'Groovy Funky Channel 27' - The Red Dwarf Appreciation Thread. - New Episode??

Red Dwarf.

Created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, the spawn of the radio show 'Dave Hollins: Space Cadet', first appearing on BBC TWO on 15th February 1988. There have since been eight series, the last broadcast 1999, and the ever present prospect of a big screen adaptation in the future. In my opinion it's the greatest science fiction comedy ever conceived... not that there's much competition, but then Dwarf is about so much more than science fiction...

It's about shiny things.

It's about Lister's guitar not surviving the accident.

It's about flared nostrils.

It's about Cloister The Stupid.

It's about insane toasters.

It's about the Hot-Wax-Drip Unsightly Hair Remover.

It's about Lunar City Seven.

It's about Nodnol (which is in Bulgaria).

It's about red and blue striped golfing umbrellas and off duty Czechoslovakian Traffic Wardens.

It's about the Boys From The Dwarf.



So fans of British sci-fi and fans of world class comedy come here and laugh at the timeless antics of the on / off inhabitants of the Jupiter Mining Corporation Ship - The Red Dwarf.

Postcode: RE1 3DW.

Red Dwarf may well be set in space, but that's just the way in. The comedy is drawn (or at least it used to be) from confinement. Dave Lister, who survives the accident that wiped out the crew and caused Holly (the ship's computer) to pilot Red Dwarf 3,000,000 years into deep space, and those who are subsequently bundled towards him are incapable of truly getting along. And yet, they have nowhere else to go - no choice in their company. They may be living on a near deserted mining ship that measures its length in miles, but people need contact, they need to talk.

Start with the two principals.

Dave Lister is a slob. He lives in a mess, and simply doesn't notice. Arnold Rimmer is a perfectionst sadly lacking in even the slimmest slice of perfection. It's basically a classic odd couple. The situation they find themselves in pushes them together, even though they'd like nothing to do with one another. What one does, the other despises. Such a simple relationship, but such a delightful one for the viewer. The very first scene in the very first episode is devoted to establishing their relationship. The show kicks off with the giant mining ship Red Dwarf on a routine run from the Saturnian moon of Mimas out to Neptune and then back to Earth. Dave Lister just wants to get back to Earth, but has no capital whatsoever. So... he signs up for the seven years journey home. Dave Lister is a Technician, Third Class. Arnold Rimmer is his direct superior... a Technician, Second Class. A perfect example of this relationship is the opening scene of the first episode. It shows the two of them on a routine inspection of one of Red Dwarf's Chicken Soup machines (vital, vital work). Some wonderful, and character establishing) extracts include:

Lister: (Singing) To Gannymede and Titan, yes sir, I've been around...
Rimmer: Lister?
Lister: Huh?
Rimmer: Have you ever been hit over the head with a welding mallet?

LISTER shakes his head no.

Rimmer: No? Stop that and push the trolley.
Lister: (With a mock salute) Yes, sir, Rimmer!

That's the first thing we see happen. Already, we know there's a command relationship and Lister is annoying Rimmer.

Rimmer: Lister, shut up!
Lister: I'm only humming!
Rimmer: Well *don't*.

LISTER stops humming and continues the tune by holding his mouth open and
slapping his cheeks.

Rimmer: Lister, don't hum and don't make any stupid sounds with your cheeks.

LISTER stops slapping his cheeks and decides to do a rendition of "If I
Only Had a Heart" by making clicking sounds in his throat.

Rimmer: Lister, one more sound, anything, and you're on report, my laddo. What job number's this?

LISTER mimes talking without making a sound.

Rimmer: Right! That's it! (Begins writing on his clipboard) "Lister, D., Third Technician. Offense: obstructing a superior technician by humming, clicking, and being quiet." When the Captain sees this you're dead.

Lister has no respect for Rimmer.

Quickfire, when they finally get around to attending to the broken Chicken Soup machine, we learn that even though the work is menial, Rimmer really cares about doing it right, and that Lister does not.

Rimmer: Pass me a 14B, Lister.

LISTER hands him a small, white pipe cleaner.

Rimmer: Lister, is this a 14B? Does it look even *remotely* like a 14B?

He reaches into the parts trolley and pulls out another white pipe
cleaner, indistinguishable from the first.

Rimmer: *This* is a 14B, Lister. This (indicating the original) is a 14F. Are you blind?!
Lister: Who cares?
Rimmer: *I* care, Lister!

It's perfectly clear that these two individuals are like chalk and chese. The audience will be thinking that the last thing they want is each other's company. Well... when the crew of Red Dwarf is wiped out in a nuclear explosion, each other's company will be the only thing they have.

This rules. That's about it really. But I don't have Sky

I tell ya, I have so much to talk about in this thread it's 'Beyond A Joke' (series VII, episode 6). I don't care if nobody listens, I'm gonna love talking in detail about Red Dwarf.

Smegging great!

Neat, I have the first two series on DVD. Ran out of money.

A friend was supposed to buy some more for my birthday and Christmas but I never got them, oh well.

Absolute GOLD.

If anything ever deserved a cult following, its the boys from the dwarf [mimmicks hand actions]

I've been watching it since series 1 first aired, and loved every moment of it.

Sure, the later series let the franchise down, but that doesn't stop me enjoying the older episodes over and over again.

Lister - "We need something about 6 foot long, fairly sturdy, with a flat top".

On that note Malkie:

The boys enter the control room, standing Kryten back up

Lister: You OK Man?

Kryten: I'm fine, thankyou Susan.


Red Dwarf is a great example of a show that developed in each series and went from strength to strength. While the very first shows were based off the 'odd-couple' who were stranded 3 million years from earth, we later began to see "orang whirly things in space", "a mechanoid with a head shaped like a novelty condom".

And of course, who can't enjoy a mechanoid attempting to insult Rimmer.

Smeeeeeee Heeeeeeeeee!

I followed it right from the start.
The first 4-5 of series were fantastic - really refreshing and really inventive.
Season Two was probably the peak (although that sounds like I am doing the subsequent series a huge disservice) with Thanks for the Memory, Stasis Leak, Queeg and Parallel Universe all the work of writers and cast firing on all cylinders.
I remember I used to have those episodes on the same video, which I'd taped when they were first transmitted, and I used to watch them endlessly.
Just the prefect balance between comedy and thought-provoking concepts.

I do feel it kind of lost steam towards the end, I didn't really care much for the latter episodes, but in it's day - yeah, I was a huge fan.

I find that Series 8 is greatly under-rated. The prison setting should've been kept for series 9, had it been made. It really had some classic moments in it. Series VII however, was absolute garbage (mainly because it ruined Ace Rimmer). I preffered Clare Grogan as Kochanski, but Chloe Annet was ok by the time Series 8 came around.

I'll agree that the show was at it's best as series 2. Though I'd argue that 3 and 4 would be the best had Norman Lovett stayed on as Holly. Male Holly was far superior to female Holly.

I saw an incredibly bored-looking Craig Charles at Memoribilia a few years back, doodling on the table. Sadly I didn't have enough time to have a chat with him, so I just gave hima quick 'hello' and was on my way.

On another note, I see they're selling Mr. Flibble puppets at Forbidden Planet now.

Heh. I only ordered one of those this morning.

The first time I saw anything of Red Dwarf I had happened to flick on to BBC2 and caught the last few seconds of Better Than Life when they are all buried in the sand with jam on their foreheads. I thought what the ... and tuned in the next week to find out what it was. I've been hooked ever since.

Sorry about the other thread but search is CRAP.

dude, there are only three pages of threads so far

OK OK I'm sorry there's no need to be a complete SMEG HEAD.








My favourite character is Arnold Judas Rimmer he's brilliant Chris Barrie who plays Rimmer is brilliant he's simple the best I think series 3 to 6 is Red Dwarf at it's best series 1 & 2 are funny but lack Kryten and many other things and series 7 & 8 just don't pack the punch of the other series there's still funny moments and decent episodes but not to the quality of series 3, 4, 5 & 6 they are comedy GOLD

So you only caught the end?

If anyone has the series 3 DVD, it has a very nice feature - the ability to play Backwards backwards...or...forwards...whatever.
When Tony Hawks' character (not the skateboarder ) fires Kryten and Rimmer, he says something along the lines of:

"Although I'm pointing at you, I'm not actually addressing you. I'm addressing the bloody sad git who managed to get a recording of this and figured it out how to listen to it backwards! What a sad git he is."

[image=http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/flibble.jpg]

"What are we going to to with them, Mr. Flibble?"

I am amazingly jealous of that picture...I think if you had the outfit on my head would explode. Plus you'd be unbearably sexy.

Oh, I haven't watched Red Dwarf in way too long. My local PBS started airing episodes late at night a few years back and I happened to run across them. I was hooked instantly. They aired several seasons of the show, but not in recent years.

I'm glad i found this thread! I've been a fan since sometime around 89-90, when the local PBS station used to run the show late on Saturday night. Since i live in the rural midwest of the USA, i hardly ever find anyone who's even heard of Red Dwarf. but there are a few of us who are diehard fans. i got my wife to watch it, and now we trade quotes and laugh all the time.

My only complaint is about the new DVDs. They just seem too expensive. I got season 1 and 2 together for $48.99 when they came out. Now all the stores seem to want $70 or more for seasons 5 and 6. So i still haven't bought them. Fortunately, i've still got old VHS tapes.

For years i've toyed with the idea of making some custom action figures. (i think that was a bad pun) i just don't seem to have the skill and patience to actually get it done.