This long running sci-fi comedy series is set aboard the eponymous Red Dwarf, a Jupiter Mining Corporation spaceship, three million years after an accident killed all but one of the crew. It is centred on four main characters. Dave Lister is the sole survivor; a lazy Scouser who was in stasis because he smuggled a pregnant cat aboard the ship; Arnold Rimmer, Dave's annoying immediate senior who has been brought back to life as a hologram; Cat, a being that evolved from Dave's pet; and Kryten, an android they find in series two and becomes a regular in series three. There is also Holly, the ship's computer and, for a couple of series Dave's lost love Kristine Kochanski who is rescued from a parallel universe.
Over the course of the series the characters get into a number of scrapes; encountering Genetically Engineered Life Forms (Gelfs), rogue simulants and a creature genetically created from Dave's favourite curry to mention just a few... and Lister and Rimmer irritate each other almost constantly.
I first started watching Red Dwarf as the third series aired and have since watched the first eight BBC series several times as well as watching the later Dave era series and while some episodes are inevitably better than others I don't think there were any episodes I didn't enjoy. The sci-fi elements are a lot of fun but it is the characters that make the show as good as it is; in particular the dynamic between Lister and Rimmer. Craig Charles and Chris Barrie are great in these roles; I can't imagine anybody else in the parts. Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn also impress as Cat and Kryten; two very different characters who add a lot to the series. I also really liked Chloë Annett's performance as Kochanski even though she is only in two series and one of those is the weaker than usual series eight. The special effects, especially early on may seem poor to modern viewers they are more than acceptable to those who grew up watching classic 'Doctor Who' and 'Blake's 7'. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to any sci-fi fan who also likes a good laugh... hopefully we won't have to wait too long for series thirteen.
Over the course of the series the characters get into a number of scrapes; encountering Genetically Engineered Life Forms (Gelfs), rogue simulants and a creature genetically created from Dave's favourite curry to mention just a few... and Lister and Rimmer irritate each other almost constantly.
I first started watching Red Dwarf as the third series aired and have since watched the first eight BBC series several times as well as watching the later Dave era series and while some episodes are inevitably better than others I don't think there were any episodes I didn't enjoy. The sci-fi elements are a lot of fun but it is the characters that make the show as good as it is; in particular the dynamic between Lister and Rimmer. Craig Charles and Chris Barrie are great in these roles; I can't imagine anybody else in the parts. Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn also impress as Cat and Kryten; two very different characters who add a lot to the series. I also really liked Chloë Annett's performance as Kochanski even though she is only in two series and one of those is the weaker than usual series eight. The special effects, especially early on may seem poor to modern viewers they are more than acceptable to those who grew up watching classic 'Doctor Who' and 'Blake's 7'. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to any sci-fi fan who also likes a good laugh... hopefully we won't have to wait too long for series thirteen.