggled pet cat Frankenstein. The Cat is concerned with little other than sleeping, eating and fawning over his appearance, and tends not to socialise with other members of the crew. As time goes by, however, he becomes more influenced by his human companions, and so begins to resemble a stylish yet dimwitted human.
* '']'' (published ] ]) — Rob Grant, Doug Naylor — ISBN 0-451-45201-1
* '']'' (published ] ]) — Rob Grant, Doug Naylor — ISBN 0-14-012438-1
* '']'' (published April ]) — Doug Naylor — ISBN 0-14-014388-2
* '']'' (published ] ]) — Rob Grant — ISBN 0-14-017150-9


The ship's computer ], (played by ] during series I, II, VII and VIII) and ] in series III to V), has an ] of 6,000, although this is severely depleted by the three million years he/she is left alone after the accident, having developed "computer senility". The change in appearance for series III was explained by Holly having changed his face to resemble that of a computer from a parallel universe with whom he'd fallen in love.
These novels contain deeper insights and more thorough backstories for the main characters, as well as more information on humanity's future state of affairs. Rather than adapting the show outright, the books provide yet another, possibly idealized version of the series' backstory. They reinterpret and reposition elements from past episodes, and even introduce ideas that would later be used in the show.


], full name Kryten 2X4B-523P, (played by ] from series III onwards, and as a one-off appearance in series II by ]), was rescued by the crew from a crashed spaceship, upon which he had continued to serve the ship's crew despite them having been dead for thousands or even millions of years. After an accident involving Lister's spacebike, Kryten was rebuilt by Lister, with a slightly different appearance and voice. Kryten's main function is a sanitation mechanoid and has an overactive guilt chip. When first encountered by the crew, he is bound by his "behavioural protocols", but Lister gradually encourages him to break his programming and think for himself.
It was reported that both authors were working together on a sequel to ''Better than Life'', called ''The Last Human'', but after falling out with each other, and still owing Penguin Publishing two more ''Red Dwarf'' books, Grant and Naylor decided to each work alone on the novels. Two completely different, contradicting sequels were made as a result. ''Last Human'' (by Doug Naylor, who would go on to make two further television series) added Kochanski to the crew and places more emphasis on the science-fiction and plot elements, while ''Backwards'' (by Rob Grant) was more in keeping with the previous two books, borrowing more extensively from established television stories. The styles of these sequels vary wildly from the two predecessors and each other, and gave some insight into which author had been more responsible for different elements and characters in preceding works. While opinion differs strongly on which solo effort is superior, neither matched the widespread fan acclaim of the original co-written novels.


], (originally portrayed by ] before ] took on the role in series VII & VIII), was initially a long gone girlfriend of Lister's who he had though of ever since. Just a memory that he cherished. However, a rift between two alternate dimensions revealed that Kochanski had survived the ''Red Dwarf'' cadmium II accident. Kochanksi would later join Lister and the ''Red Dwarf'' crew after the link to her own dimension collapsed.
All four books were published in ] format, the first two read by Chris Barrie, ''Last Human'' read by Craig Charles, and ''Backwards'' read by its author Rob Grant.


]In addition to the main characters, other characters have come and gone, and even come back again. ], (played by ]), died in the original cadmium II accident and was revived later on when the nanobots re-built the ''Red Dwarf'' ship. ], (played by ]), was one of Lister's drinking buddies on the ship. He died along with the rest of the crew, but was mentioned regularly when Lister talked about the days before the accident. Typically Lister refers to Petersen by his surname only. Lister's other drinking buddies were ], (played by David Gillespie and Paul Bradley, respectively). When Lister and Rimmer were imprisoned, and then enrolled in an SAS style group called the Canaries, they had company with the likes of ], (played by ]), and Baxter, (played by ]), both were on hand to help out with any problems. ], (played by ]), would also turn up to torment the imprisoned pair. ] are small maintenance robots that appear when needed, but have limited skills and cause more damage than good.
The ] re-recorded the first two books as ''The Red Dwarf Radio Show'', with Chris Barrie narrating and additional sound effects. The first series was broadcast from ] ] to ] ], and the second from ] ] to ] ].


==Themes==
An ''Omnibus'' edition of the first two books, including a few edits to the original text and some extra material such as the original script to the first episode of the TV series, was released in 1992 (ISBN 0-14-017466-4).
While ''Red Dwarf'' is a comedy series, the science fiction theme of the series was always treated seriously by Grant and Naylor. Also other elements like satire, parody and drama were woven into the series' episodes. A number of the episodes contain references to other (not always science fiction) television shows, films, books and plays.


Episodes have referenced and parodied the likes of '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''.
Other books include:


Some of the episodes' whole theme was even based on their film references. "''']'''" references and parodies several key moments from the 1978 film '']'', series IV's "''']'''" echoes the key scenes from '']'', "''']'''" shares many similarities to '']'' and "''']'''" parodies the main plot of '']''.
* ''The Official Red Dwarf Companion'' — 1992 — Bruce Dessau — ISBN 1-85286-456-7
* ''Red Dwarf VIII Scriptbook'' — 1999 — Doug Naylor (with Paul Alexander) — ISBN 1-85227-872-2
* ''The Making of Red Dwarf'' — 1994 — Joe Nazzaro (with photographs by Nobby Clark) — ISBN 0-14-023206-0
* ''Red Dwarf Programme Guide'' — 1993 — Chris Howarth & Steve Lyons — ISBN 0-86369-682-1 (with three subsequent revisions until 2000)
* ''The Space Corps Survival Manual'' — 1996 — Doug Naylor & Paul Alexander — ISBN 0-7493-2374-4
* ''The Red Dwarf Quiz Book'' — 1994 — Nicky Hooks & Sharon Burnett — ISBN 0-14-023662-7
* ''Red Dwarf Log No. 1996'' — 1995 — ISBN 0-434-00370-0 (Diary)
* ''The Man in the Rubber Mask'' — 1994 — Robert Llewellyn — ISBN 0-14-023575-2 (Autobiography)
* ''Red Dwarf: The Role Playing Game'' — 2003 — Todd Downing, Mark Bruno, John Sullivan, Andrew Kenrick, Lee Hammock, Gavin Downing, Allan McComas & Samantha Downing — ISBN 0-97-108203-0


Historical events and figures have also been referenced, and even integrated as part of many episodes. From ], ] and ], and from ] to ].
There have also been two script books — ''Primordial Soup'' (1993, ISBN 0-14-017886-4) and ''Son Of Soup'' (1996, ISBN 0-14-025363-7) — each containing six scripts; and an extremely rare short book entitled ''Scenes From The Dwarf'' (ISBN 0-14-600243-1) was released in 1996 as part of the ] ''60s'' series, containing scripts of a handful of scenes from the series.


Religion also plays a part in the series. Besides the overall religion theme of the Cat species, and how Lister turns out ot be their God, the ] has been referenced several times.
''The Log: A Dwarfer's Guide to Everything'' (1997, ISBN 0-14-026862-6), a collection of humorous observations on a wide variety of topics written by Craig Charles and Russell Bell, was not affiliated with Red Dwarf, Grant/Naylor or the BBC. However, Charles was pictured on the cover in costume as Lister and, in the introduction, describes the book (tongue in cheek) as an attempt to ''compile a comparative list of scientific and sociological milestones in the development of the human race'' from the viewpoint of the last human being alive (i.e. someone very much like Lister). This book can therefore be considered an unofficial ''Red Dwarf'' spin-off.


===U.S. version=== ==Hallmarks==
] as Lister in ''Red Dwarf USA'']] A ] for an ] version (known to fans as '''''Red Dwarf USA''''') was produced for ] in 1992, though never broadcast. The show followed essentially the same story as the first episode of the original series, substituting American actors (including ] as Lister, ] as Rimmer, and ] as the Cat) for the British; exceptions being Llewellyn, who reprised his role as Kryten, and the British actress ], of '']'' fame, as Holly. It was directed by ] and written and produced by ] of '']'' fame.


''Red Dwarf'' developed its own distinct vocabulary. Words and phrases such as ], ], ], ], ], Space weevil and Zero G Football appear at various points during the series, highlighting a development in language, political climate, technology, evolution and culture in the future.
It was later revealed on the Series V DVD that Chris Barrie had been offered the chance to reprise his role as Rimmer for the US series, but turned it down believing he would be under contract "for years" afterwards, whether the show was a success or not.


The series also employed a vocabulary of fictional expletives in order to avoid using potentially-offensive ]s in the show, and to give nuance to futuristic colloquial language. ']', gimp, gimboid, goit, and varients of smeg like smegging, smegger and smeg-head were used.<ref name="Red Dwarf series I Writing">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_1/writing.html | title =Red Dwarf series I Writing | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>
It was also revealed that Rob Grant and Doug Naylor convinced the pilot's producers to use a revised script of their creation (with the cast's support), but after they both left for England, the production team reverted back to their original script. Grant and Naylor only learned of this after they had heard the pilot had been rejected by the network.


==Critical reactions and achievements==
As a result of this, the two hastily put together an extremely low-budget network promo consisting of scenes from the first pilot edited in with new footage (and featuring, from a suggestion made by the network, a female Cat, played by ]). This was also unsuccessful.


===Mixed reactions===
Clips from the first pilot can be found on the DVD of Series V in the featurette ''Dwarfing USA'', along with interviews with the British cast and Doug Naylor. Bootlegs of the pilots are widely circulated among ''Red Dwarf'' fans, and sold at conventions, while some low-quality recordings can be found on the Internet for downloading.
The many changes that were made to the series' cast, setting, creative teams and even production values from series to series have meant that opinions differ greatly between fans as to the quality of certain series. Series VI is often regarded as a highlight for lovers of one-line jokes but some saw it as a
continuation of the 'Monster of the week' philosophy of Series V, which was nevertheless visually impressive.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VI Writing">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_6/writing.html | title =Red Dwarf series VI Writing | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref> In Series VII and VIII there was a discernible shift away from both 'Monster of the week' and the stereotypical antagonism between Lister and Rimmer.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Writing">{{cite web | url
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/writing.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Writing | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-17}}</ref>


Series VII was seen by many as a disappointment: while much slicker and higher-budget in appearance, the shift away from outright ] and into something approaching ] did not impress a significant number of
===''Red Dwarf: The Movie''===
long-standing fans. Furthermore, the attempt to then shift back into traditional sitcom format for series VIII was greeted with a response that was similarly lukewarm — and at times downright hostile — by many fans who felt that the level of humour in that series was far below that which they had come to expect from the show. There was also a significant amount of criticism aimed at the decision to resurrect the entire crew of ''Red Dwarf'', as many felt this detracted from the series' central premise of ] being the last human being alive.<ref name="Ganymede & Titan: Under Fire">{{cite web | url =http://www.ganymede-titan.info/articles/underfire.php | title =Ganymede & Titan: Under Fire | publisher =http://www.ganymede-titan.info |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>
Since the end of Series VIII, Doug Naylor has been attempting to get funding to make a feature length film version of the show, but on every occasion so far has been thwarted by circumstances. He has long persisted with his conviction that the making of the movie (for which the script has been written for many years) takes precedence over the production of a ninth TV series. On the Series VIII DVD documentary ''The Tank'', however, he admits to being — perhaps mindful of the age and schedules of the principal cast — close to having to make a final, outright decision of whether to continue to pursue the film, make a Series IX or some one-off TV special(s) (as '']'' did previously), or simply end the series as it is.<ref>See ''Red Dwarf VIII'' (BBC DVD, 2006), documentary ''The Tank''</ref> Naylor sent a letter to the ''Red Dwarf'' fans at DJ XI, which mostly consisted of his failed attempts to create the film, such as a fake Duke of Manchester sending forged money to fund the film.


On the other hand, there are other ''Red Dwarf'' fans who feel that Series VII and VIII, either separately or as a whole, are no weaker than the earlier series, and the topic is therefore the subject of constant fervent debate among the show's fanbase. Similar discussions revolve around the quality of Series VI (seen by some as the strongest series, but by others as a descent into formulaic comedy with an unwelcome change of setting), although not to the same extent; and there are even those who argue that the show lost its way with the significant changes made for Series III.<ref name="The Great Red Dwarf Debate">The Great Red Dwarf Debate, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 3, July 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603</ref>
===Tongue Tied===
The song "Tongue Tied", originally featured in a dream sequence in the series II episode "Parallel Universe", was rearranged and rerecorded by Danny John Jules (under the name 'The Cat') and released as a single in October 1993. It reached number 17 in the UK charts, and was expected to get higher, but a planned performance on '']'' never happened, thus halting momentum for the single. The single also included the actor's performance of the ''Red Dwarf'' theme song.


===Television ratings===
A video to accompany the release which starred Danny John-Jules as some of his ''Red Dwarf'' alter-egos, including Duane Dibbley, was also produced. This was primarily available to readers of the ''Red Dwarf Smegazine''. It was based around a storyline written by Danny John-Jules and featured music videos for some of the remixes, with guest appearances from the rest of the ''Red Dwarf'' cast, along with ] ("Elvis" in Meltdown) and Charles Augins ("Queeg 500" in Queeg). In addition an eight-minute "Making Of" documentary featuring the cast was included.
The series began with rather poor ratings, although gathering over four million viewers for the pilot episode, this soon trailed off.<ref name="Red Dwarf series I Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_1/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series I Aftermath| publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref> Series II had averaged 3.2 million viewers. A slight gain, coupled with the good viewer feedback meant that series III was a posibility.<ref name="Red Dwarf series II Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_2/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series II Aftermath| publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>


By 1992 the ratings had steadily increased and peaked over six million viewers for series V. <ref name="Red Dwarf series V Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_5/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series V Aftermath| publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>
===Specials===
On ] ], the night before the tenth anniversary of the show's first broadcast episode, ] devoted an evening of special programming to the series, under the banner of ''Red Dwarf Night''. The evening consisted of a mixture of new, specially-recorded content and existing material, and was introduced and linked by famed actor and ''Dwarf'' fan ]. In addition, a series of special take-offs on BBC2's famous ], featuring the "2" logo falling in love with a ], were used.


The series returned in 1997 with the highest audience figures yet. Over 8 million viewers tuned in for series VII<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath| publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate
The night began with ''Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg'', a spoof of the popular cookery programme '']'', presented by that show's host ] (who had himself earlier appeared in ''Red Dwarf'', albeit under heavy make-up, prior to his career as a celebrity chef). Taking place out of the continuity of the series (not least as it features both Kochanski and the hologram Rimmer, who never actually met in the series, on-board ''Starbug''), two teams (Kryten and Lister versus Rimmer and the Cat, although the Cat quickly departs to be replaced by alter ego ]) are challenged to make the best chicken ]. The show was part-scripted by Paul Alexander, and part-] by the cast. ''Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg'' is available for viewing as a special feature on the Series IV DVD.
=2007-12-18}}</ref>


===Achievements===
After a compilation ] show, featuring out-takes that had already been seen on the various ''Smeg Ups'' releases (see ]) but new linking material from the cast, the next special programme was ''Universe Challenge'', a take-off of the '']'' (or '']'' in the USA) format. Hosted by original ''University Challenge'' presenter ] (following an introduction in which Chris Barrie mimicked current host ] — who Gascoigne subsequently 'blew up' with a Bazookoid), the show saw a team of knowledgeable ''Dwarf'' fans defeat a team consisting of Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Robert Llewellyn, Chloe Annett and Danny John Jules. ''Universe Challenge'' has not yet been released on DVD due to copyright complications.
In its eight-series history, Red Dwarf has won numerous awards including the Royal Television Society Award for special effects, the British Science Fiction award for Best Dramatic Presentation, as well as an International Emmy.<ref name="BBC - Worldwide Press Office - Red Dwarf series IV on DVD">{{cite web | url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2004/01_january/red_dwarf_dvd.shtml | title =BBC - Worldwide Press Office - Red Dwarf series IV on DVD | publisher =www.bbc.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>


The International Emmy Award was for series' VI episode "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", which tied with '']''' episode "Hospital" in the Popular Arts category. ''Red Dwarf'' has also been nominated for an International Emmy in 1987, 1989, and 1992. Series III won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (]) award in 1991 for "Best British Comedy.".<ref name=""Red Dwarf" (1988) - Awards">{{cite web | url =http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094535/awards | title ="Red Dwarf" (1988) - Awards | publisher =www.imdb.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>
''Universe Challenge'' was followed by ''The Red Dwarf A-Z'', a half-hour documentary special that chose a different aspect of the show to focus on for each letter of the alphabet. Talking heads on the episode included ], ], original producer ], and Patrick Stewart, in addition to an appearance from two (officially-licensed) ]. Finally, the night ended with a showing of the ] award-winning episode from 1993, "]". ''The Red Dwarf A-Z'' is available for viewing as a bonus feature on the Series II DVD, and as part of some countries' Series VII VHS release.


The ''Red Dwarf'' video sales have also won 8 Gold Awards from the British Video Association,<ref name="The Red Dwarf Phenomenon">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck04/rdp.html | title =The Red Dwarf Phenomenon | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref> and the series still holds the record for being BBC TWO's longest running, highest rated sitcom.<ref name="BBC - Press Office - Red Dwarf VI on DVD">{{cite web | url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2005/01_january/red_dwarf.shtml | title =BBC - Press Office - Red Dwarf VI on DVD | publisher =www.bbc.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-18}}</ref>
Another one-off ''Dwarf'' special was produced in November of that year — a short sketch serving as a prelude to Series VIII that was broadcast as part of the annual ] fundraising night. The sketch saw the ''Dwarf'' crew (again featuring both Rimmer and Kochanski — with Rimmer still sporting his holographic H to avoid spoiling the nature of his return) onboard the newly-redesigned ''Blue Midget'', discussing fund-raising and ]s.


==Spin-offs and merchandise==
===Stage Plays===
===Books===
Blak Yak Theatre, a theatre group in Perth, Western Australia, were also given permission by Grant Naylor Productions to mount stage versions of certain Red Dwarf episodes in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Most notably, the cast featured a Lister speaking with an Australian accent and a white Cat.
]The franchise has expanded to include four novels, written by the show's creators, Doug Naylor and Rob Grant. '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''.


These novels contain deeper insights and more thorough backstories for the main characters, as well as more information on humanity's future state of affairs. Rather than adapting the show outright, the books provide yet another, possibly idealized version of the series' backstory. They reinterpret and reposition elements from past episodes, and even introduce ideas that would later be used in the show.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide">{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons |title=Red Dwarf Programme Guide |year= |publisher=Virgin Books |location=Section 1: The History |isbn=0-86369-682-1}}</ref>
==DVD and VHS==
===DVD Releases===
All eight series are available on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4, with each release (except for Series II) being accompanied by an original documentary about the making of each respective series, and a bonus disc filled with extra material. The DVD releases have been praised<ref>. The comments on the extras in these reviews are fairly indicative of the reaction each of the eight releases have received.</ref> for their particularly extensive bonus material, which includes cast commentaries, exhaustive deleted scenes, raw effects footage, previously-broadcast one-offs and specials about the show, outtakes and much more, including — in one instance — a special audio/part-animated version of an unmade episode, performed by Chris Barrie. There are also various country-specific releases, usually without extras, across the globe.


It was reported that both authors were working together on a sequel to ''Better than Life'', called ''The Last Human'', but Grant had decided to go it alone and do other things besides ''Red Dwarf''. Still owing Penguin Publishing two more ''Red Dwarf'' books, Grant and Naylor decided to each work alone on a novel. Two completely different, contradicting sequels were made as a result. ''Last Human'' added Kochanski to the crew and places more emphasis on the science-fiction and plot elements, while ''Backwards'' (by Rob Grant) was more in keeping with the previous two books, borrowing more extensively from established television stories.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VI Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_6/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VI Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>
Regions 2 and 4 have also seen the release of two ''Just The Shows'', digipack boxsets containing all the episodes from Series I–IV (Volume 1) and V-VIII (Volume 2) with static menus and no extras. In October 2006, meanwhile, an ] entitled ''Red Dwarf: Beat The Geek'' was released. The quiz allows "hardcore fans" to compete against casual viewers, in addition to offering general knowledge questions for friends/family not ''au fait'' with the series.<ref></ref> The DVD is hosted by Norman Lovett and Hattie Hayridge, both reprising their roles as Holly. It is currently only available in regions 2-4, and in region 2 also includes an internet treasure hunt competition called "Geek Chase",<ref></ref> with a prize of £5,000.


All four books were published in ] format, the first two read by Chris Barrie,<ref name="Amazon.co.uk: Red Dwarf - Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers">{{cite web | url
The Region 1, 2(UK) and 4 releases of series 1-3 are the originally aired versions of the show. Some European countries such as ], ], ], ] and ] have localised releases which contain the ''Remastered'' versions of Series I-III. Bonus features on these DVDs vary. An earlier release in ] featured the ] versions of the show - remastered and dubbed, but with significantly altered title sequences and shorter running times, reflecting the fact that these edits were originally created for showing on commercial television.
=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Dwarf-Infinity-Welcomes-Abridged/dp/1897774109 | title =Amazon.co.uk: Red Dwarf - Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers | publisher =www.amazon.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref><ref name="Amazon.co.uk: Red Dwarf - Better Than Life">{{cite web | url
=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Dwarf-Better-Than-Abridged/dp/1897774818 | title =Amazon.co.uk: Red Dwarf - Better Than Life | publisher =www.amazon.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref> ''Last Human'' read by Craig Charles,<ref name="Amazon.co.uk: Last Human">{{cite web | url
=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Human-Doug-Naylor/dp/0007105657 | title =Amazon.co.uk: Last Human | publisher =www.amazon.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref> and ''Backwards'' read by its author Rob Grant.<ref name="Amazon.co.uk: Backwards (Red Dwarf)">{{cite web | url
=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Backwards-Red-Dwarf-Rob-Grant/dp/0140171509 | title =Amazon.co.uk: Backwards (Red Dwarf) | publisher =www.amazon.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>


An ''Omnibus'' edition of the first two books, including a few edits to the original text and some extra material such as the original script to the first episode of the TV series, was released in 1992.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide">{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink=
In December 2006, it was announced<ref></ref> that a DVD boxset of ''Red Dwarf : Remastered'' was being prepared for release in October 2007. It was subsequently announced in April 2007<ref></ref> that the name of the boxset would be ''Red Dwarf : The Bodysnatcher Collection'' rather than ''Red Dwarf Remastered''. The new title highlighted one of the set's other main bonus features: an animated construction of "Bodysnatcher" (the "lost" episode from series 1, performed by Chris Barrie as for the series VII extra "Identity Within"), notable for being an original 1987 script "finished" by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor in 2007, working together for the first time since 1993. The intention of the boxset retitling to was to ensure that no buyers or reviewers would mistake the set for a 'vanilla' edition of the 1997 Remastered series (akin to the Just The Shows sets) or even a new 2007 Remastering of the series. It was felt by GNP that the renaming would focus people's attention onto the array of bonus features concerned with the first two series that had not been financially viable when they were originally released on DVD.
|coauthors=Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons |title=Red Dwarf Programme Guide |year=
|publisher=Virgin Books |location=Section 1: The History |isbn=0-86369-682-1}}</ref>


Other books released have included ''The Official Red Dwarf Companion'' (1992), ''The Making of Red Dwarf'' (1994), ''Red Dwarf Programme Guide'' (1993 with three subsequent revisions until 2000), ''The Space Corps Survival Manual'' (1996), ''The Red Dwarf Quiz Book'' (1994), ''Red Dwarf Log No. 1996'' (1995), ''The Man in the Rubber Mask'' (1994 Robert Llewellyn's autobiography), ''Red Dwarf: The Role Playing Game'' (2003)
===VHS Releases===
For the initial release of the VHS editions, the videos were named after the first episode on the tape, as were other BBC videos at the time. This was changed for the second half of Series I, as the BBC already had another series called '']'' (the title of the fourth episode in the series) so the video was named after the fifth episode, "Confidence and Paranoia". Because of this, the episode summaries on the back of the tape were mixed up with the second episode being listed first. The first video of Series VI was named after the third episode on the tape, presumably because the ]-winning episode "]" was seen as being more prestigious than "Psirens", the first episode of the series.


Several books containing ''Red Dwarf'' scripts have also been published. ''Primordial Soup'' (1993) and ''Son Of Soup'' (1996) each contain six scripts, and the ''Red Dwarf VIII Scriptbook'' (1999) includes all eight episodes from series VIII. A short book entitled ''Scenes From The Dwarf'' was released in 1996 as part of the ] ''60s'' series, containing scripts of a handful of scenes from the series.
'''Boxed Sets / Specialty Releases''':
Prior to the DVD releases, all eight series had been available on VHS. All the videos are now deleted, but none — save for "Six Of The Best" — are particularly rare. Three episodes of Series VII were also released as special "Xtended" versions with extra scenes and no laugh track (these "Xtended" episodes would later be included on the DVD), while the ] versions of Series I–III were released individually and in a complete box-set.


===DVD and VHS releases===
A special limited edition box-set, ''Six Of The Best'', was released in 1997, featuring one episode from each (then-existing) series selected by the writers, and an audio CD of discussion and commentary by Rob Grant, Doug Naylor and Ed Bye (this discussion would later be split up and used as extras and ]s on the DVD releases).
For the initial release of the VHS editions, the videos were named after the first episode on the tape, as were other BBC videos at the time. This was changed for the second half of series I, as the BBC already had another series called '']'' (the title of the fourth episode in the series) so the video was named after the fifth episode, "Confidence and Paranoia". The first video of series VI was named after the third episode on the tape, presumably because the ]-winning episode "]" was seen as being more prestigious than "Psirens", the first episode of the series.


Prior to the DVD releases, all eight series had been available on VHS. Three episodes of series VII were also released as special "Xtended" versions with extra scenes and no laugh track (these "Xtended" episodes would later be included on the DVD), while the ] versions of series I–III were released individually and in a complete box-set. Finally, two ] videos were released, ''Smeg Ups'' in 1994, and its sequel ''Smeg Outs'' in 1995.
'''Outtakes''':
Finally, two ] videos were released, the famed ''Smeg Ups'' in 1994, and its sequel ''Smeg Outs'' in 1995. There was also a specially edited version of ''Smeg Ups'' for the ''Red Dwarf'' anniversary, which featured newly recorded links by Robert Llewellyn as Kryten, Chris Barrie as Rimmer and Craig Charles as Lister, the links were later released separately on the Series VII DVD. The original, 1994 version of ''Smeg Ups'' contained outtakes from Series IV–VI, with brand new specially-recorded links performed by Robert Llewellyn as Kryten, and featured the never-before-seen original ending of the Series VI finale "Out Of Time". ''Smeg Outs'' featured out-takes from the first three series, with more new links (now also featuring Craig Charles as Lister), in addition to the full-length video for "Tongue Tied". These videos were a strong commercial success, and ''Red Dwarf'''s outtakes remain among the most famous in television. All the out-takes featured on the videos have now been included on the relevant DVDs, but the links have yet to be re-released.


All eight series remain available on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4, with each release from Series III onward being accompanied by an original documentary about the making of each respective series, and a bonus disc filled with extra material. The DVD releases have been praised for their particularly extensive bonus material, which includes cast commentaries, exhaustive deleted scenes, raw effects footage, previously-broadcast one-offs and specials about the show, outtakes and much more, including — in one instance — a special audio/part-animated version of an unmade episode, performed by Chris Barrie. In all of the DVDs there are hidden extras among the menus, known as Easter Eggs. These include extra animated interviews with Grant Naylor and Ed Bye, as well as other model shots and unseen footage.<ref name="Round-up of Series VIII DVD">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck01/written_up.html | title =Round-up of Series VIII DVD | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>
===Releases on other media===
''Smeg Ups'' was re-released on ] in June 2006, with ''Smeg Outs'' originally intended to follow 'for Christmas',<ref></ref> but that release was subsequently cancelled.


Regions 2 and 4 have also seen the release of two ''Just The Shows'', digipack boxsets containing all the episodes from Series I–IV (Volume 1) and V-VIII (Volume 2) with static menus and no extras. In October 2006, meanwhile, an ] entitled ''Red Dwarf: Beat The Geek'' was released. The quiz allows "hardcore fans" to compete against casual viewers, in addition to offering general knowledge questions for friends/family not ''au fait'' with the series.<ref name="News report on ''Beat The Geek'">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck01/dvd_beat_the_geek_210406.html | title =News report on ''Beat The Geek' | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref> The DVD is hosted by Norman Lovett and Hattie Hayridge, both reprising their roles as Holly.
Meanwhile, three episodes — "]", "]", and "]" — are also available to view on selected mobile phones on a "ROK Chip".


In December 2006, it was announced that a DVD boxset of ''Red Dwarf : Remastered'' was being prepared for release in October 2007.<ref name="Remasters of the Universe">{{cite web | url
Some episodes are also available to certain countries for download from the BBC in the ] software, while shorter clips can be found on such video-sharing sites as ]. Episodes can also be viewed for free at quicksilverscreen:
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck01/dvd_remasters_of_the_universe_221206.html | title =Remasters of the Universe | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref> It was subsequently announced in April 2007 that the name of the boxset would be ''Red Dwarf : The Bodysnatcher Collection'' rather than ''Red Dwarf Remastered''. The new title highlighted one of the set's other main bonus features: a storyboard construction of "Bodysnatcher" (the "lost" episode from series 1, performed by Chris Barrie as for the series VII extra "Identity Within"), notable for being an original 1987 script "finished" by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor in 2007, working together for the first time since 1993.<ref name="The Bodysnatcher Collection">{{cite web | url
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck01/dvd_the_bodysnatcher_collection_270407.html | title =The Bodysnatcher Collection | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>


===''Red Dwarf Smegazine''===
==Notable series characteristics==
]The ''Red Dwarf Magazine'', the magazine part of the title changed to 'Smegazine' from issue 3, was launched in 1992 by Fleetway Editions. Comprising of a mix of Sci-Fi news, reviews, interviews, comic strips and competitions. The comic strips included episode adaptions and original material, including further stories of popular characters like the Polymorph and Ace Rimmer. These comic strip stories were notable for the fact that hologramatics, most notably Rimmer, were drawn in greyscale. This was at the request of Grant and Naylor, who had wanted to use the technique for the series, but the process was deemed too expensive to produce.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide">{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink=
|coauthors=Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons |title=Red Dwarf Programme Guide |year=
|publisher=Virgin Books |location=Section 1: The History |isbn=0-86369-682-1}}</ref>


Despite achieving circulation figures of over 40,000 per month,<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide">{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink=
===Fans===
|coauthors=Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons |title=Red Dwarf Programme Guide |year=
''Red Dwarf'' is known for its considerably large ] and ], largely due to its position in the ] genre, and also due to the fact that it initially garnered low viewing figures (starting fairly strongly, but dropping off to the point where a second series may not have even been commissioned<ref></ref>) but began to gain momentum on repeat showings and on video. That said, many have in recent years questioned its position as 'true' cult nowadays, since it is one of the most well-known sitcoms ever to come out of the UK: it ranked 18th in the ]'s ], received over eight million viewers during its eighth series,<ref></ref>, has been syndicated worldwide to great success, and has spawned conventions on both sides of the Atlantic.
|publisher=Virgin Books |location=Section 1: The History |isbn=0-86369-682-1}}</ref> the magazine's publishers decided to close the title down to concentrate on their other publications.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VI Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_6/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VI Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>


===U.S. version===
Nevertheless, ''Red Dwarf'' does attract a certain kind of fan, often a hybrid of the ] ] and the comedy buff. Most-commonly known as 'Dwarfers' or 'Smegheads', ''Red Dwarf'' fans are also notable among the science fiction community for their large female proportion. Doug Naylor, in particular, has claimed that about half of Red Dwarf fans are women and that conventions often draw the very young and very old, but that the media like to portray the ''Red Dwarf'' fanbase as typically science fiction. However, Craig Charles has on several occasions commented that some ''Red Dwarf'' fans look like "they've just killed their parents".
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ] as Lister in ''Red Dwarf USA'']] -->
A ] for an ] version (known to fans as '''''Red Dwarf USA''''') was produced for ] in 1992, though never broadcast. The show followed essentially the same story as the first episode of the original series, substituting American actors (including ] as Lister, ] as Rimmer, and ] as the Cat) for the British; exceptions being Llewellyn, who reprised his role as Kryten, and the British actress ], later of '']'' fame, as Holly. It was directed by ] and written and produced by ] of '']'' fame.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>


It was also revealed that Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, with the support of the cast, convinced the pilot's producers to use a revised script of their creation, but in the course of production the American team reverted back to their original script.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>
Its official fan club is still going strong, some seven years after the show was last seen on air, and the annual convention "Dimension Jump" is consistently well-attended by fans as well as cast members. There are also still a significant number of active fansites devoted to the show.


As a result of this the two hastily put together an extremely low-budget network promo consisting of scenes from the first pilot and the British show edited in with newly-filmed footage (featuring a new Rimmer and, from a suggestion made by the network, a female Cat, played by ]). This was also unsuccessful.<ref name="Red Dwarf Programme Guide"/>
Notable celebrity fans of the show include ], ], ], ], ] and ], who famously recalled during ''Red Dwarf Night'' in 1998 an incident whereby he was channel-hopping and came across an episode of the series, initially believing it to be 'a rip-off of '']''' and nearly about to call his lawyer, before it made him laugh and he became hooked.


===Mixed reactions=== ===''Red Dwarf: The Movie''===
Since the end of series Eight, Doug Naylor has been attempting to get funding to make a feature length film version of the show, but on every occasion so far has been thwarted by circumstances. He has long persisted with his conviction that the making of the movie (for which the script has been written for many years) takes precedence over any other possible future incarnation of Red Dwarf. He admits to being — perhaps mindful of the age and schedules of the principal cast — close to having to make a final, outright decision of whether to continue to pursue the film, make a series IX or some one-off TV special(s), or simply end the series as it is.<ref name="The Tank">The Tank, Red Dwarf VIII DVD, BBC DVD, 2006</ref>, Naylor sent a letter to the ''Red Dwarf'' fans at the Dimension Jump convention in 2004, which mostly consisted of his failed attempts to create the film, such as a fake Duke of Manchester offering money to fund the film provided Naylor paid his air fare to attend the meeting. Naylor has also stated that some studios have been impressed by the scripts, but either weren't looking for that kind of project or wanted the film recast.<ref>{{cite web | last = Rawson-Jones | first = Ben | coauthors = | title = Red Dwarf - The Movie That Never Was | work = Cult Spy | pages = | language = | publisher = Digital Spy | date= 2007-04-06 | url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a44838/cult-spy-red-dwarf-the-movie-that-never-was.html | accessdate = 2007-11-12}}</ref> In December 2007, Naylor stated that the movie had "hit a wall" due to the BBC's refusal to buy the broadcast rights putting off other potential investors. He did state, however, that he still intended to make use of the script in some form, potentially in either a stage show or an animated movie.<ref>{{cite web | last = Patrick | first = Seb | coauthors = Symes, Ian | title = G&T Interviews Doug Naylor | publisher = Ganymede & Titan | date= 2007-12-15 | url = http://www.ganymede.tv/indepth/g-t-interviews-doug-naylor | accessdate = 2007-12-25}}</ref>
The many changes that were made to the series' cast, setting, creative teams and even production values from series to series have meant that opinions differ greatly between fans as to the quality of certain series. Series VI was based around the supply ship Starbug. In the opening show of the series, 'Psirens', the reason given by Rimmer was that Red Dwarf was stolen after Lister had forgotten which planetoid he had parked it on. However there was a real reason for the change — too much of the ''Red Dwarf'' set did actually go missing. Series VI is often regarded as a highlight for lovers of one-line jokes but some saw it as a continutaion of the 'Monster of the week' philosophy of Series V, which was nevertheless visually impressive. In Series VII and VIII there was a discernible shift away from both 'Monster of the week' and the stereotypical antagonism between Lister and Rimmer.


===Tongue Tied===
Series VII was seen by many as a disappointment — while much slicker and higher-budget in appearance, the shift away from outright ] and into something approaching ] did not impress the majority of long-standing fans. Furthermore, the attempt to then shift back into traditional sitcom format for Series VIII was greeted with a response that was similarly lukewarm — and at times downright hostile — by many fans who felt that the level of humour in that series was far below that which they'd come to expect from the show. There was also a significant amount of criticism aimed at the decision to resurrect the entire crew of ''Red Dwarf'', as many felt this detracted from the series' central premise of ] being the last human being alive.<ref>, 4 April 2003</ref>
The song "Tongue Tied", originally featured in a dream sequence in the series II episode "Parallel Universe", was rearranged and rerecorded by Danny John Jules (under the name 'The Cat') and released as a single in October 1993. It reached number 17 in the UK charts.<ref name="everyHit.com - UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts">{{cite web | url
=http://www.everyhit.co.uk/searchsec.php | title =everyHit.com - UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts | publisher =www.everyhit.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref> A video to accompany the release which starred Danny John-Jules as some of his ''Red Dwarf'' alter-egos, including Duane Dibbley, was also produced. It was based around a storyline written by Danny John-Jules and featured music videos for some of the remixes, with guest appearances from the rest of the ''Red Dwarf'' cast, along with ] ("Elvis" in Meltdown) and Charles Augins (Queeg 500 in '']'').


The main melody of the song is also used in background music cues elsewhere in the second series - it appears in rearranged form in the episodes '']'' and '']'', both of which actually precede '']'' in the broadcast order.
On the other hand, there are many ''Red Dwarf'' fans who feel that Series VII and VIII, either individually or as a whole, are the equal of — if not superior to — the earlier series, and the topic is therefore the subject of constant fervent debate among the show's fanbase.<ref>, 7 November 2004</ref> Similar discussions revolve around the quality of Series VI (seen by some as the strongest series, but by others as a descent into formulaic comedy with an unwelcome change of setting), although not to the same extent; and there are even those who argue that the show lost its way with the significant changes made after Series II.


===Specials===
Within the context of British comedy in general, meanwhile, ''Red Dwarf'' occupies an ambiguous position. While revered by many — and still a successful programme, as recent DVD sales have shown (Series IV and V were the third and fourth best-selling BBC DVDs respectively in 2005<ref>, 6 June 2005</ref>) — it is also often looked down upon by those in the comedy fraternity (comedians such as ] and ] have remarked on their dislike for the series). This could be the result of any number of factors — its ] content, the fact that its writers largely worked alone and are noted for little else in the industry, or the 'unfashionable' status of its main cast members (consisting of a dancer, a poet, an impressionist, and a stand-up comic, rather than previously-noted comedic actors) and the science fiction setting. Despite this, ''Red Dwarf'' consistently topped ratings (e.g. the Series VIII opener "Back in the Red" received 8.05 million viewers when first broadcast in February 1999<ref>Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (Barb)/RSMB, taken from ''The Radio Times'', week 20-26 Feb 1999</ref>), and remains the longest-running BBC2 comedy series.
On ] ], the night before the tenth anniversary of the show's first broadcast episode, ] devoted an evening of special programming to the series, under the banner of ''Red Dwarf Night''. The evening consisted of a mixture of new, specially-recorded content and existing material, and was introduced and linked by famed actor and ''Dwarf'' fan ]. In addition, a series of special take-offs on BBC2's famous ], featuring the "2" logo falling in love with a ], were used.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath">{{cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>


The night began with ''Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg'', a spoof of the popular cookery programme '']'', presented by that show's host ] (who had himself earlier appeared in ''Red Dwarf'', albeit under heavy make-up, prior to his career as a celebrity chef). Taking place out of the continuity of the series, two teams (Kryten and Lister versus Rimmer and the Cat, although the Cat quickly departs to be replaced by alter ego ]) are challenged to make the best chicken ].<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath">{{cite web | url
===Expletives===
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>
''Red Dwarf'' famously employed a vocabulary of fictional expletives in order to avoid using potentially-offensive ]s in the show, and to give nuance to futuristic colloquial language. By far, the most famous example is ']'. Variations of the word include: 'smeghead', 'smeg off' and 'smegging hell'. The writers of ''Red Dwarf'' have stated that they invented the word and that it has no connection with any similar real words, such as ']'. However, ] Tony Thorne, in his 1990 ''Dictionary of Contemporary Slang'' (ISBN 0-7475-2856-X), reports instances of 'smeg' (and derivatives) being used as a term of 'mild contempt and even affection' among 'schoolboys, students and punks' as early as the mid-1970s — a decade or so prior to the inception of the ''Red Dwarf'' phenomenon — and unequivocally traces the ] of the term back to ']'. A character in the 1978 ] promotional video "The Men Who Make The Music" employs the term in the line "You're dying under Daddy's Cap, Smeghead."


After a compilation ] show, featuring out-takes that had already been seen on the various ''Smeg Ups'' releases but, the next special programme was ''Universe Challenge'', a take-off of the '']'' (or '']'' in the USA) format. Hosted by original ''University Challenge'' presenter ] (following an introduction in which Chris Barrie mimicked current host ]. The show saw a team of knowledgeable ''Dwarf'' fans defeat a team consisting of Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Robert Llewellyn, Chloe Annett and Danny John Jules.<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath">{{cite web | url
Other invented expletives and ]s include 'goit' (one who is annoying or awkward) and 'gimboid' (one who is stupid or clumsy). Another term of abuse used in the show was the word 'gwenlan' (or 'gwenlyn'), the last name of Gareth Gwenlan, a former ] head of comedy who had once passed on the show.
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>


''Universe Challenge'' was followed by ''The Red Dwarf A-Z'', a half-hour documentary special that chose a different aspect of the show to focus on for each letter of the alphabet. Talking heads on the episode included ], ], original producer ], and Patrick Stewart. Finally, the night ended with a showing of the ] award-winning episode from 1993, "''']'''".<ref name="Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath">{{cite web | url
Normal expletives are occasionally utilised where no invented variant has been considered capable of generating the same impact of hilarity. "Crap", for example, was once required to cause an automated toilet to suddenly rotate into position, awaiting use. Characters have also said "bastard" at times. However, stronger expletives have cropped up, such as "twat", "arsehole", "bollock" and on one occasion "shit" (Emohawk: Polymorph II). Contentious words like "retard" (although it was used by Kryten in the Series IV episode "Justice" when establishing a character defence for Rimmer's crime) are avoided — for terms of this nature, "smeghead" and "smeg-for-brains" have proved adequate.
=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_7/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf series VII Aftermath | publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2007-12-19}}</ref>

===Invented words===
''Red Dwarf'', like other science fiction series, developed its own vocabulary. Words and phrases such as ], ], ], ], ], Space weevil and Zero G Football appear at various points during the series, highlighting a development in language, political climate, technology, evolution and culture in the future.

===Parody and pastiche===
While ''Red Dwarf'' is a comedy series, there is a mistaken belief that it exists solely as a 'parody' of existing science fiction shows. This, however, is untrue — the science fiction elements of the series were always treated seriously by Grant and Naylor, and indeed there were many concepts introduced by the series that would later go on to be used by more "serious" programmes. Nevertheless, like many sitcoms of its era, a number of its episodes contained references to other (not always science fiction) television shows, films, books and plays. These included spoofs of films and TV programmes as diverse as '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''.

===Continuity===
''Red Dwarf'' is particularly known for its creators' lax attitude towards continuity. As such, there were many facts and events that go contradicted (sometimes multiple times) from series to series. In the beginning, changing such things as the number of people on-board the ship, or the number of times Rimmer took his astronavigation exam, was a result of Grant and Naylor not bothering to check their facts because they assumed that no-one else would either. Perhaps the best known example was Lister having had his appendix out twice (Some fans assume that, when Lister was reconstructed by the DNA resequencer in "]", he was given a new appendix). His romantic relationship with Kochanski was expanded upon to allow greater plot exposition. Once the show began to attract a quite large fan base, however, such errors began to be gleefully pointed out by fans the world over, to the extent that they became one of the series' most notable features. Most of the series' continuity errors are therefore now treated with a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek reverence, and cheerfully ignored (just as Grant and Naylor ignored them when writing the show).

A cogent argument for explaining many of the series-to-series continuity errors is by exploring the possibilities of different series taking place in alternative dimensions. Indeed, this is often used as a general explanation for the many changes in style (and characters' histories) between Series II and III — with many fans taking the words 'THE SAME GENERATION... NEARLY' in the opening scrolling text of the episode "Backwards" as indicative of this. It was at this point in the series that Grant and Naylor began to introduce elements from the novels' continuity (such as Lister and Kochanski having actually had a prior relationship) into the series. Some speculate that this may be connected to the idea of multiple alternate realities combining in the aftermath of "]" (As mentioned in "]"), resulting in the various contradictory facts present throughout the series.

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==See also== ==See also==
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==External links== ==External links==
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* - Continuing fanfiction * - Continuing fanfiction

==References==
{{Reflist}}


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Revision as of 13:10, 26 December 2007

For the type of star, see Red dwarf.
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf logo
Created byGrant Naylor
(Rob Grant and Doug Naylor)
StarringChris Barrie
Craig Charles
Danny John-Jules
Norman Lovett
Hattie Hayridge
Robert Llewellyn
Chloë Annett
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series8
No. of episodes52 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time30 mins
Original release
NetworkBBC2
Release15 February 1988 –
5 April 1999

Red Dwarf is a British science fiction comedy franchise, the primary form of which comprises eight series of a television sitcom that ran on BBC2 between 1988 and 1999, and which has achieved a global cult following. It was created and originally written by Grant Naylor (a so-called 'gestalt entity', in reality a collective pseudonym for the writing duo Rob Grant and Doug Naylor). The show's origins come from a recurring sketch, Dave Hollins: Space Cadet, in the mid-1980s BBC Radio 4 comedy show Son Of Cliché, also scripted by Grant and Naylor. In addition to the Red Dwarf television series, there have also been four bestselling novels, two pilot episodes for an American version of the show, and a significant number of tie-in books, magazines and other merchandise.

Despite the pastiche of science fiction used as a backdrop, Red Dwarf is primarily a character driven comedy, with many off-the-wall science fiction elements used as complementary plot devices. In the early series episodes, a recurring source of comedy was the "odd couple" relationship between Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer, the two central characters of the show, who have an intense dislike for each other but are trapped together deep in space.

Red Dwarf's highest accolade came in 1994, when an episode from the sixth series, "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", won an International Emmy Award in the Popular Arts category. The show has also won Best BBC Comedy series at the British Comedy Awards during the same year, and attracted its highest ratings — of over eight million viewers — by the eighth series in 1999.

The current status of the show remains uncertain, as Doug Naylor (now in sole control of the franchise following the departure of Rob Grant in 1995) is committed to writing and producing a feature film version of the sitcom. However the film's production itself remains uncertain as it has been plagued with many delays.

Production history

The first series aired on BBC2 in 1988. Seven further series have so far been produced, and a film has been in development hell almost continually since before the last series in 1999.

Concept and commission

The concept for the show was originally developed from the sketch-series Dave Hollins: Space Cadet on the BBC Radio 4 show Son of Cliché in the mid-1980s, written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Some of their influences came from 1970s movies such as Alien, Dark Star, Silent Running, and the television series Lost in Space; but their concept had a large element of British-style comedy and satire thrown into the mix, ultimately moulded into the form of a sitcom. Having first written the pilot script for Red Dwarf in 1983 during a stay at a Welsh cottage owned by Naylor's father, the former Spitting Image writers had hawked their unusual and original script around a number of places but it was rejected by everyone at the BBC for three years, as it was believed a sitcom based around science fiction wouldn't be popular.

However it was finally accepted by BBC North in 1986, a happy result of a spare budget being assigned for a second series of Happy Families that would never arise, and producer Paul Jackson's insistance that a new series called Red Dwarf should be filmed. The show was lucky to be remounted after an electrician's strike partway through rehearsals shut the entire production down, and the first episode, The End, finally made it onto screens on 15 February 1988.

Casting

Alan Rickman and Alfred Molina were two of the notable names that auditioned for roles in the series, with Molina actually being cast as Rimmer originally. However, after Molina having difficulties with the concept of the series, and of his role in particular, the role was recast and filled by Chris Barrie. Barrie was a professional voice-actor and impressionist who had previously worked with both the writers on Spitting Image, and with the producers on Happy Families and various Jasper Carrott productions. Craig Charles, a Liverpudlian "punk poet", was given the role of Dave Lister. He was originally approached by Grant and Naylor for his opinion about the character 'The Cat' as they were concerned it may be considered by some people as racist. On the television programme 'Comedy Connections', Charles described the character as 'pretty cool' and after reading the script he decided he wanted to audition for the part of Dave Lister. Laconic stand up comedian Norman Lovett, who had originally tried out for the role of Rimmer, was kept in the show as the senile computer of the titular ship, Holly. A professional dancer and singer, Danny John-Jules, arriving famously late for his appointment, stood out as The Cat immediately. This was partly due to his "cool" exterior, partly due to his dedicated research (reading Desmond Morris's book Catwatching), and partly because he showed up in character, wearing his father's 1950s-style suit.

Writing, producing, and directing

File:Red dwarf doug rob.jpg
Co-creators/writers Doug Naylor and Rob Grant take a break from the production of Series VI.

Grant and Naylor wrote the first six series together (using the pseudonym Grant Naylor on the first two novels and later as the name of their production company, although never on the episodes themselves). Grant left in 1996 to pursue other projects, leaving Naylor to write the final two series with a group of new writers, notably including Paul Alexander and actor Robert Llewellyn who portrayed the Red Dwarf character Kryten.

For the most part, Ed Bye produced and directed the series. He left before Series V due to a scheduling clash (he ending up directing a series starring his wife, Ruby Wax), and Juliet May took over as director, but she parted ways with Grant and Naylor partway through the series for personal and professional reasons. Grant and Naylor took over direction of the series, in addition to writing and producing. Series I, II and III were made by Paul Jackson Productions, with subsequent series produced by the writers' own company Grant Naylor Productions, all for BBC North; all eight series were broadcast on BBC2. At the beginning of Series IV, production moved from the BBC's Manchester studios to Shepperton.

The theme tune and incidental music were written and performed by Howard Goodall, with the distinctive vocals on the theme tune courtesy of Jenna Russell. Goodall also wrote music for the show's various songs, including "Tongue Tied", with lyrics written by Grant and Naylor, which Danny John-Jules re-orchestrated and released as a Top 20 UK single.

Hiatus, changes, and disputes

A period of three years elapsed between series VI and VII, partly due to the parting of the Grant and Naylor partnership, but also due to cast and crew working on other projects. When the series eventually returned, it was filmised and no longer shot in front of a live audience (a common misconception is that canned laughter was used, when in fact the completed episodes were later shown to an audience), allowing for greater use of four-walled sets, location shooting and single camera techniques. When the show returned for its eighth series two years later, it had dropped use of the filmising process and restored the live audience

Red Dwarf Remastered

See also: Red Dwarf Remastered

In 1998, on the tenth anniversary of the show's first airing (and between the broadcast of series VII and VIII), the first three series of Red Dwarf were remastered and released on VHS. The remastering included replacing model shots with computer graphics, cutting various small pieces of dialogue (and, in some cases, entire scenes), re-filming Norman Lovett's Holly footage, creating a consistent set of opening titles for use in all episodes, and updating music and ambient sound effects with a digital master.

Setting and plot

See also: List of Red Dwarf episodes
File:RedDwarfShipOriginal.jpg
The original Red Dwarf ship model as used for the first five series.

The main setting of the series the mining ship Red Dwarf which is a spaceship 6 miles (10 km) long, 5 miles (8 km) tall, and 4 miles (6 km) wide belonging to the Jupiter Mining Corporation. In the first episode, an on-board radiation leak of Cadmium II kills everyone except for low-ranking technician Dave Lister, who is in suspended animation at the time, and his pregnant cat, Frankenstein, who is safely sealed in the cargo hold. Following the accident, the ship's computer Holly has to keep Lister in stasis until the background radiation dies down — a process that takes three million years. Lister therefore emerges as the last human being in the universe — but not the only life form on-board the ship. His former bunkmate and immediate superior Arnold Rimmer is resurrected by Holly as a Hologram after the accident to keep Lister sane, while a creature known only as The Cat is the last known surviving member of Felis Sapiens, a race of humanoids that evolved in the ship's hold from Lister's cat Frankenstein and her kittens during the millions of years that Lister was in stasis.

The main dramatic thrust of the early series is Lister's desire to return home to Earth. Along the way are frequent distractions that usually see the not-so-intrepid Dwarf crew encountering strange races and lifeforms that have developed in the intervening millions of years.

The crew roster changed as the years go by. During the second series, the group encounter the sanitation mechanoid Kryten, rescuing him from a long-since crashed vessel. Initially, Kryten only appeared in one episode of series two, but by the beginning of series three he had become a regular character. At the end of series five, Red Dwarf itself is stolen from the crew, forcing them to travel in the smaller Starbug craft for the subsequent two series, with the added side-effect that they lose contact with Holly. And in series seven, Rimmer departs the crew to take up the role of his alter-ego from a parallel universe, Ace Rimmer, whose name has become a long-standing legend and a legacy passed down from dimension to dimension. Shortly afterwards, the crew find a replacement for Rimmer when they encounter another parallel version of themselves from a universe in which Kristine Kochanski, Lister's former girlfriend, was the person put into stasis and so the last remaining human. A complicated series of events leaves Kochanski stranded in "our" universe, and she is forced to join the crew.

In the eighth (and, so far, final) series, Red Dwarf itself is reconstructed by the nanobots that had originally stolen it and broken it down into its constituent atoms. In the process, the entire crew of the ship — including a pre-accident Rimmer — are resurrected, but the Starbug crew all find themselves sentenced to two years in the ship's brig on a set of convoluted charges. The series ends, however, with Red Dwarf being eaten away by a virus and all on board evacuated, save for Rimmer who is, in the cliffhanger ending, left stranded alone to face Death.

Characters and actors

Main article: Red Dwarf characters

Characters

File:Red dwarf series ii group.jpg
The original cast, Danny John-Jules, Craig Charles, Chris Barrie and Norman Lovett, in a scene from Series II.

Dave Lister is played by Craig Charles and is a genial Liverpudlian (and self-described bum). The lowest-ranking crew member on the ship (chicken soup machine technician) before the accident. He has a long-standing desire to return to Earth and start a farm on Fiji, but is left impossibly far away by the accident that renders him the last surviving member of the human race.

His bunk mate Arnold Rimmer (played by Chris Barrie) is a fussy, bureaucratic, neurotic coward, who is nevertheless judged by Holly to have the highest chance of keeping Lister sane when chosen to be the ship's one available hologram.

The Cat (played by Danny John-Jules) is a humanoid creature who evolved from the offspring of Lister's smuggled pet cat Frankenstein. The Cat is concerned with little other than sleeping, eating and fawning over his appearance, and tends not to socialise with other members of the crew. As time goes by, however, he becomes more influenced by his human companions, and so begins to resemble a stylish yet dimwitted human.

The ship's computer Holly, (played by Norman Lovett during series I, II, VII and VIII) and Hattie Hayridge in series III to V), has an IQ of 6,000, although this is severely depleted by the three million years he/she is left alone after the accident, having developed "computer senility". The change in appearance for series III was explained by Holly having changed his face to resemble that of a computer from a parallel universe with whom he'd fallen in love.

Kryten, full name Kryten 2X4B-523P, (played by Robert Llewellyn from series III onwards, and as a one-off appearance in series II by David Ross), was rescued by the crew from a crashed spaceship, upon which he had continued to serve the ship's crew despite them having been dead for thousands or even millions of years. After an accident involving Lister's spacebike, Kryten was rebuilt by Lister, with a slightly different appearance and voice. Kryten's main function is a sanitation mechanoid and has an overactive guilt chip. When first encountered by the crew, he is bound by his "behavioural protocols", but Lister gradually encourages him to break his programming and think for himself.

Kristine Kochanski, (originally portrayed by Clare Grogan before Chloë Annett took on the role in series VII & VIII), was initially a long gone girlfriend of Lister's who he had though of ever since. Just a memory that he cherished. However, a rift between two alternate dimensions revealed that Kochanski had survived the Red Dwarf cadmium II accident. Kochanksi would later join Lister and the Red Dwarf crew after the link to her own dimension collapsed.

File:Red dwarf series viii group.jpg
The cast of series VIII. From left to right: Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn, Craig Charles, Cloe Annett and Danny John-Jules. Norman Lovett, not visible, remained part of the cast.

In addition to the main characters, other characters have come and gone, and even come back again. Captain Frank Hollister, (played by Mac McDonald), died in the original cadmium II accident and was revived later on when the nanobots re-built the Red Dwarf ship. Olaf Petersen, (played by Mark Williams), was one of Lister's drinking buddies on the ship. He died along with the rest of the crew, but was mentioned regularly when Lister talked about the days before the accident. Typically Lister refers to Petersen by his surname only. Lister's other drinking buddies were Selby and Chen, (played by David Gillespie and Paul Bradley, respectively). When Lister and Rimmer were imprisoned, and then enrolled in an SAS style group called the Canaries, they had company with the likes of Kill Crazy, (played by Jake Wood), and Baxter, (played by Ricky Grover), both were on hand to help out with any problems. Warden Ackerman, (played by Graham McTavish), would also turn up to torment the imprisoned pair. The Skutters are small maintenance robots that appear when needed, but have limited skills and cause more damage than good.

Themes

While Red Dwarf is a comedy series, the science fiction theme of the series was always treated seriously by Grant and Naylor. Also other elements like satire, parody and drama were woven into the series' episodes. A number of the episodes contain references to other (not always science fiction) television shows, films, books and plays.

Episodes have referenced and parodied the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Top Gun, RoboCop, Star Wars, Terminator, Jaws, Citizen Kane, The Wild One, Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider, Friday the 13th, Planet of the Apes, Pride and Prejudice and Full Metal Jacket.

Some of the episodes' whole theme was even based on their film references. "Polymorph" references and parodies several key moments from the 1978 film Alien, series IV's "Camille" echoes the key scenes from Casablanca, "Meltdown" shares many similarities to Westworld and "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" parodies the main plot of Rio Bravo.

Historical events and figures have also been referenced, and even integrated as part of many episodes. From The Hundred Years War, The Thirty Years War and World War II, and from Hitler to William Shakespeare.

Religion also plays a part in the series. Besides the overall religion theme of the Cat species, and how Lister turns out ot be their God, the bible has been referenced several times.

Hallmarks

Red Dwarf developed its own distinct vocabulary. Words and phrases such as Hologrammatic, Dollarpound, Felis sapiens, Rogue Simulants, GELF, Space weevil and Zero G Football appear at various points during the series, highlighting a development in language, political climate, technology, evolution and culture in the future.

The series also employed a vocabulary of fictional expletives in order to avoid using potentially-offensive expletives in the show, and to give nuance to futuristic colloquial language. 'Smeg', gimp, gimboid, goit, and varients of smeg like smegging, smegger and smeg-head were used.

Critical reactions and achievements

Mixed reactions

The many changes that were made to the series' cast, setting, creative teams and even production values from series to series have meant that opinions differ greatly between fans as to the quality of certain series. Series VI is often regarded as a highlight for lovers of one-line jokes but some saw it as a continuation of the 'Monster of the week' philosophy of Series V, which was nevertheless visually impressive. In Series VII and VIII there was a discernible shift away from both 'Monster of the week' and the stereotypical antagonism between Lister and Rimmer.

Series VII was seen by many as a disappointment: while much slicker and higher-budget in appearance, the shift away from outright sitcom and into something approaching comedy drama did not impress a significant number of long-standing fans. Furthermore, the attempt to then shift back into traditional sitcom format for series VIII was greeted with a response that was similarly lukewarm — and at times downright hostile — by many fans who felt that the level of humour in that series was far below that which they had come to expect from the show. There was also a significant amount of criticism aimed at the decision to resurrect the entire crew of Red Dwarf, as many felt this detracted from the series' central premise of Lister being the last human being alive.

On the other hand, there are other Red Dwarf fans who feel that Series VII and VIII, either separately or as a whole, are no weaker than the earlier series, and the topic is therefore the subject of constant fervent debate among the show's fanbase. Similar discussions revolve around the quality of Series VI (seen by some as the strongest series, but by others as a descent into formulaic comedy with an unwelcome change of setting), although not to the same extent; and there are even those who argue that the show lost its way with the significant changes made for Series III.

Television ratings

The series began with rather poor ratings, although gathering over four million viewers for the pilot episode, this soon trailed off. Series II had averaged 3.2 million viewers. A slight gain, coupled with the good viewer feedback meant that series III was a posibility.

By 1992 the ratings had steadily increased and peaked over six million viewers for series V.

The series returned in 1997 with the highest audience figures yet. Over 8 million viewers tuned in for series VII

Achievements

In its eight-series history, Red Dwarf has won numerous awards including the Royal Television Society Award for special effects, the British Science Fiction award for Best Dramatic Presentation, as well as an International Emmy.

The International Emmy Award was for series' VI episode "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", which tied with Absolutely Fabulous' episode "Hospital" in the Popular Arts category. Red Dwarf has also been nominated for an International Emmy in 1987, 1989, and 1992. Series III won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award in 1991 for "Best British Comedy.".Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

The Red Dwarf video sales have also won 8 Gold Awards from the British Video Association, and the series still holds the record for being BBC TWO's longest running, highest rated sitcom.

Spin-offs and merchandise

Books

The first novel, Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, expanded on the Red Dwarf universe and became a best seller.

The franchise has expanded to include four novels, written by the show's creators, Doug Naylor and Rob Grant. Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, Better Than Life, Last Human and Backwards.

These novels contain deeper insights and more thorough backstories for the main characters, as well as more information on humanity's future state of affairs. Rather than adapting the show outright, the books provide yet another, possibly idealized version of the series' backstory. They reinterpret and reposition elements from past episodes, and even introduce ideas that would later be used in the show.

It was reported that both authors were working together on a sequel to Better than Life, called The Last Human, but Grant had decided to go it alone and do other things besides Red Dwarf. Still owing Penguin Publishing two more Red Dwarf books, Grant and Naylor decided to each work alone on a novel. Two completely different, contradicting sequels were made as a result. Last Human added Kochanski to the crew and places more emphasis on the science-fiction and plot elements, while Backwards (by Rob Grant) was more in keeping with the previous two books, borrowing more extensively from established television stories.

All four books were published in audiobook format, the first two read by Chris Barrie, Last Human read by Craig Charles, and Backwards read by its author Rob Grant.

An Omnibus edition of the first two books, including a few edits to the original text and some extra material such as the original script to the first episode of the TV series, was released in 1992.

Other books released have included The Official Red Dwarf Companion (1992), The Making of Red Dwarf (1994), Red Dwarf Programme Guide (1993 with three subsequent revisions until 2000), The Space Corps Survival Manual (1996), The Red Dwarf Quiz Book (1994), Red Dwarf Log No. 1996 (1995), The Man in the Rubber Mask (1994 Robert Llewellyn's autobiography), Red Dwarf: The Role Playing Game (2003)

Several books containing Red Dwarf scripts have also been published. Primordial Soup (1993) and Son Of Soup (1996) each contain six scripts, and the Red Dwarf VIII Scriptbook (1999) includes all eight episodes from series VIII. A short book entitled Scenes From The Dwarf was released in 1996 as part of the Penguin 60s series, containing scripts of a handful of scenes from the series.

DVD and VHS releases

For the initial release of the VHS editions, the videos were named after the first episode on the tape, as were other BBC videos at the time. This was changed for the second half of series I, as the BBC already had another series called Waiting for God (the title of the fourth episode in the series) so the video was named after the fifth episode, "Confidence and Paranoia". The first video of series VI was named after the third episode on the tape, presumably because the Emmy-winning episode "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" was seen as being more prestigious than "Psirens", the first episode of the series.

Prior to the DVD releases, all eight series had been available on VHS. Three episodes of series VII were also released as special "Xtended" versions with extra scenes and no laugh track (these "Xtended" episodes would later be included on the DVD), while the remastered versions of series I–III were released individually and in a complete box-set. Finally, two outtake videos were released, Smeg Ups in 1994, and its sequel Smeg Outs in 1995.

All eight series remain available on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4, with each release from Series III onward being accompanied by an original documentary about the making of each respective series, and a bonus disc filled with extra material. The DVD releases have been praised for their particularly extensive bonus material, which includes cast commentaries, exhaustive deleted scenes, raw effects footage, previously-broadcast one-offs and specials about the show, outtakes and much more, including — in one instance — a special audio/part-animated version of an unmade episode, performed by Chris Barrie. In all of the DVDs there are hidden extras among the menus, known as Easter Eggs. These include extra animated interviews with Grant Naylor and Ed Bye, as well as other model shots and unseen footage.

Regions 2 and 4 have also seen the release of two Just The Shows, digipack boxsets containing all the episodes from Series I–IV (Volume 1) and V-VIII (Volume 2) with static menus and no extras. In October 2006, meanwhile, an Interactive Quiz DVD entitled Red Dwarf: Beat The Geek was released. The quiz allows "hardcore fans" to compete against casual viewers, in addition to offering general knowledge questions for friends/family not au fait with the series. The DVD is hosted by Norman Lovett and Hattie Hayridge, both reprising their roles as Holly.

In December 2006, it was announced that a DVD boxset of Red Dwarf : Remastered was being prepared for release in October 2007. It was subsequently announced in April 2007 that the name of the boxset would be Red Dwarf : The Bodysnatcher Collection rather than Red Dwarf Remastered. The new title highlighted one of the set's other main bonus features: a storyboard construction of "Bodysnatcher" (the "lost" episode from series 1, performed by Chris Barrie as for the series VII extra "Identity Within"), notable for being an original 1987 script "finished" by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor in 2007, working together for the first time since 1993.

Red Dwarf Smegazine

File:Red dwarf comic strip image.jpg
Grant and Naylor had requested that the artists draw Rimmer, and all other hologramatics, with a greyscale appearance.

The Red Dwarf Magazine, the magazine part of the title changed to 'Smegazine' from issue 3, was launched in 1992 by Fleetway Editions. Comprising of a mix of Sci-Fi news, reviews, interviews, comic strips and competitions. The comic strips included episode adaptions and original material, including further stories of popular characters like the Polymorph and Ace Rimmer. These comic strip stories were notable for the fact that hologramatics, most notably Rimmer, were drawn in greyscale. This was at the request of Grant and Naylor, who had wanted to use the technique for the series, but the process was deemed too expensive to produce.

Despite achieving circulation figures of over 40,000 per month, the magazine's publishers decided to close the title down to concentrate on their other publications.

U.S. version

A pilot episode for an American version (known to fans as Red Dwarf USA) was produced for NBC in 1992, though never broadcast. The show followed essentially the same story as the first episode of the original series, substituting American actors (including Craig Bierko as Lister, Chris Eigeman as Rimmer, and Hinton Battle as the Cat) for the British; exceptions being Llewellyn, who reprised his role as Kryten, and the British actress Jane Leeves, later of Frasier fame, as Holly. It was directed by Jeffrey Melman and written and produced by Linwood Boomer of Malcolm in the Middle fame.

It was also revealed that Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, with the support of the cast, convinced the pilot's producers to use a revised script of their creation, but in the course of production the American team reverted back to their original script.

As a result of this the two hastily put together an extremely low-budget network promo consisting of scenes from the first pilot and the British show edited in with newly-filmed footage (featuring a new Rimmer and, from a suggestion made by the network, a female Cat, played by Terry Farrell). This was also unsuccessful.

Red Dwarf: The Movie

Since the end of series Eight, Doug Naylor has been attempting to get funding to make a feature length film version of the show, but on every occasion so far has been thwarted by circumstances. He has long persisted with his conviction that the making of the movie (for which the script has been written for many years) takes precedence over any other possible future incarnation of Red Dwarf. He admits to being — perhaps mindful of the age and schedules of the principal cast — close to having to make a final, outright decision of whether to continue to pursue the film, make a series IX or some one-off TV special(s), or simply end the series as it is., Naylor sent a letter to the Red Dwarf fans at the Dimension Jump convention in 2004, which mostly consisted of his failed attempts to create the film, such as a fake Duke of Manchester offering money to fund the film provided Naylor paid his air fare to attend the meeting. Naylor has also stated that some studios have been impressed by the scripts, but either weren't looking for that kind of project or wanted the film recast. In December 2007, Naylor stated that the movie had "hit a wall" due to the BBC's refusal to buy the broadcast rights putting off other potential investors. He did state, however, that he still intended to make use of the script in some form, potentially in either a stage show or an animated movie.

Tongue Tied

The song "Tongue Tied", originally featured in a dream sequence in the series II episode "Parallel Universe", was rearranged and rerecorded by Danny John Jules (under the name 'The Cat') and released as a single in October 1993. It reached number 17 in the UK charts. A video to accompany the release which starred Danny John-Jules as some of his Red Dwarf alter-egos, including Duane Dibbley, was also produced. It was based around a storyline written by Danny John-Jules and featured music videos for some of the remixes, with guest appearances from the rest of the Red Dwarf cast, along with Clayton Mark ("Elvis" in Meltdown) and Charles Augins (Queeg 500 in Queeg).

The main melody of the song is also used in background music cues elsewhere in the second series - it appears in rearranged form in the episodes Stasis Leak and Better Than Life, both of which actually precede Parallel Universe in the broadcast order.

Specials

On February 14 1998, the night before the tenth anniversary of the show's first broadcast episode, BBC2 devoted an evening of special programming to the series, under the banner of Red Dwarf Night. The evening consisted of a mixture of new, specially-recorded content and existing material, and was introduced and linked by famed actor and Dwarf fan Patrick Stewart. In addition, a series of special take-offs on BBC2's famous idents, featuring the "2" logo falling in love with a skutter, were used.

The night began with Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg, a spoof of the popular cookery programme Can't Cook, Won't Cook, presented by that show's host Ainsley Harriott (who had himself earlier appeared in Red Dwarf, albeit under heavy make-up, prior to his career as a celebrity chef). Taking place out of the continuity of the series, two teams (Kryten and Lister versus Rimmer and the Cat, although the Cat quickly departs to be replaced by alter ego Duane Dibbley) are challenged to make the best chicken vindaloo.

After a compilation bloopers show, featuring out-takes that had already been seen on the various Smeg Ups releases but, the next special programme was Universe Challenge, a take-off of the University Challenge (or College Bowl in the USA) format. Hosted by original University Challenge presenter Bamber Gascoigne (following an introduction in which Chris Barrie mimicked current host Jeremy Paxman. The show saw a team of knowledgeable Dwarf fans defeat a team consisting of Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Robert Llewellyn, Chloe Annett and Danny John Jules.

Universe Challenge was followed by The Red Dwarf A-Z, a half-hour documentary special that chose a different aspect of the show to focus on for each letter of the alphabet. Talking heads on the episode included Stephen Hawking, Terry Pratchett, original producer Paul Jackson, and Patrick Stewart. Finally, the night ended with a showing of the Emmy award-winning episode from 1993, "Gunmen of the Apocalypse".

See also

External links

Cast links

Fan sites

References

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  36. Rawson-Jones, Ben (2007-04-06). "Red Dwarf - The Movie That Never Was". Cult Spy. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2007-11-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  37. Patrick, Seb (2007-12-15). "G&T Interviews Doug Naylor". Ganymede & Titan. Retrieved 2007-12-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Red Dwarf
Characters
Books
Episodes
Series I (1988)
Series II (1988)
Series III (1989)
Series IV (1991)
Series V (1992)
Series VI (1993)
Series VII (1997)
Series VIII (1999)
Miniseries (2009)
Series X (2012)
Series XI (2016)
Series XII (2017)
Television film (2020)
Unmade episodes
Other
Grant Naylor
Television
Radio
Novels
Rob Grant solo
Doug Naylor solo
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