Red Dwarf

For this legendary British sitcom, we have two talented screenwriters, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, to thank. Shortly after the first season aired, they began publishing the stories of the Red Dwarf crew in book form. The second of the two, in particular, gave the show with its wit, bon mots, and sarcastic remarks. However, television viewers will primarily appreciate the characters they know from the screen. All of the actors have become respected television stars, and Red Dwarf is considered the most successful BBC export. The individual members of the crew represent perfect opposites who must get along in a small, enclosed space, resulting in an infinite number of conflicts. The creators of the show are very knowledgeable about contemporary fantasy and science fiction literature, and the show can be seen as a humorous guide to the genre, featuring popular themes and props from science fiction literature and film. Fans can spot references to S. King or R. Bradbury, among others. The show has become a cult classic, and it is a shame that its production did not continue. Until the last episode of the final season, it maintained an exceptionally high standard. It is one of the two shows that I rate 100%. (19/01/2008)

This miniseries can be viewed in two ways. The first can be presented as a memory of my first love when I saw her at a party five years later and she was truly beautiful, incredibly sexy, and the star of the evening. However, I was looking around in disappointment and futilely searching for the fifteen-year-old girl with braids in her hair. In other words, you can't step into the same river twice. Those who seek the same as the original series must realize the number of years that separates the actors and writers from the original Red Dwarf, and if the viewers watched in the 90s, also themselves. People simply keep evolving. Back to Earth is rather a nostalgic look back by the crew at the original project and a gift to the numerous group of fans. It is therefore wiser to look at it from a different perspective - like when old friends meet after years, reminisce about old times, joke, are happy to have had a chat, and move on. Humor is present in the miniseries in a decent dose, but it's more of a slightly sentimental humor meant to evoke the times of former glory. The passage of time has probably had the least effect on the portrayal of Rimmer, to whom the writer prescribed behavior and a posture very similar to the original character. On the other hand, I might believe in Craig Charles' detoxification that he mentioned in one joke. Chloë Annett is still charming, but naturally different than years ago. In this context, it's only good that the producer didn't attempt to resurrect the project in full, but it's also regrettable that there was no big film ever made, which had been planned for a long time. Overall impression: 75%. (04/05/2009)

Diplomatically speaking, the hesitant reception of the experimental 9th season prompted the creators of the show to rearm and, for a change, rely on certainty. They carefully considered what worked, and the 10th season is therefore the essence of what made the show attractive in its early seasons. Witty humor, playful banter, and pervasive irony. The trouble is that, despite all the efforts, it simply isn't and cannot be the same as when the same characters were played by actors 25 years younger. Not that the makeup artists didn't give it their best and the actors didn't try, but some things simply cannot be disguised. When young Lister dreams of his future, of Kochanski and children in the early series, the audience roots for him, but here you can see a man who, no matter how you look at it, has spent the greater part of his life on a wreck somewhere deep in space, and it becomes increasingly clear that he has no real purpose. And that leads to more of a sense of anxiety if not something worse... Overall impression: 85%. (10/02/2014)

After 30 years of working on Red Dwarf, the authorial duo of Grant and Naylor know well what works and what they can use. The problem is that their humor can be described as juvenile or even student-like, i.e., humor for the younger generation, which ideally should be conveyed by members of the young generation themselves. Red Dwarf from the late 80s had an ideally formed crew to appeal to teenagers and those slightly older than them. If the lines are delivered by gentlemen who are slowly but surely approaching retirement age, the viewer gets the feeling that it sounds slightly inappropriate coming from them. This is where you can see the difference between the animated series The Simpsons, which is also approaching its 30th anniversary, but fortunately, it is not noticeable in that show. If real actors are involved, one would expect some development of their characters, the fulfillment of certain goals, and the setting of others as the decades go by. If you think about it more deeply, you might actually feel sorry for those four unfortunates in the depths of space. Overall impression: 75%. (09/12/2018)