Support NeoGAF

[Tizoc]

I've heard of Red Dwarf before and had only known the slightest of what it is about; a sitcom about a big ass space ship drifting in space with its crew getting into weird situations.

After greatly enjoying Transformers: More than meets the eye comic series, which is about a group of Autobots using the excuse of searching for their long lost ancestors to restore their civilization to their once former glory, to merely goof off and slack off, filled with fantastic character development, great humor and moving emotional moments, and being primarily character driven, I decided the time had come to watch Red Dwarf.

I've finished Series 1 and 2 and am now in Series 3.
I am enjoying the first episode even though the sudden addition of a new Krytin and swapping out Holly for his female counterpart was done without fanfare or explanation.

On the one hand it could be handwaved that the gang have been through a few more hijinks inbetween Season 2 and 3, like Krytin getting formatted or the like.

I'll finish up Series 3 up til 6 in the next few days.
As is I like it, although S1 and 2 had way too much banter between Lister and Rimmer for my liking.

 

[Nephtes]

Gazpacho Soup!

 

[Hobohodo]

You know that super fast scroll on the first ep of season 3? That explains it.

 

[Lakitu]

Season 1 to 6 is amazing, even with the new Holly who is funny in her own way and Kryten was a fantastic addition.

 

[jelly]

Stop after series 6.

Jealous, you're about to hit some classics for the first time.

 

[IvanJ]

Was just thinking about rewatching this series. I remember having so much underwear-peeing fun some 25 years ago, and I found out they are going to make more episodes.

British humor is the best.

 

[Tizoc]

You know that super fast scroll on the first ep of season 3? That explains it.

SMEG, I SHOULD'VE KNOWN!

 

[daviyoung]

Robert Llewlyn's Kryten and the Cat are by far the best things about this programme.

Charles' righteous every-man Lister is very much a product of early-90s Britain and Barrie's sniveling pedant Rimmer is just annoying with no balance in humour. Even his Ace counterpart, who's basically Lord Flashheart's brother from another series.

 

[Rich!]

1 and 2 are entirely different to the rest due to the pathetically low budget they had to begin with. 3 onwards gets much more weird and sci-fi. And 5 and 6 are the very best.

7 and 8 are SHIT

9/back to earth is painfully average

10 is legit great

11 starts next month and is apparently really,really really good. 12 was filmed concurrently and airs next year


The above is red dwarf truth

 

[The Hamburglar]

Gazpacho Soup!

souper

 

[weemadarthur]

No quotes from season 4 allowed. Hmmm....

"I was only gone two minutes!"

 

[Mr Git]

Such a good series. Jealous you're encountering it for the first time. Enjoy OP!

 

[Trumpets]

A white hole?

 

[jdw_b]

My favourite tv show ever

First few seasons are infinitely rewatchable.

 

[weemadarthur]

A white hole?

What is it?

 

[tomtom94]

Series 7 is not as bad as people say. Well, the episodes with Chris Barrie aren't, at least. It blows hot and cold a lot more than the earlier stuff.

Series 8 and Back to Earth are pretty poor, though you should at least watch "Only The Good..." as there's a joke in series 10 that won't make sense otherwise (and it's the funniest episode of that series anyway)

 

[jdw_b]

What is it?

It's a singularity, a point in the Universe where the normal laws of space and time don't apply

 

[ThirtyFour]

You still have yet to get to my favourite episode, the one where they go to wax world.

I'm watching you Ghandi.

 

[weemadarthur]

It's a singularity, a point in the Universe where the normal laws of space and time don't apply

Only joking

 

[Android18a]

Series 8 is a weird one for me. The first time around when it was brand new I really disliked it because the tone and style was completely unlike the previous series. I didn't like the

Spoiler

crew being alive, although I disliked the prison setting most of all, maybe had it just been a glimpse into life on board before the accident I'd have liked it more at the time

.

Yet when my partner and I watched the whole series 1-10 through recently, I enjoyed 8 a hell of a lot even though certain episodes (namely Pete) are really still quite bad. Perhaps its the side effect of having watched series 7 immediately before it, but I found it enjoyable for what it was this time around. Particularly I think Cassandra is a really great episode with some wonderful gags.

Other than that I think my favourite series is 5, The Inquisitor and Quarantine in particular being favourites.

 

[The Hamburglar]

Series 7 is not as bad as people say. Well, the episodes with Chris Barrie aren't, at least. It blows hot and cold a lot more than the earlier stuff.

Series 8 and Back to Earth are pretty poor, though you should at least watch "Only The Good..." as there's a joke in series 10 that won't make sense otherwise (and it's the funniest episode of that series anyway)

I found series 8 funny, but the back to earth mini thing was terrible. Series 10 was decent attempt to go back to the roots, even if they are all oaps.

 

[Melchettsmoustache]

You still have yet to get to my favourite episode, the one where they go to wax world.

I'm watching you Ghandi.

It's.....its...... Winnie the poo.....

Bang, bang, bang

That's something no one should ever have to see

 

[Henchmen21]

I'll reiterate what people have already said that seasons 1-6 are great but everything after is shit. Watch them to make your own opinion on them but the general consensus has been that Rob Grant was the comedy life blood of the show and him leaving ruined it.


^SILENCE SCUM!! slap slap

 

[Any Questions]

1 and 2 are entirely different to the rest due to the pathetically low budget they had to begin with. 3 onwards gets much more weird and sci-fi. And 5 and 6 are the very best.

7 and 8 are SHIT

9/back to earth is painfully average

10 is legit great

11 starts next month and is apparently really,really really good. 12 was filmed concurrently and airs next year


The above is red dwarf truth

I would agree with this, can't wait for season 11. I really really enjoyed season 10

 

[Shiloa]

For me

6 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 1 > 2 >>>>>>>>>> 7 >>>> 8 >>>> 10 >>>>>>>>>>>> BTE

The first 6 series are just my absolute favourite things to watch. The gap between them is so slight, I could easily completely invert the order of those.

7 is still fun, has a lot of Dwarfness to it and provides some of the best of Ace Rimmer. 8 is also not awful, but the overly slapstick nature of it meant it lost a lot of the Red Dwarf humour.

10 is just a poor quality season 6. They tried to capture it, but the writing or acting just wasn't there. BTE was nice to see them return, but really, it's barely got a joke in it.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I'm a lot less negative about 7 & 8 then most seem to be. 7 has my favourite Dwarf ep, "Tikka to Ride", and kryten

Spoiler

doing kochanski's walk

, which made me double over with laughter when I first saw it. Season 8 has a couple of very good eps, even if the format is dramatically different.

Back to Earth is unmitigated garbage.

Series 10 is decent, that rimmer focused ep I thought was really good.

 

[WhateverItTakes]

Such a great show. Fun sci-fi with great humour.

Totally gotta agree with everyone else here though, stick with series 1-6, then jump to series 10 and the future ones, which are actually pretty decent, especially in light of how it feels like the older series.

 

[Blue Geezer]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad_(Red_Dwarf)

This explains the changes a bit as they had a "lost episode". Plus they had more money and spent more on the set etc.

 

[Agent Gibbs]

Listen up Smeghead ignore the people saying some seasons are shit, watch it all! things are surreal things are wierd, recasting choices are equally as odd (original actors couldn't return)


And above all remember this one thing

DO NOT ASK FOR KETCHUP TO PUT ON YOUR LOBSTER!

 

[Principate]

Cat:All in all 100% successful trip
Kyrten:but sir we lost Mr Rimmer
Cat:All in all 100% successful trip

Kryten:They taken Mr Rimmer! THEY'VE TAKEN MR RIMMER!!!
Cat: Quick let's get out of here before they bring him back!

We're deader than tank tops, we deader than A-line fliers with with pockets in their knee's.

Season 5 and 6 are the best with 6 the absolute A pex, most quotable lines.

 

[Novocaine]

What is it?

Someone punch him out.

 

[timcsavage]

1 and 2 are entirely different to the rest due to the pathetically low budget they had to begin with. 3 onwards gets much more weird and sci-fi. And 5 and 6 are the very best.

7 and 8 are SHIT

9/back to earth is painfully average

10 is legit great

11 starts next month and is apparently really,really really good. 12 was filmed concurrently and airs next year


The above is red dwarf truth

Yes, finally someone else who enjoyed 10!

 

[timcsavage]

Our Rob or Ross is one of the best jokes ever too.

 

[Rich!]

Yes, finally someone else who enjoyed 10!

episode 1 of s10 is one of my favourites of the whole show, and I've been watching it since BBC2 reran the whole show in 1995

 

[CecilRousso]

Charles' righteous every-man Lister is very much a product of early-90s Britain and Barrie's sniveling pedant Rimmer is just annoying with no balance in humour. Even his Ace counterpart, who's basically Lord Flashheart's brother from another series.

The Rimmer song is tv history.

 

[mclem]

Our Rob or Ross is one of the best jokes ever too.

There's two very simple gags I love

(Series 6)
"Go to red alert!"
"

Spoiler

Are you sure, sir? That does mean changing the bulb

"

(Series 1) - this one's really all about the delivery.

"There's loads of things I've never done. I've

Spoiler

never read... (thinks, tries to recall what it's called)... a book

"

 

[Herne]

The Rimmer song is tv history.

Toodle Pipski!

 

[Tizoc]

Hmm i think for the sake of getting to watch some more shows faster ill go with watching the recommended ep or 2 from series 7-9 then see if i like series 10
Or maybe just watch them anyways
Depends on my mood :v

For now tho, i associate the humor in red dwarf as 'light humor' any othet british sitcoms that are on red dwarf's level from the 80s or 90s?

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Would anyone like a toasted tea cake?

One of my favorite shows of all time.

Wish they would have made more.

 

[Rich!]

One of my favorite shows of all time.

Wish they would have made more.

Not gonna take the bait there

 

[ElRenoRaven]

One of my favorite shows of all time.

Wish they would have made more.

\

Wish a US network would get rights to show the series. As it is I have to wait till it's up to purchase on Amazon.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Not gonna take the bait there

Eh, I know the "Quanity vs Quality" type arguments. They could have made more and it should could have been good. The whole Rob Grant and Doug Naylor splitting thing made things pretty tough too.

\

Wish a US network would get rights to show the series. As it is I have to wait till it's up to purchase on Amazon.

Oh, you mean you weren't crazy about the two US pilots they tried?

 

[AxeMan]

Loved it.
Until they got Red Dwarf back and the crew. Went down hill fast

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Loved it.
Until they got Red Dwarf back and the crew. Went down hill fast

8 was redeemed simply because they got the original Captain Hollister back. Guy was great at looking like he was gonna burst a blood vessel everytime they screwed up in the canaries.

Lister doing his little wave after Rimmer did his salute was great stuff.

 

[Indelible]

I have so much nostalgia for this show, my first exposure to British humor.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Yup, was my first Britcom too. Only had seen the Monty Python movies before.

What's everyone's three favorite episodes?

For me probably (in no order)

White Hole (S4)
Quarantine (S5)
Blue (S7)

 

[daninthemix]

Season 6 is the best.

Queeg is probably the best early episode. Bodyswap also very good.

Such a great show.

 

[Rich!]

Eh, I know the "Quanity vs Quality" type arguments. They could have made more and it should could have been good. The whole Rob Grant and Doug Naylor splitting thing made things pretty tough too.

What

No, I'm saying you seem to be totally unaware that in addition to the really quite good Series 10 that aired a couple of years back, Red Dwarf 11 starts airing next month and 12 (already filmed) airs next September. The episodes were filmed on stage in front of a real audience (like the originals) and the feedback was really good (of course, NDA prevents a lot of spoilers)

12 new episodes. And if you haven't seen red dwarf 10 yet, it's actually 18 new episodes for you.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

What

No, I'm saying you seem to be totally unaware that in addition to the really quite good Series 10 that aired a couple of years back, Red Dwarf 11 starts airing next month and 12 (already filmed) airs next September.

Oh, I'm well aware of series 10, watched it as soon as it was out. Really loved it actually, especially the bit with the female scientist and

Spoiler

the air duct

xD

Also know about 11 and 12, I'm very glad we're getting more. My comment was more along the lines of, I wish all those old series from years ago had more than 6 episodes while the guys were younger.

Here's to hoping 11 and 12 are awesome as from when they left off.

 

[ClivePwned]

I was really surprised by how much I really enjoyed Season X. It just felt like they'd finally got back to what made the show work (pity it took them 20 years), but at least they made the fact they were older part of the show rather than trying to hide it.

I didn't hate Back to Earth as much as many did (I could have lived without the Blade Runner stuff towards the end) but jeez, seasons 7 and 8 are terrible. 8 is the absolute worst of the entire run.

Only a month away for Season 11? I should at least rewatch season X soon.