Red Dwarf

I just managed to see the pilot to the US version of Red Dwarf, which apparently was never screened. It is almost entirely the same dialog as the first episode of the original series. There's lots of recycled footage, in fact, I didn't see any original effects. The only major difference, except for different actors, is that they introduced Kryten from the beginning. Kryten was still played by Robert Llewellyn. There was also a funny animation of the cat's evolution. I can't imagine how small the budget must have been on this pilot. I think real Red Dwarf fans wouldn't like it because it's just a rip off of the UK version. Non-fans wouldn't like it because they failed to bridge the Atlantic comedy gap, which I assume was the point of trying to make a US version of the series. If this pilot is anything like what the US version would have been, then I guess I'm glad it failed. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

You're joking right? This is an attempt at sarcasm right? Judging by the other comments and the UK's own reddwarf fan site not even acknowledging it, and possibly even Doug Naylor would say 'No Comment' if he was asked about it. The US version didn't work. Or was it really a conspiracy by the BBC to get the US to buy the original and excellent series on BBC DVD? Complete sets of the DVD's are available from most popular media stores and auction websites. :) A question though: I've not actually seen the US Pilot or Promo, and I'm intrigued and inspired to have it just so I can show it at local conventions. How do I get a copy and who produced/owns it?

*this is the REAL pilot not the 15 min promo with female cat*

After watching this pile of drivel I was one step from cracking the VCD in my hand so that i could symbolically kill at least one of the copies of it.

The acting is at best ... questionable. And at worse...? well there was more life in a "dawn of the dead" zombie.

The script is almost identical to "the end" with a few changes for the american market (baseball cards etc)... but somehow it dont seem ...right. the canned laughter as well makes it a chore to watch.

Still Robert Llewellyn is (and always will be) a gem to watch.....and Jane Leeves makes a fine holly (all be it her British accent sometimes...just sometimes comes through ..making u think u are back watching the UK series).

Havent seen the promo 15 mins that was made after this...but have seen pictures of Terri Farrell in a cat suit..so its not a complete loss I would think...

(acctually on reflection it would be bad....Red dwarf was mostly about a man..who has lost his only true love 3 million years ago and will never see female company again..so to have a female character would be pointless)

This version of Red Dwarf is strictly a worthless footnote. The script is almost completely cribbed from the original British episode "The End" with a poorer cast, flat performances and nothing original to speak of.

It is astonishing that Someone thought it useful to Americanize what was already a classic comedy on both sides of the Atlantic. That Someone must think all Americans are parochial morons who would be alienated by the original. This is yet another failed attempt to de-Anglicize a British hit. At least this version died before being officially aired.

I was surprised to see a US pilot for Red Dwarf, then shocked and saddened when I actually watched it. US Lister was so whitebread and unscuzzy. Rimmer snivels so little that I actually thought the actor would make a better Lister than the one I was watching. Cat no longer had his Little Richard-ish persona. It WAS nice to see the original Kryten (loved the eyeballs in the coffee gag) and Jane Leeves as Holly (*spark* ooh that one felt gooood) but they wouldn't have been able to save this US version from oblivion. As for pilot number two, which I've only seen a cast photo of, it was interesting to see Terry Farrell dressed up like a cat but it was far from being sound as a dollar-pound. Don't mess with perfection!