Since the end of Red Dwarf, POSSIBLY THE BEST SHOW IN
THE WORLD, the crew of the space ship after which the show is
named have drifted to strange new worlds in the television
galaxy.
Dave Lister (Craig Charles), after being seen briefly as an
extra on The Bill, found a spot far from space fantasy
in Coronation Street.
Rimmer (Chris Barrie) was excellent as Gordon Brittas in the
Brittas Empire before popping up here and there, most
recently on Britain's Greatest Machines.
The Cat (Danny John-Jules), possibly the coolest creation of
television comedy, had a role in Lock, Stock and Two
Smoking Barrels, and was reportedly found guilty last
year of attacking two dust-men who refused to take his
recycling bin because it contained polystyrene.
I would, too.
The good news is Red Dwarf is back (UKTV, November 27,
8.30pm), albeit for a three-part series Red Dwarf: Back to
Earth, with a "the making of" tacked on the end.
For those of you who aren't among the cool kids who know
about this show, the plot is based on Dave Lister's
unfortunate luck to be the last human being in the universe.
A lowly technician on the mining ship Red Dwarf, he
wakes up one day to find the rest of the crew have been
killed by a radiation leak, and he has been in stasis for
three million years.
He is doomed to drift in space for the rest of eternity with
only the hologram of his former crewmate, Rimmer, the Cat,
who has evolved from a pet he smuggled on board, and a
mechanoid servant called Kryten for company.
Red Dwarf was devised by writers Rob Grant and Doug
Naylor, also notable as writers on Spitting Image, and there
were eight series from 1988 until 1999, with the show
becoming a cult hit.
It was dead funny.
It may say something about the new shows that, according to
Red Dwarf's official website, four million people
watched part one when it ran during Easter in the United
Kingdom, part two attracted an audience of three million,
part three had a rating of just over 2.9 million, and The
Making of Back To Earth, was watched by 1.5 million people.
And yes, those are decreasing viewing numbers.
I can't tell you how good or otherwise Red Dwarf: Back to
Earth is, as the DVD being rushed from Australia just for
me didn't quite arrive on my desk in time.
Whatever happens, I'll see it before you.
The new series begins nine years after the events of the
last, with ship computer Holly out of commission because
Lister left a bath running in the officer's quarters for
nearly nine years.
The crew have noted water supplies are low, and discover the
cause - a giant squid in their water tank - after they go to
investigate.
This is worth a chance, if only through respect for the
original.
