Red Dwarf

I would have rated Red Dwarf 10/10, but unfortunately, when rating the show in its entirety, you must consider the final two seasons/series.

Series 1 - 6 will always be what I remember about the show. It was funny and original. You could relate to all characters (all the actors deserve the highest praise), and although there were plenty of plot holes, and continuity problems, there was a classic blend of good story lines, mixed with classic British-style humour.............it was unlike anything else before or since. Pure quality. Every episode was a classic, and I can watch them all again and again and laugh until I get a stitch.

Then after series 6 (one of the best series') Rob Grant left the show, the production budget increased, and series 7 was given that stupid 'film look'. Also Rimmer was replaced halfway through the series with Kochanski (Listers long lost love). Basically it seemed like someone had pressed the show's self destruct button, and its never been the same since. All the humour seemed forced, and the story lines got so deep, you actually forgot you were supposed to be watching a Sci-Fi comedy.

.......Then things got worse. Series 8 came out. The less said the better. I know there are hard core fans out there who say that series 8 isn't that bad. But try watching episodes from series 3, then watch series 8 and you'll realise how much the show went into freefall.

Its such a shame because in the early days of Dwarf, there simply wasn't anything better on TV.

Where to start? The writing, the cast, the effects . . . superb.

Firstly, the writing. The situation is so unbelievable it works. Three million years out into deep space, with the unlikeliest crew you could find. And bizarre and funny things just keep happening. The secret? You might ask the same question of previous comedy greats. It just is.

The effects - especially since remastering - are breathtaking. I don't know how "true to life" it is, but it doesn't need to be. Seeing Starbug come crashing through the cargo bay doors is a joy to behold.

And the cast. Sensational. Chris Barrie (Rimmer) is the outstanding comedy actor of his generation. With the possible exception of Rowan Atkinson, I don't think there's a single man alive who could play the smeghead so well.

Equally, Craig Charles as Lister - a complete slob who is in fact the most decent person among the crew. A beautiful irony, and Charles focuses on the slob part so well that we tend to forget the character's decent side. This is not a bad thing - quite the reverse. When the decent side does appear, it is all the more prominent for it.

Norman Lovett (1-2, 8) and Hattie Hayridge (3-5) as Holly, the computer. I prefer Lovett's take, and don't fully understand why he was replaced. Hayridge did a fine job (indeed there's some moments that Lovett couldn't have done), but Lovett is the definitive Holly. He has the comic face for it.

Not forgetting Robert Llewellyn as the guilt-happy mechanoid Kryten, who overacts beautifully, as does Danny John-Jules as the vainest life form ever to have existed. Brilliant.

These ingredients made Red Dwarf amazing. Rob Grant and Doug Naylor's writing collaboration was a thing of beauty. As a team, they function superbly.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Something's missing when they're not together. Series 7 had its moments, but was distinctly lacking - not least because Chris Barrie was in less than half the episodes. Series 8, it dropped even further. Barrie was back, but that was the only plus. Bringing the entire crew back was a very big mistake.

Overall? I'd say 8/10 for originality and sheer zaniness!

For those who do not know. The series was created and initially, exclusively written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor.

This lasted until Series 6.

And each series - to me - just got better and better. To where 5 and 6 were just outstanding overall.

Then - after Series 6 - Rob Grant left the show.

And Doug Naylor brought other writers onboard to help him create further series.

And, sadly, the show dropped noticeably in quality.

It's heart was still in the right place. Even a bit 'nicer' and 'warmer' than the other series.

But the pacing and the humor went noticeably down.

The former made the show seem almost cartoonish.

The latter was just dumbed down a bit. And physical gags (though some were very funny) became the main source of humor. As opposed to verbal ones.

It just felt like the show had gone from originally written by seasoned, very-talented sci-fi writers/creators.

To - later - a series created by intelligent college students who were sci-fi fans.

So... Series 1-6 - some of the most outstanding, science fiction entertainment that I have ever seen.

Series 7+ - a very good series with only moments of brilliance.

Reading through these reviews brought on a wave of nostalgia for me , I watched this show religiously from the very first episode , it's quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen . The first series when it was originally shown was so new and so different it was a really refreshing change from the usual dross that is the vast majority TV comedy . The friction between Lister and Rimmer is what really drives the show in the early episodes , it's great the way in which you have these two people who utterly detest each other but are confined together with no hope of escape from each other's company .

With the third series the show took a change in direction and pace , with the introduction of the character Kryten as a regular and the all new female version of Holly . With any other show this might have signalled the beginning of the end , such radical changes rarely go down well but with Red Dwarf it was like a new lease of life and saved the show from becoming stale or repetitive . Series 4 and 5 continued in a similar vein with the stories becoming ever more way out and crazy , all riotously good stuff .

Then along came series 6 and another set of very major changes , for a long time I had a really hard time getting into this series , the loss of the ship Red Dwarf was such a major change and it really kinda threw me . Upon repeated viewings this series really grew on me though , and it has some seriously funny episodes right up there with the best of them , and the end of the last episode in the series was really quite shocking , it actually brought a tear to my eye .

Next we have the ill fated seventh series which started out well enough with the episode tikka to ride , but after that it rapidly degenerated , it deeply saddened me to see what my favourite TV show was becoming , it was but a shadow of it's former self and with series eight things took a further plunge into banality and throw away one liners , what a terribly sad way for it all to end .

At it's best this show is the best entertainment it has ever been my pleasure to watch , but eventually I guess you can have too much of a good thing and I doubt we'll see it's like again .

Red Dwarf is for anyone who enjoys a good laugh, and doesn't mind taking their science fiction with a grain of salt. Yet I think it's necessary to break the show up into three distinct parts.

Part One encompasses seasons one and two, which revolves primarily around the relationship of Rimmer and Lister. The first two seasons have a great low-budget appeal (most of the scenes take place on a couple of sets)and really mixes sharp wit and satire with a sense of loneliness.

Part Two is seasons three to six, and a new character, Kryten, is added to the list (this is not bad at all: Kryten gets a lot of the best lines). With the show's growing popularity and increased budget, the characters venture more and more outside their giant spaceship and explore "strange new worlds". Action and physical comedy take more and more precedence during these seasons. This is the high point of the show's run.

Part Three includes seasons seven and eight, and in all honesty, are best avoided. Several years elapsed between seasons and six and seven, and it shows. The show's creators made several mistakes in plot, story, and character, and the actors appear to be going through the motions, and much of their character traits, which made the show so great in the first place, are missing or warped in very disappointing ways.

Still, I highly recommend the first six years of this program. They're just the motley crew I'd want to be lost in space with.