Personally I think it is also, I mean there are SOOO many, but that one does seem to stick in my mind as well. It does of course mean singling out 'one head' of one crew member, but at least he has little to no pride!
@@Wooooobrucey I'm going with Rimmerworld, but there's extremely little between any ep in S6. And certainly 'little' between any eps from S3-S6. Some peeps I've heard talk of the 'classic' era being 4-6...I include S3 though.
@@carlhartwell7978 I think we're all beginning to lose sight of the real issue here, which is: what are we going to call ourselves? And I think it comes down to a choice between "The League Against Salivating Monsters," or - and this is my personal preference - "The Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Terrifying Organisms and their Rehabilitation Into Society." One drawback with that - the abbreviation is C.L.I.T.O.R.I.S.
19:41 the blue alert gag is one of the funniest things of all time, not just in red dwarf. When you see that one little box blinking "alert" and thats all that happens, i mean... ive seen that a million times, and its still funny every time. The red alert gag is just the cherry on top, and another cherry on top when Lister says "our red alert bulb"
As others have already mentioned, I'm also interested in seeing a Part 3 which covers _Red Dwarf: Back to Earth_ (IX), series X-XII, and _Red Dwarf: The Promised Land_ (XIII) somewhen.
@@Its__Good If you mean a longer review of _Back to Earth_ and after, Rowan did mention that he hasn't seen everything that would be covered in "Part 3", so those of us who have seen all that will have to find ourselves a friendly vending machine to sit next to and wait.
I listened to the Chris Barrie audio book infinity welcomes careful drivers 100’s of times growing up. His ability to do all the casts voices is amazing. Also the book fleshes out everything the budget couldn’t do. Highly recommended
Thank you so much for taking what must have been a considerable amount of time to put these 2 retrospectives together. You inspired me to go back and rewatch the show from the start! I don't have great memories of season 8 from when it originally aired, but am genuinely excited to rewatch it now after hearing all the great things you said about it. Would also be really interested to hear your take on seasons X-XII in some format...I thoroughly enjoyed a good chunk of it honestly. Thanks again
HELP THE CHANNEL GROW: www.patreon.com/rowanjcoleman UPDATE: Thankfully after some thumb twiddling, RUclips has released the age restriction on Part 1! Thanks to everyone who helped give it a boost while it was taking a hit in the views :)
Yeah, series 6 is the pinnacle. The team at the top of their game. I was so haunted by the cliffhanger ending, and it’s strange to think that due to the gap between 6 and 7, that cliffhanger and it’s eventual resolution represent my transition from childhood to adolescence.
Yeah S6 was a haunting ending. And definitely the prime season. (I love 5 though!) I always just stare at the episodes from season 5 and 6 to see which ones I want to watch again. 7 has some good gags here and there but nothing like before.
I’ve been a die-hard Dwarfer my whole life, and was tickled that these retrospectives came out recently. Thank you for all your time and effort. My adorable rascal of a cat is even named Miss Flibbles.
It blows my mind that the guy who played Rimmer in the USA series that everyone thought was terrible, was so good in Malcom In The Middle. He would have made a great Rimmer in later life.
I love how much Red Dwarf will explain complex sci-fi and physics concepts, yet is so happy to do the most enjoyably dumb and simple jokes. I mean that in a good way. Put it this way- it's a show that explains things like white holes, time travel, different dimensions, and what are the most memorable jokes from it? Probably things like: the shrinking boxers, Mr. Flibble, the Vindaloovians, Winnie the Pooh getting the firing squad, all the Space Corps directives Rimmer thinks he knows, Cat trying to relieve himself in a backwards reality, "Everybody's dead, Dave", Talkie Toaster asking if anyone would like any toast, "Step up to blue alert/Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb" and so on.
I learned about white holes from Red Dwarf then later read an interview about white holes with Stephen Hawking, and I feel I would have had a harder time with the Hawking interview if I hadn't seen Red Dwarf! "I've never seen one before, no one has, but I'm guessing it's a white hole."
51:18 the whole red dwarf "remastered" was a trainwreck, like the star wars special edition. The worst offense is that abomination of a new red dwarf ship model in CGI form. The original physical model was a masterpiece.
Really enjoy these retrospectives. This was the first one on a show I knew virtually nothing about. Red Dwarf is a British sci-fi comedy. That's was the full extent of my knowledge about the show. After seeing this I'll have to give it a try for myself. Keep up the good work, still waiting on the Stargate/Atlantis retrospectives
It's a shame they didn't make Lister's lost arm permanent. He was shown all the way back in series 1 as an old man with a prosthetic arm. Epideme/Nanarchy would have been a great point to introduce the change. Then again the SFX needed to give Lister a robot arm for every episode since might have been beyond the budget.
Yeah, season six was the pinnacle. A superb combination of wildly different sets, concepts and stories. All executed so well. I remember watching it as a lad and it was a true family tv event - mom, dad, sisters, brothers and all of us used to look forward to it every week. Very fond memories. Season eight is also notable and well up there as one of the best. I remember watching it for the first time and being bathed in that feeling that Red Dwarf is back after the disappointing seventh season.
I disagree to an extent. I think Gunmen may have been a pinnacle but I also think six was the first time Dwarf began to re-using tropes and even storylines. I think the best way to watch Dwarf is to skip seasons 7,8 and 9 but I think the Dave seasons are good and even have one or two classics. It’s a bit like Columbo and 90s Columbo.
It was a family event for us as well, I remember being so excited for Series 7, counting down the days until it aired. Then it started.........and oh boy, was it a let down. It's my version of the AVGN's Dr Jekyl & Mr Hyde.
2:16 I can't tell you how happy it made me seeing Mike Frisbie in this. Sci-Fi Saturday Night (although it started on Fridays) was a staple of my childhood, with Red Dwarf and Dr. Who becoming huge bonding programs with my dad. Frisbie's segments were like a weird fever dream, definitely the perfect setup to these shows!
Well, I was quite enjoying your retrospective, Rowan, right up until 37:37 where you mentioned Crime Traveller and unlocked a 25yr old memory!! I had to Google it and ended up watching the 1st episode! Remember watching it on TV back in the day as a teenager. Cheers Rowan. Excellent retrospective
Series 6 is just so good, that in my own head it really ends when Starbug gets blown up in the last episode. It's fine that later series exist, and other people enjoy them, though. I just have a lot of nostalgia and formative comedy experiences wrapped up with watching the earlier series, as a child and a teenager, with my dad and brother. Another interesting overview.
Man, thank you so much for all the hours you spent making both of these deep dives. You absolutely nailed what made Red Dwarf amazing and I think this might be one of your best retrospectives ever. Your love and passion show through, and seeing all this stuff again really hit me in the feels.
Most Red Dwarf fans have seen every episode many times (being the geeks we are), so I was quite surprised to discover that these fine Red Dwarf retrospectives were made by a man who hasn't even seen all the episodes yet! Only about three quarters, by the sound of it!
Excellent review! I first saw Red Dwarf back in the late 80's on Georgia Public TV here in the US. They started Dr. Who back around 83' or 84' after the Britcom hour. They started getting other Brit Sci Fi, Tripods, Starcops, and then Red Dwarf. We didn't realize there were three seasons until we slowed down and watched the scroll at the beginning of the episode. Great memories!
Seeing Mike Frisbie's floating visage while you begin describing Red Dwarf's international success at 02:14 was a huge flashback to spending my adolescence watching Sci-Fi Friday Night on Iowa Public Television.
I liked the seasons with Kochanski honestly. The First season with Chloe Annette was just captivating and I will never forget the Nuweet, Ratoot, Hunungah rant, or the trainers in the fridge complaint, or the perfect cg teachers and perfect cg friends bit... nor will I ever forget the cottage cheese, but never ever with pineapple chunks in
God I love Red Dwarf so much. All of the first 8 seasons are great. To this day if someone in my family says "go to red alert!" another of us say "are you sure? That does mean changing the bulb."
Firstly I'd like to say thank you for choosing Red Dwarf as the subject for another of your most excellent retrospectives. So.... Thank you :) You've put together a most enjoyable and comprehensive review.
Definitely agree about the added emotion and drama that Series 7 brought to the table. Love that scene at the end of Stoke Me A Clipper where he's saying goodbye, to them as Ace, but really a heartfelt one from himself.
It's magical to watch these unheroic, not particularly brave or talented schlubs transform into a relatively capable group of almost-but-not-quite-ever complete heroes. I don't think there'll ever be another sitcom like this.
Great work Rowan. I have recently re watched everything up to Series 8. I have found that series 8 actually gets funnier the more you watch it. I also agree with the Back To Earth comments. It was not very good and I was dreading what was to happen after, but actually as the new series have gone on, it has become funnier again and something akin to it's old self, so I hope you get to watch the rest of it. Red Dwarf is up there with Black Adder among my favourite sit coms along with another series that barely gets a mention but had me screaming with laughter, the roaringly funny Coupling, but I do not expect to see you do a retrospective on that!! LOL Great work as always
1:01:03 imo is the single funniest scene between these two. They have had a season apart and it's clear both Craig and Chris are very comfortable back together and thrive off each other. A season of pent up energy in lister makes it all the funnier with his glee at annoying rimmer. Fans seriously underestimate season 8
Well done Rowan, that was a great two parter. I really enjoy your work. Personally I love seasons 4, 5 and 6 of the show most, I didn't care too much for 7 but did enjoy 8 as the dynamic of a much bigger cast really helped to refresh the show and Mac MacDonald was a fantastic returning addition. Look forward to seeing what's next from you.
Couldn't catch this part at the time. But will watch it soon. Watched part one live with everyone else. You really gave it the love and attention it deserves... but then again you do that with everything. There is an honest, warts and all approach to your work but any criticism always comes from a place of love. Thanks for all your retrospectives.
This was an amazing two parter, loved them both thank you so much. Will definitely revisit all the series from start to finish. Hope you will make more as they were so entertaining.
10:30 I see what the US suits were doing - they were truly trying to turn Red Dwarf into an American sitcom. US evening sitcoms of the 70s-90s were written assuming the audience is distracted. They're having dinner, cleaning up, having family time, etc. These shows weren't designed to be watched, they were designed to be *watched at.* Hence the focus on standalone one-liners and a disinterest in plotting. This same logic, btw, is why other famously well-written US comedies like Police Squad and Arrested Development failed. They demanded more attention and active viewing from the audience than they were 'supposed' to.
Definitely a huge fan of red dwarf, have been since i watched red dwarf on PBS with my Opa. He loved BBC comedy. And thank you for making these videos! Fantastic quality and i Definitely learned alot about the show. Well done! Thank you sir!
Red Dwarf US: So guys, this character is the slobbiest, laziest person imaginable. The worst person to be the sole representative of humanity. A man who has wasted every single bit of potential he has. He's so checked out of life that he fills holes in his trousers with spray paint..... Let's cast a good-looking, charismatic, we'll-put together guy and give him dialogue & characterisation so bland he might as well be a wax mannequin.
Whenever I think of the US version i think of Craig Bierko on Boston Legal dressed in a Buzz Lightyear costume. He's great but doesn't fit as Dave Lister.
Thanks for making these retrospectives, i feel like i learned more about the series as a wholw from watching your video as appose to the actual red dwarf documentary. It also felt a lot more engaging
I remember being so confused with 'out of time' and the cliffhanger ending, as between its airing and the next episode the following week (in what at the time I presumed would be the conclusion), the Dunblane Massica took place, so regularly scheduled programming was changed.
I enjoyed the run of RD on Dave, but one thing which was very noticeable was how dramatically they had to compress the episodes to fit the more rigid time-slot. Several episodes end so abruptly that my TV still has whiplash.
They still manage to reach their old greatness sometimes though. Fathers and Suns was funny and clever and is one of my favourite episodes of any season now. I love Lister arguing with himself, and the way he saves the day brings back memories of The Inquisitor.
It is sad and I feel torn because red dwarf was never quite as good again as it was before the partnership broke up. But I can't really blame Rob Grant because you can't keep writing something you have no enthusiasm for anymore and having read (Colony), watched (The Strangerers) or listened to (The Quanderhorn xperimentations) the stuff he did after he left I'm glad he did so he could write the fresh, new things he was more interested in. The Quanderhorn xperimentations radio showis especially fun if anyone wants a recommendation.
My first recollection of Chloë Annett was in the UK/Japanese movie, "Learn to speak Japanese", (along side the actor who played "Pigsy" in Monkey Magic") which is why seeing her in Red Dwarf was SUCH a surprise!
Having recently discovered your channel, I've been impressed and amazed at the thoroughness, accuracy, and entertainment of your videos. I don't know if you take suggestions for future shows to review, but might I suggest Primeval? It's a show I've thoroughly enjoyed since it came out. It consists of 5 Seasons and a 1 Season spin-off called Primeval: New World. While I unfortunately have yet to have a chance to actually see Primeval: New World, I have seen the original Primeval multiple times and it is one that I can re-watch multiple times and still get caught up in the story.
Red Dwarf is a series that I've loved since the very beginning, that I watched in my last years at Secondary School. I'm 48 now! I also really enjoy the latest Dave series where the comedy is just as good, the guys are still all on top form and the effects, CGI and sets are better than they've ever been. Red Dwarf has been with me for the vast majority of my life and I probably love it even more today than I used to. I literally near constantly watch the entire series from the start to the latest movie and I've been doing that for over 20 years now! It's a shame that we never got the movie when Red Dwarf was at peak popularity and I'm amazed that we never got a great Red Dwarf video game. There's certainly still chance on the second of those wishes. I hope that Dave gives us more series as Red Dwarf: Promised Land showed that there's still loads of life left in Red Dwarf (I just hope Red Dwarf isn't only loved by old farts like myself, fingers crossed it keeps picking up younger viewers to keep interest in such a great show!)
@@stuartburns8657 cool it's great seeing younger viewers picking up on how great Red Dwarf is! To ignite your love for later seasons just binge watch the LOT! From series 1 episode 1 all the way through to Promised Land, I guarantee you'll soon get hooked once again. Back in the 90s it was series 8 that didn't gel with me at the time? Dunno why even? But on rewatching I love it just as much as I do the rest of it.
@@davekennedy6315 Will try to find time Dave. Did start watching from S1 with my daughter, but despite my love of the early seasons, for a younger viewer it can be hard work
@@stuartburns8657 yeah I get that, my poor kids haha! With others you have to space them out a bit more. You don't want them to hate it, so increase exposure time gradually haha!
Hope you do a part 3. The thing with Back to Earth was that it was suppose to be two parts. Part 3s budget came from what was suppose to be a clip show with the cast re-acting the clips.
I thought the newer series were pretty good to be honest. It was nice to get back to basics with the core cast and episodic stories. The more ambitious specials and multi-part episodes never seemed to pan out. I'd take series 10 over 7 & 8.
I think 11 and 12 had some really good episodes actually. The banter has never been as funny as it was in 3-6, but there's some good stuff in there. Watched Krysis the other night - it's right up there I think. 7-8 are the weakest for me.
@@retromuel sorry but Tikka to ride trumps anything from series X to XII. I liked the Can of Worms, officer rimmers eps but something is still off with timing, directing, set and props etc. I'm not saying they are bad. But the quality of the earlier series makes them seem more like a theatre show.
@@DirectorHMAN Each to their own but I didn't genuinely laugh once during series 7-8 whereas the last two series have given me a good few chuckles here and there and one or two of the episodes had quite interesting themes. It's all far below the quality of the first 6 series though.
Thank you Rowan for over 2 hours of enjoyable content talking about this wonderful wacky but frightfully intelligent show. Theres rumours that Grant productions want to create a prequel so perhaps your RUclips essay isn't quite finished 🤔 😉 Thank you 😊
26:34 you have to adjust for inflation on that otherwise "£1500000" is a meaningless number. When adjusted for inflation from the early 90s, that would be like every season cost 3 million pounds.
Really enjoyed this, but it's a shame you've stopped at S8 and not blasted through 9 - 13. 10 onwards is pretty good. You can knock them all out in a few hours.
Excellent video. I'd love to see a part 3 after you go through the modern era (personally I love it as much as the rest of the show) Also, the 666th like, what luck!
I've just binged the new seasons post-Back to Earth and to be honest I think you'll love them. Obviously they'll never quite have the charm and heights of the original 8 series but to be completely frank they've done something great in managing to bring it back to what made it great in the original 8. Give them a watch, I'd love to see a Part 3 where you talk about them.
Thank you for this one too. I like that with Bab 5 you didn't mention the DS9 controversy and for this you missed the delay due to that false accusation against CC. Great work and just a little bit of a shame you hadnt watched all the Dave stuff before doing it.
Even though I do agree that season 6 is peak Red Dwarf, season 8 is the one I have the most fun with. I really like the concept of them in the brig of the ship and the return of the crew is a really nice change of pace
Just finished series 5 earlier, Ghosts is honestly just such a special show. I think I have to agree with your top choice, Pat is definitely the funniest 😂
I'll be honest, while seasons 5 and 6 are my absolute favourites, I've absolutely adored 10, 11 and 12. They really pulled the series back after the stumble of Back To Earth.
I was born in 1985 so I started watching Red Dwarf from season 3 onwards. This was absolutely must watch tele along with Star Trek The Next Gen, and while on a smaller scale I didn't think it looked cheaper. The best season by far has to be season 5 as every episode is iconic. Half of what made Red Dwarf was the characters being lost in space just looking for a good time and being forced to coexist with each other out of necessity while all having vastly different personalities. The other half was the amazingly funny situations they would be put in by using classic sci-fi tropes/mechanics, like time travel, or replicators, or a morphing alien, or virtual reality, etc. Dare I say it was more imaginative than Star Trek. Unfortunately, after a 4 year gap from season 6, they came back with season 7 and I was greatly disappointed. while the first episode had quite a good sci-fi concept with the President Kennedy shooting the comedy was really lacking. The rest of the season just got worse. Rimmer being replaced by Kochanski just sucked. Something about the dynamic was lost and also by having the crew returned in season 8 too. The great sc-fi situations had mostly gone as well. The only bit I think I cracked a smile at was when they were being knocked about all over the captain's quarters. And the change to Kryten's character was just weird. He wasn't one of the boys anymore and neither was Kochanski. Obviously I'm showing my own bias here but that is what the show established what it was at it's core. It was a British show for lads or maybe anyone who likes laddish stuff. I believe I watched Back to Earth and was so fed up it I just abandoned ship. I found out years later that Rob Grant had left after season 6 and it definitely shows. I suspect he was vital to coming up with the core ideas of the show. I will always have a fond place for Red Dwarf seasons 1-6 (with 1+2 acting as prequels for me). Seasons 4-6 will always be some of the best tele I have ever seen and that is due to the writing and is a testament to the writing talent we used to have in this country. Other than the first season of Noel Fieldings Luxury Comedy I don't think I've seen such quality British writing since the days of the IT Crowd which ended in 2010. Maybe one day that will change back and we can have a comedy renaissance.
I'm personally torn between s4 and s6 as my favourite. I really liked the inclusion of a narrative arc in s6 along with the recurring Space Corp Directive jokes. Limiting the main set to Starbug kinda made sense by that point too. Rimmerworld might be my favourite episode here. S7 was a dissapointment although Duct Soup stands out for me, exploring the new character dynamics with a more modest plot. I enjoyed s8 a lot more at the time, as a whole it has merit although in hindsight it seems a little stretched for ideas after the initial 3-parter. The current Dave-era is unusually consistant in both quality and appearance, i'm not sure yet whether it holds up to multiple rewatches like the classics however. I hope we'll get a proper review of these on here too, one day.
My least favourite thing about 8 is how brief and disjointed it feels with all the multi-parters. Cassandra is a good episode and I would have liked more stand alone episodes
@@Henez89 Cassandra felt more like a classic season 1-6 episode than a season 8 episode to me. It felt like it wouldn't have been out of place if it aired the week after White Hole.
"Are you absolutely sure, it does mean changing the bulb" might be the greatest Red Dwarf joke ever.
Yes, I think it probably is.
Agreed, & Legion is my favourite episode :)
Personally I think it is also, I mean there are SOOO many, but that one does seem to stick in my mind as well.
It does of course mean singling out 'one head' of one crew member, but at least he has little to no pride!
@@Wooooobrucey I'm going with Rimmerworld, but there's extremely little between any ep in S6. And certainly 'little' between any eps from S3-S6. Some peeps I've heard talk of the 'classic' era being 4-6...I include S3 though.
@@carlhartwell7978 I think we're all beginning to lose sight of the real issue here, which is: what are we going to call ourselves? And I think it comes down to a choice between "The League Against Salivating Monsters," or - and this is my personal preference - "The Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Terrifying Organisms and their Rehabilitation Into Society." One drawback with that - the abbreviation is C.L.I.T.O.R.I.S.
19:41 the blue alert gag is one of the funniest things of all time, not just in red dwarf. When you see that one little box blinking "alert" and thats all that happens, i mean... ive seen that a million times, and its still funny every time. The red alert gag is just the cherry on top, and another cherry on top when Lister says "our red alert bulb"
As others have already mentioned, I'm also interested in seeing a Part 3 which covers _Red Dwarf: Back to Earth_ (IX), series X-XII, and _Red Dwarf: The Promised Land_ (XIII) somewhen.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize..
Yes please do a part 3. Complete the set.
I was really surprised that he basically hand waived this part of the Red Dwarf saga.
@@Its__Good If you mean a longer review of _Back to Earth_ and after, Rowan did mention that he hasn't seen everything that would be covered in "Part 3", so those of us who have seen all that will have to find ourselves a friendly vending machine to sit next to and wait.
It's understandable @@Its__Good
I listened to the Chris Barrie audio book infinity welcomes careful drivers 100’s of times growing up. His ability to do all the casts voices is amazing. Also the book fleshes out everything the budget couldn’t do. Highly recommended
I have to constantly remind myself that it isn't a full ensemble reading.
No, I'm not being facetious
Didn't have the audiobook but read my paperback 'til it fell apart.
Also, try Better Than Life, Backwards and Last Human. All Red Dwarf books written by the creators.
@@MrSatanismybitch it’s on RUclips worth a relisten Chris Barrie is amazing.
@@CrazyInsanelikeafox love these. Lister reads the last one I think
We need part 3 please the story isn't complete without it, and Red Dwarf deserves a fitting ending
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize..
.
Thank you so much for taking what must have been a considerable amount of time to put these 2 retrospectives together. You inspired me to go back and rewatch the show from the start! I don't have great memories of season 8 from when it originally aired, but am genuinely excited to rewatch it now after hearing all the great things you said about it.
Would also be really interested to hear your take on seasons X-XII in some format...I thoroughly enjoyed a good chunk of it honestly.
Thanks again
HELP THE CHANNEL GROW: www.patreon.com/rowanjcoleman
UPDATE: Thankfully after some thumb twiddling, RUclips has released the age restriction on Part 1! Thanks to everyone who helped give it a boost while it was taking a hit in the views :)
Use of the s-word perhaps? 😉
Can you enable the button that lets us send one off tips?
Listers Space Mumps too gory for youtube
So cool to see my silly US pilot remaster here, thanks Rowan, made my morning seeing that! Great vid btw, love it!
Happy too and done! Thanks for the excellent content!
You should jump onto series 10 through 12 as soon as possible. A great return to form and the last extended special was very good too.
This completely passed me by, back in the day. I’m going to watch it now.
DaileyMotion has nearly every episode for free online. You just need to include the season and episode when you search
I'm envious of you, I must admit.
You are in for such a treat!
It’s great
Yeah, series 6 is the pinnacle. The team at the top of their game. I was so haunted by the cliffhanger ending, and it’s strange to think that due to the gap between 6 and 7, that cliffhanger and it’s eventual resolution represent my transition from childhood to adolescence.
Same, but due to the gap, and Rimmed leaving in S7, I never really got back into it, despite trying several times
Same here. I've seen seasons 1-6 a million times. Then s7 about 10 years later and it didn't grab me so I've never finished it
Yeah S6 was a haunting ending. And definitely the prime season. (I love 5 though!) I always just stare at the episodes from season 5 and 6 to see which ones I want to watch again. 7 has some good gags here and there but nothing like before.
7 onwards is just not the same thing. Such a shame.
I’ve been a die-hard Dwarfer my whole life, and was tickled that these retrospectives came out recently. Thank you for all your time and effort. My adorable rascal of a cat is even named Miss Flibbles.
It blows my mind that the guy who played Rimmer in the USA series that everyone thought was terrible, was so good in Malcom In The Middle. He would have made a great Rimmer in later life.
I love how much Red Dwarf will explain complex sci-fi and physics concepts, yet is so happy to do the most enjoyably dumb and simple jokes. I mean that in a good way.
Put it this way- it's a show that explains things like white holes, time travel, different dimensions, and what are the most memorable jokes from it? Probably things like: the shrinking boxers, Mr. Flibble, the Vindaloovians, Winnie the Pooh getting the firing squad, all the Space Corps directives Rimmer thinks he knows, Cat trying to relieve himself in a backwards reality, "Everybody's dead, Dave", Talkie Toaster asking if anyone would like any toast, "Step up to blue alert/Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb" and so on.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize,….
I learned about white holes from Red Dwarf then later read an interview about white holes with Stephen Hawking, and I feel I would have had a harder time with the Hawking interview if I hadn't seen Red Dwarf!
"I've never seen one before, no one has, but I'm guessing it's a white hole."
@@Xondar11223344 Yes, and that same episode is probably best known for "Would you like some toast?" :P
@@Zelnyair "Oh, so you're a waffle man!"
@@Xondar11223344"A white hole?"
51:18 the whole red dwarf "remastered" was a trainwreck, like the star wars special edition. The worst offense is that abomination of a new red dwarf ship model in CGI form. The original physical model was a masterpiece.
I agree series 6 is outstanding. Every single episode is one of the best of the entire show.
I think the hideous flame out of the locker was one of the funniest gags they ever did!!! 😂😂😂
Really enjoy these retrospectives. This was the first one on a show I knew virtually nothing about. Red Dwarf is a British sci-fi comedy. That's was the full extent of my knowledge about the show. After seeing this I'll have to give it a try for myself. Keep up the good work, still waiting on the Stargate/Atlantis retrospectives
Part 2 was just as good as part 1 very well done.
I look forward to seeing Part 3 once you've caught up. And possibly a Part 4 in the future if they continue making more Red Dwarf.
It's a shame they didn't make Lister's lost arm permanent. He was shown all the way back in series 1 as an old man with a prosthetic arm. Epideme/Nanarchy would have been a great point to introduce the change.
Then again the SFX needed to give Lister a robot arm for every episode since might have been beyond the budget.
They could have done the winter soldier thing where he wears a jacket and glove over it 90% of the time
Yeah, season six was the pinnacle. A superb combination of wildly different sets, concepts and stories. All executed so well. I remember watching it as a lad and it was a true family tv event - mom, dad, sisters, brothers and all of us used to look forward to it every week. Very fond memories. Season eight is also notable and well up there as one of the best. I remember watching it for the first time and being bathed in that feeling that Red Dwarf is back after the disappointing seventh season.
Season 6 should be where you tell your friend who's never seen Red Dwarf to stop watching
Five was the pinnacle 6 was clearly a change of tone and the beginning of the end
Not the end 🤠 but you know what I mean
I disagree to an extent. I think Gunmen may have been a pinnacle but I also think six was the first time Dwarf began to re-using tropes and even storylines. I think the best way to watch Dwarf is to skip seasons 7,8 and 9 but I think the Dave seasons are good and even have one or two classics. It’s a bit like Columbo and 90s Columbo.
It was a family event for us as well, I remember being so excited for Series 7, counting down the days until it aired. Then it started.........and oh boy, was it a let down. It's my version of the AVGN's Dr Jekyl & Mr Hyde.
I still think that classic Red dwarf has some of the best written comedy I've ever come across and that every cast member brings so much to the show.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize…
2:16 I can't tell you how happy it made me seeing Mike Frisbie in this. Sci-Fi Saturday Night (although it started on Fridays) was a staple of my childhood, with Red Dwarf and Dr. Who becoming huge bonding programs with my dad. Frisbie's segments were like a weird fever dream, definitely the perfect setup to these shows!
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize.
Changing the bulb. I’ve seen it a thousand times and it still never fails to utterly crack me up.
suprised there wasn't more focus on the quarantine episode. surely the best episode
IMO the first two seasons are the best. They are the ones I always rewatch - great reminder of my college days.
Well, I was quite enjoying your retrospective, Rowan, right up until 37:37 where you mentioned Crime Traveller and unlocked a 25yr old memory!!
I had to Google it and ended up watching the 1st episode!
Remember watching it on TV back in the day as a teenager.
Cheers Rowan.
Excellent retrospective
43:16 this episode is my all time favorite, that scene at the end that shows all the light bees forming a ring in space was amazing!!
Series 6 is just so good, that in my own head it really ends when Starbug gets blown up in the last episode. It's fine that later series exist, and other people enjoy them, though. I just have a lot of nostalgia and formative comedy experiences wrapped up with watching the earlier series, as a child and a teenager, with my dad and brother. Another interesting overview.
Lister saying "our Rob or Ross" in the Ouroboros episode always makes me laugh. I watched this back in the day, and I still love the show now.
Man, thank you so much for all the hours you spent making both of these deep dives. You absolutely nailed what made Red Dwarf amazing and I think this might be one of your best retrospectives ever. Your love and passion show through, and seeing all this stuff again really hit me in the feels.
Most Red Dwarf fans have seen every episode many times (being the geeks we are), so I was quite surprised to discover that these fine Red Dwarf retrospectives were made by a man who hasn't even seen all the episodes yet! Only about three quarters, by the sound of it!
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize,,
Excellent review! I first saw Red Dwarf back in the late 80's on Georgia Public TV here in the US. They started Dr. Who back around 83' or 84' after the Britcom hour. They started getting other Brit Sci Fi, Tripods, Starcops, and then Red Dwarf. We didn't realize there were three seasons until we slowed down and watched the scroll at the beginning of the episode. Great memories!
Seeing Mike Frisbie's floating visage while you begin describing Red Dwarf's international success at 02:14 was a huge flashback to spending my adolescence watching Sci-Fi Friday Night on Iowa Public Television.
I liked the seasons with Kochanski honestly. The First season with Chloe Annette was just captivating and I will never forget the Nuweet, Ratoot, Hunungah rant, or the trainers in the fridge complaint, or the perfect cg teachers and perfect cg friends bit... nor will I ever forget the cottage cheese, but never ever with pineapple chunks in
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
..
The bit where Kryten blows up the Bennets ("Dinner is served!") is still one of my all time favourites.
The "rusty gate" story 😂
God I love this series. I actually hope we get at least 1 more series.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize….
God I love Red Dwarf so much. All of the first 8 seasons are great. To this day if someone in my family says "go to red alert!" another of us say "are you sure? That does mean changing the bulb."
Firstly I'd like to say thank you for choosing Red Dwarf as the subject for another of your most excellent retrospectives.
So.... Thank you :) You've put together a most enjoyable and comprehensive review.
Definitely agree about the added emotion and drama that Series 7 brought to the table. Love that scene at the end of Stoke Me A Clipper where he's saying goodbye, to them as Ace, but really a heartfelt one from himself.
It's magical to watch these unheroic, not particularly brave or talented schlubs transform into a relatively capable group of almost-but-not-quite-ever complete heroes. I don't think there'll ever be another sitcom like this.
Great work Rowan. I have recently re watched everything up to Series 8. I have found that series 8 actually gets funnier the more you watch it. I also agree with the Back To Earth comments. It was not very good and I was dreading what was to happen after, but actually as the new series have gone on, it has become funnier again and something akin to it's old self, so I hope you get to watch the rest of it. Red Dwarf is up there with Black Adder among my favourite sit coms along with another series that barely gets a mention but had me screaming with laughter, the roaringly funny Coupling, but I do not expect to see you do a retrospective on that!! LOL Great work as always
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
.
1:01:03 imo is the single funniest scene between these two. They have had a season apart and it's clear both Craig and Chris are very comfortable back together and thrive off each other. A season of pent up energy in lister makes it all the funnier with his glee at annoying rimmer. Fans seriously underestimate season 8
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize….
Well done Rowan, that was a great two parter. I really enjoy your work. Personally I love seasons 4, 5 and 6 of the show most, I didn't care too much for 7 but did enjoy 8 as the dynamic of a much bigger cast really helped to refresh the show and Mac MacDonald was a fantastic returning addition.
Look forward to seeing what's next from you.
Couldn't catch this part at the time. But will watch it soon. Watched part one live with everyone else. You really gave it the love and attention it deserves... but then again you do that with everything. There is an honest, warts and all approach to your work but any criticism always comes from a place of love. Thanks for all your retrospectives.
This was an amazing two parter, loved them both thank you so much. Will definitely revisit all the series from start to finish.
Hope you will make more as they were so entertaining.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize….
So cool to see my silly US pilot remaster here, thanks Rowan, made my morning seeing that! Great vid btw, love it!
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize.
Yet another TRIUMPH of a video!!! 👍❤
Thanks for creating this retrospective. It's been great revisiting Red Dwarf and hearing another fan's perspective on the later series.
Great vid man
10:30 I see what the US suits were doing - they were truly trying to turn Red Dwarf into an American sitcom. US evening sitcoms of the 70s-90s were written assuming the audience is distracted. They're having dinner, cleaning up, having family time, etc. These shows weren't designed to be watched, they were designed to be *watched at.* Hence the focus on standalone one-liners and a disinterest in plotting.
This same logic, btw, is why other famously well-written US comedies like Police Squad and Arrested Development failed. They demanded more attention and active viewing from the audience than they were 'supposed' to.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
…
Definitely a huge fan of red dwarf, have been since i watched red dwarf on PBS with my Opa. He loved BBC comedy. And thank you for making these videos! Fantastic quality and i Definitely learned alot about the show. Well done! Thank you sir!
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize🎉
Red Dwarf US:
So guys, this character is the slobbiest, laziest person imaginable. The worst person to be the sole representative of humanity. A man who has wasted every single bit of potential he has. He's so checked out of life that he fills holes in his trousers with spray paint..... Let's cast a good-looking, charismatic, we'll-put together guy and give him dialogue & characterisation so bland he might as well be a wax mannequin.
Whenever I think of the US version i think of Craig Bierko on Boston Legal dressed in a Buzz Lightyear costume. He's great but doesn't fit as Dave Lister.
Thanks for making these retrospectives, i feel like i learned more about the series as a wholw from watching your video as appose to the actual red dwarf documentary. It also felt a lot more engaging
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
…
I remember being so confused with 'out of time' and the cliffhanger ending, as between its airing and the next episode the following week (in what at the time I presumed would be the conclusion), the Dunblane Massica took place, so regularly scheduled programming was changed.
I enjoyed the run of RD on Dave, but one thing which was very noticeable was how dramatically they had to compress the episodes to fit the more rigid time-slot. Several episodes end so abruptly that my TV still has whiplash.
Especially Officer Rimmer
They still manage to reach their old greatness sometimes though. Fathers and Suns was funny and clever and is one of my favourite episodes of any season now. I love Lister arguing with himself, and the way he saves the day brings back memories of The Inquisitor.
Great couple of episodes Rowan. You keep doing great work mate. Thanks!
It is sad and I feel torn because red dwarf was never quite as good again as it was before the partnership broke up. But I can't really blame Rob Grant because you can't keep writing something you have no enthusiasm for anymore and having read (Colony), watched (The Strangerers) or listened to (The Quanderhorn xperimentations) the stuff he did after he left I'm glad he did so he could write the fresh, new things he was more interested in. The Quanderhorn xperimentations radio showis especially fun if anyone wants a recommendation.
My first recollection of Chloë Annett was in the UK/Japanese movie, "Learn to speak Japanese", (along side the actor who played "Pigsy" in Monkey Magic") which is why seeing her in Red Dwarf was SUCH a surprise!
It's a close call between Red Dwarf and Only Fools, which is the best British comedy of all time.
I wouldn't call Kryten a jealous housewife 'in contest' with Kochanski over Lister; I would call Kryten more of a 'mother hen'. ^^;
Having recently discovered your channel, I've been impressed and amazed at the thoroughness, accuracy, and entertainment of your videos. I don't know if you take suggestions for future shows to review, but might I suggest Primeval? It's a show I've thoroughly enjoyed since it came out. It consists of 5 Seasons and a 1 Season spin-off called Primeval: New World. While I unfortunately have yet to have a chance to actually see Primeval: New World, I have seen the original Primeval multiple times and it is one that I can re-watch multiple times and still get caught up in the story.
Red Dwarf is a series that I've loved since the very beginning, that I watched in my last years at Secondary School. I'm 48 now! I also really enjoy the latest Dave series where the comedy is just as good, the guys are still all on top form and the effects, CGI and sets are better than they've ever been. Red Dwarf has been with me for the vast majority of my life and I probably love it even more today than I used to. I literally near constantly watch the entire series from the start to the latest movie and I've been doing that for over 20 years now! It's a shame that we never got the movie when Red Dwarf was at peak popularity and I'm amazed that we never got a great Red Dwarf video game. There's certainly still chance on the second of those wishes. I hope that Dave gives us more series as Red Dwarf: Promised Land showed that there's still loads of life left in Red Dwarf (I just hope Red Dwarf isn't only loved by old farts like myself, fingers crossed it keeps picking up younger viewers to keep interest in such a great show!)
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
..
Lol, I'm 48 too, but kinda lost track after season 7, it never quite felt the same. My daughters bf (16) loves Red Dwarf, so hope isn't lost
@@stuartburns8657 cool it's great seeing younger viewers picking up on how great Red Dwarf is! To ignite your love for later seasons just binge watch the LOT! From series 1 episode 1 all the way through to Promised Land, I guarantee you'll soon get hooked once again. Back in the 90s it was series 8 that didn't gel with me at the time? Dunno why even? But on rewatching I love it just as much as I do the rest of it.
@@davekennedy6315 Will try to find time Dave. Did start watching from S1 with my daughter, but despite my love of the early seasons, for a younger viewer it can be hard work
@@stuartburns8657 yeah I get that, my poor kids haha! With others you have to space them out a bit more. You don't want them to hate it, so increase exposure time gradually haha!
Amazing video, perhaps a Red Dwarf marathon is long overdue.
When something original comes along people sit up snd take notice.
That "Gunmen Of The Apocalypse" sequence has Danny John-Jules dressed in a suit similar to Martin Short in "The Three Amigos".
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize😊
You mean when he was the Riviera Kid? da da da duuun!
man thats what i like to see after a nap, new content
And so, the epic saga of Lister of Smeg continues...
Hope you do a part 3.
The thing with Back to Earth was that it was suppose to be two parts. Part 3s budget came from what was suppose to be a clip show with the cast re-acting the clips.
this is probably my favourite channel atm... makes a change from all the negativity and "criticism"
can't wait to see more...!
I thought the newer series were pretty good to be honest. It was nice to get back to basics with the core cast and episodic stories. The more ambitious specials and multi-part episodes never seemed to pan out. I'd take series 10 over 7 & 8.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
..
I think 11 and 12 had some really good episodes actually. The banter has never been as funny as it was in 3-6, but there's some good stuff in there. Watched Krysis the other night - it's right up there I think. 7-8 are the weakest for me.
I'd take it over 8
@@retromuel sorry but Tikka to ride trumps anything from series X to XII. I liked the Can of Worms, officer rimmers eps but something is still off with timing, directing, set and props etc. I'm not saying they are bad. But the quality of the earlier series makes them seem more like a theatre show.
@@DirectorHMAN Each to their own but I didn't genuinely laugh once during series 7-8 whereas the last two series have given me a good few chuckles here and there and one or two of the episodes had quite interesting themes. It's all far below the quality of the first 6 series though.
Thank you Rowan for over 2 hours of enjoyable content talking about this wonderful wacky but frightfully intelligent show.
Theres rumours that Grant productions want to create a prequel so perhaps your RUclips essay isn't quite finished 🤔 😉
Thank you 😊
FANTASTIC DOCUMENTARIES!
You've earned a new subscriber today. BRAVO.
26:34 you have to adjust for inflation on that otherwise "£1500000" is a meaningless number. When adjusted for inflation from the early 90s, that would be like every season cost 3 million pounds.
Great stuff. Hope there is a part 3. There is still some top episodes to come.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
…..
Great 2 part documentry on Red Dwarf, earned a new sub from this, now to binge your other stuff, Keep up the great work.
This was a labour of love, that is obvious. Thanks very much!
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize.
Awesome!! Dropped whilst I was at work in Australia but looking forward to watching this later on! Hope the Smeeeg heeeaads don't block it again!!
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize..
Excellent work Rowan. Keep watching the new Dwarf. It never reaches the highs of series 5 or 6 but it’s comfortably as good as 3,4 and 8.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
..
Really enjoyed this, but it's a shame you've stopped at S8 and not blasted through 9 - 13. 10 onwards is pretty good. You can knock them all out in a few hours.
I gotta encourage you to continue watching the new series. They might not be as consistently good as S6 but there's definitely some gems in there.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize…
Another banger and these two videos are getting me back into watching red dwarf.
When you mentioned Hinton Battle, I was like i know that name!!
Sweet the dancing demon in Buffy "once more with feeling"
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
As a fan of Red Dwarf in the states, you really filled in gaps for me. Thanks for this.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize.
Excellent video. I'd love to see a part 3 after you go through the modern era (personally I love it as much as the rest of the show)
Also, the 666th like, what luck!
I think Kryten's development throughout the series' is some of the most consistent I've seen in any series and that deserves all the praise.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize.
Can't wait! Loved part one.
Series 7 was also delayed by Craig Charles being accused, imprisoned and then found not guilty of rape shortly after Red Dward VI aired.
I did not know that.
He was also acquitted of all charges I believe, and it was labelled as false accusations
@@jwalker117 Unfortunately, he still had to spend three months in jail and was attacked with a knife while incarcerated.
@@jwalker117 I said he was "found not guilty"
23:10 - Surprised you didn't mention the return of the OG Kochanski actress (Claire Grogan) in a cameo here.
I've just binged the new seasons post-Back to Earth and to be honest I think you'll love them. Obviously they'll never quite have the charm and heights of the original 8 series but to be completely frank they've done something great in managing to bring it back to what made it great in the original 8. Give them a watch, I'd love to see a Part 3 where you talk about them.
👆👆Hurry 🎉🎊 you just won yourself something from me
Send a message above for your prize
Thank you for this one too. I like that with Bab 5 you didn't mention the DS9 controversy and for this you missed the delay due to that false accusation against CC. Great work and just a little bit of a shame you hadnt watched all the Dave stuff before doing it.
Even though I do agree that season 6 is peak Red Dwarf, season 8 is the one I have the most fun with. I really like the concept of them in the brig of the ship and the return of the crew is a really nice change of pace
Just finished series 5 earlier, Ghosts is honestly just such a special show. I think I have to agree with your top choice, Pat is definitely the funniest 😂
I'll be honest, while seasons 5 and 6 are my absolute favourites, I've absolutely adored 10, 11 and 12. They really pulled the series back after the stumble of Back To Earth.
I was born in 1985 so I started watching Red Dwarf from season 3 onwards. This was absolutely must watch tele along with Star Trek The Next Gen, and while on a smaller scale I didn't think it looked cheaper. The best season by far has to be season 5 as every episode is iconic. Half of what made Red Dwarf was the characters being lost in space just looking for a good time and being forced to coexist with each other out of necessity while all having vastly different personalities. The other half was the amazingly funny situations they would be put in by using classic sci-fi tropes/mechanics, like time travel, or replicators, or a morphing alien, or virtual reality, etc. Dare I say it was more imaginative than Star Trek.
Unfortunately, after a 4 year gap from season 6, they came back with season 7 and I was greatly disappointed. while the first episode had quite a good sci-fi concept with the President Kennedy shooting the comedy was really lacking. The rest of the season just got worse. Rimmer being replaced by Kochanski just sucked. Something about the dynamic was lost and also by having the crew returned in season 8 too. The great sc-fi situations had mostly gone as well. The only bit I think I cracked a smile at was when they were being knocked about all over the captain's quarters. And the change to Kryten's character was just weird. He wasn't one of the boys anymore and neither was Kochanski. Obviously I'm showing my own bias here but that is what the show established what it was at it's core. It was a British show for lads or maybe anyone who likes laddish stuff. I believe I watched Back to Earth and was so fed up it I just abandoned ship. I found out years later that Rob Grant had left after season 6 and it definitely shows. I suspect he was vital to coming up with the core ideas of the show.
I will always have a fond place for Red Dwarf seasons 1-6 (with 1+2 acting as prequels for me). Seasons 4-6 will always be some of the best tele I have ever seen and that is due to the writing and is a testament to the writing talent we used to have in this country. Other than the first season of Noel Fieldings Luxury Comedy I don't think I've seen such quality British writing since the days of the IT Crowd which ended in 2010. Maybe one day that will change back and we can have a comedy renaissance.
Looks like it's time to cactch up on Red Dwarf!
loved this video but you need to watch all the latest series and complete the retrospective!
I'm personally torn between s4 and s6 as my favourite. I really liked the inclusion of a narrative arc in s6 along with the recurring Space Corp Directive jokes. Limiting the main set to Starbug kinda made sense by that point too. Rimmerworld might be my favourite episode here.
S7 was a dissapointment although Duct Soup stands out for me, exploring the new character dynamics with a more modest plot. I enjoyed s8 a lot more at the time, as a whole it has merit although in hindsight it seems a little stretched for ideas after the initial 3-parter.
The current Dave-era is unusually consistant in both quality and appearance, i'm not sure yet whether it holds up to multiple rewatches like the classics however. I hope we'll get a proper review of these on here too, one day.
My least favourite thing about 8 is how brief and disjointed it feels with all the multi-parters. Cassandra is a good episode and I would have liked more stand alone episodes
Yeah after the opener season 8 doesn’t know what to do with itself, it ended up pissing me off
@@Henez89 Cassandra felt more like a classic season 1-6 episode than a season 8 episode to me. It felt like it wouldn't have been out of place if it aired the week after White Hole.
@@Xondar11223344 True. Definitely felt like a bit of a throwback.
Season 8 was always what I remember from when I was a kid. The reboot ended up getting stuff thrown at the TV in my uni house be when it aired.
This 2 parter has been amazing. Thanks for making this awesome video
I watched every second of this. Thank you, really enjoyed it