Red Dwarf Series II Overview

Despite the maintenance of the submarine-grey sets and beige uniforms, Series II of Red Dwarf is quite a departure from the series that began it all. Series II tends to be driven more by character action rather than specifically character conflict, while still delving into the characters' differing philosophies. Lister is still fairly slobby, but less so, and starts to move towards his "philosophical space bum" role, while Rimmer, despite probably being more neurotic than ever, is less like Lister's aggravatingly petty and pompous boss and more like his slightly sad roommate. Cat feels a bit like "Lister's sidekick", as rather than occasionally showing up he seems to be around more regularly, and the two of them hang out together in "Better Than Life" and "Stasis Leak", and work together in "Queeg". Holly gets some more verbal tics and personality quirks. There's more adventure and an early sense, in episodes like "Kryten" and "Queeg", of the characters as a team rather than individuals with markedly separate agendas.

As such the crew starts leaving Red Dwarf regularly, and this is ably supported by some excellent model work and composite shots, which for the moon visited in "Thanks For The Memory" and for the observation dome on the ship are remarkably effective. Some of the location shooting in "Better Than Life" doesn't really work, but other than that it's generally quite nice to watch despite obvious budgetary limitations. The sets have also been brightened up as much as possible, from screens in the remodelled drive room down to blue paint on the rivets in the sleeping quarters. The obvious standout addition is of course the huge inflatable banana, which draws the eye in Lister and Rimmer's accommodation to the extent that I almost think of Series II as "the one with the banana." Despite the fact that this was apparently just a random piece of set dressing by assistant floor manager Dona DiStefano (who appears as Kochanski in the final scene of "Stasis Leak") I find something whimsically amusing about it within the fiction of the show, as if one decoration Lister and Rimmer could definitely agree upon was having a big inflatable banana by the window. It also seems to tie in nicely with the underlying concept, expressed in the theme song, of longing for an escape to a tropical paradise.

Series II also moves away from Series I's tendency towards having what almost constituted an ongoing plot in order to portray more distinct and self-contained events. Unlike what occasionally happened in Series I, events are generally resolved by the end of the episode, such that the next episode is something largely unrelated. This would similarly set the tone for Series III, and in that regard, despite retaining much of the "look" of Series I and the fact that it's still largely the original four characters, it moves substantially towards the "settled" feel of Red Dwarf for the subsequent few series. Effectively, however, it's something of a halfway house, with episodes exploring the characters, like "Thanks For The Memory", perhaps evoking Series I to an extent, while "sci-fi gimmick of the week" episodes like "Better Than Life" and "Stasis Leak" start to crop up, which would become more commonplace in Series III. Series II is still fairly light on action, but it strikes a fairly good balance in terms of what had been the show's initial strengths, and the strengths that would be developed more fully in later years.

In general, Series II is strong, although I'd argue that "Stasis Leak" and "Parallel Universe" somewhat represent dips in the effectiveness of ideas or fulfilment of the narrative. On the other hand, I would argue that "Kryten", "Thanks For The Memory" and "Queeg" are some of the best episodes in the show's original run. Personally I find that the movement towards a more episodic writing style made the less effective episodes more difficult to disguise, as by contrast I think that Series I, with its very limited cast and sets, feels more consistent across its run than this. Nonetheless, it's natural that with a bit of experimentation and movement away from an established form, as well as the need to produce more stories, there's the chance of elements being hit and miss. It doesn't alter the fact that Series II is definitely one of the overall highlights of Red Dwarf's history.

Red Dwarf Series III Overview

Series III is when the look and feel of Red Dwarf would come to be a bit more "settled". Grant and Naylor would take a more hands-on role in production, and a new look in terms of both costumes and sets was established through the work of Howard Burden and the late Mel Bibby respectively. The show also built upon some of Series II's tonal shifts to delve further into an action-adventure setup in addition to the sci-fi comedy, with a new rock-guitar fast-cut opening sequence reflecting the shift to a livelier universe than the one found in the first two series, now featuring strange space phenomena, genetically-engineered monsters, time-travelling developing fluid and deranged domestic androids.

The series is also noteworthy for two major cast changes: the recasting of Holly with Hattie Hayridge in the role and the casting of Robert Llewellyn as Kryten, turning the guest role portrayed by David Ross in Series II into a regular character and making the show more of an ensemble piece. The cast move further towards being a sort of squad or team, with their computer in support. Perhaps it's just that I knew he was coming, but Robert Llewellyn fits in effortlessly as Kryten, and the character feels like a natural addition to the cast. Holly has less to do than ever, unfortunately. I wonder, had Norman Lovett's travel arrangements been sorted out such that he could stick around, if he would have moaned and complained enough that Holly got a bigger role.

These changes also make for a bit of a departure from Series I and II's common focus on long conversational scenes between Lister and Rimmer in which they spar with each other and discuss their various life experiences. While one episode, "Marooned", is still devoted to this, these staple scenes only really crop up elsewhere in Series III in "Bodyswap", in which they largely service the plot, and "The Last Day". Supposedly this was to a degree instigated by a somewhat poor offscreen relationship at the time between Craig Charles and Chris Barrie, although the extent of this seems questionable. Craig Charles seems to attribute such a situation these days largely to his own immaturity at the time, although Chris Barrie charitably seems to accept some of the blame, describing a "competitive" environment in rehearsals. I get the impression, in any event, that stories of friction between them may have been somewhat exaggerated, and it's probable that Grant and Naylor wanted to change things up anyway. It seems highly unlikely to me that "Marooned" would have been made if the show was to any extent trying to avoid having the two actors doing that kind of one-on-one material together.

One thing I've noticed about Series III on rewatch, if I was to criticise it for anything in general, is that at times it can be a bit, well, "twee". Things like "the Red Dwarf shuffle", Smeg and the Heads and the "special mechanoid menu" come across at points as rather corny from a modern point of view, not unlike Miranda the Mermaid or some of the female-opposite jokes from Series II. I'd also argue that "Backwards", "Bodyswap" and "Timeslides" are all rather gimmicky episodes in which a central effects-driven conceit dominates the story, and not necessarily to its advantage. On the other hand, at times Series III can be quite dark and character-driven, as Lister faces apparent death with only Rimmer for company in "Marooned" and when Kryten confronts what he believes to be his doom in "The Last Day".

As is usual for Red Dwarf, the strongest episodes are those which explore the characters and what makes them the people they are, which is something we get in the two episodes I just mentioned, along with, to an extent, "Polymorph". Nonetheless, there is still a lot of good model work and the location shooting is, by and large, effective, and does not demand too much suspension of disbelief. Series III sets the standard for what Red Dwarf would find itself most consistently comfortable being, yet I feel reasonably confident in arguing that these were still early steps, setting a foundation for the show to improve in subsequent series.

Red Dwarf Series IV Overview

To a comparable extent to Series III, Series IV of Red Dwarf feels like the show at, perhaps, its most "friendly". There's not a great deal of interpersonal conflict between the characters, when they're in mortal danger it's not treated in a particularly dramatic fashion, the science-fiction concepts are comfortably vague and unrealistic, and they meet a variety of oddball characters. I'd almost be inclined to say that, despite dealing with some reasonably weighty themes in several episodes, this is Red Dwarf at perhaps its most pleasantly light-hearted, as opposed to, say, the farcical comedy of Series VIII.

Series IV increases the amount of time the characters spend off the ship, visiting other locations and travelling either aboard the now-ubiquitous Starbug or through other means. It more firmly establishes a wider universe, as we begin to discover, as Red Dwarf makes its slow return journey to Earth, a galaxy littered with the detritus of an extinct human civilisation, the artefacts of which now are scattered across space. The show comes up with more and more interesting ways to have guest characters despite the lack of humans; this series notably first introduces the term "GELF", Genetically-Engineered Life Form, as well as the concept of simulants as danger lurking in deep space, both of which would become staples of the show in future years.

A couple of episodes explore Kryten's character, a couple explore Rimmer's and one juxtaposes Lister and Rimmer's attitudes towards war and violent conflict. The series also sees the previous storyline being adjusted somewhat in order to accommodate ideas Grant and Naylor developed in the Red Dwarf novels: the idea that Red Dwarf had a crew of over one thousand people, and that Lister had, in fact, had a brief relationship with Kristine Kochanski rather than simply admiring her from afar. Both of these ideas would resurface more prominently in the Doug Naylor-only era from Series VII onwards. Series IV also sees, for the first time, an episode adapting a story from the novels rather than the reverse, as the "pool with planets" concept originated in the novel Better Than Life.

Series IV, to the best of my knowledge, sees few design changes relative to Series III, as the show's look seems to have been firmly established at this point. I think Lister gets his even bigger furry hat in this series, which I think rather suits the character, and Cat has some particularly bizarre outfits, particularly in "Justice" and "Dimension Jump". I've often thought that Kryten has an extremely rectangular head in this series, but the mask is obviously an improvement over the previous iteration. The series also has some excellent models, including the DNA Ship, Justice World and Ace Rimmer's ship, the launch sequence for which is very pleasing.

If Series IV has any particular problems, they might be found in a couple of structural issues with the writing for some episodes and some location choices. I would argue that the ending of "Camille" is a bit too derivative (much as "Back to Earth" would be 19 years later), "DNA" doesn't entirely follow through with all of its ideas, and "White Hole" quite clearly feels like two different stories jammed together. The location work used for Justice World and Waxworld in "Justice" and "Meltdown" respectively is not entirely convincing. Other than that, I would say that Series IV is a solid string of interesting and entertaining episodes and a strong continuation of the show's Series III reworking which, as usual, introduced some now-classic concepts to the show's ongoing fabric and featured some of the show's best set pieces.

Red Dwarf Series VI Overview

Like all of the series from the "Grant Naylor" era of Red Dwarf, Series VI is good. The shift to Starbug and the over-arching premise of the pursuit of Red Dwarf is interesting and it makes some very inventive uses of the various sci-fi concepts it deploys. It trims away any chaff by focusing purely on the four most major characters, and more or less gives each of them something to do, treating them like a team who are capable of cooperating while still rubbing against each other. In many respects it's a natural evolution of Series V in that regard. Nonetheless, I'm inclined to say that Series VI might be the weakest series of those "classic" years, not in terms of specific episodes, which overall are quite strong, but in terms of some of the composition across the board.

One aspect I noticed about this series upon rewatch is that a huge amount of the humour derives from the characters making silly similes and comparisons, to the point where it goes from the characters taking the piss out of each other to simply seeming to be in non-stop joke-cracking mode even when they otherwise seem to be taking a situation very seriously. The problem is not the making of jokes, obviously: Red Dwarf is, after all, a sitcom. The problem, rather, I would argue, is that the situations in which the characters find themselves are often so non-comedic and intense that the comedy doesn't fit well.

Something feels rather repetitive about elements of Series VI. Two episodes ("Psirens" and "Emohawk") both conclude with the Dwarfers chasing a GELF around Starbug's engine deck in their climaxes. A simulant ship and its crew are used in two episodes, "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" and "Rimmerworld", although to be fair they are consciously linked. "Gunmen" also features the characters inhabiting an illusion through a video game, as already occurred in "Better Than Life", and "Rimmerworld" has Rimmer in a world made hostile by his own worst traits, as in "Terrorform", and failing to get along with duplicates of himself, which already happened in "Me²". Furthermore, "Emohawk" is a kind of triple sequel, featuring a return of Series III's polymorph, Series IV's Ace Rimmer and Series V's Duane Dibbley – a character who had only appeared in the show four episodes previously. "Gunmen", depicting Kryten's subconscious struggle against a computer virus with metaphorical representations of death, peace, existence and the like, also evokes "Terrorform". The most creative and original episodes are almost certainly "Legion" and "Out of Time", which to a degree once again feature the characters failing to get along with alternative versions of themselves. Thus, while Series VI appears more fresh by exchanging Red Dwarf for Starbug and featuring an overarching plot, in some ways it's a victory lap for the show to rehash well-worn and previously successful narratives and plot conceits in a different setting.

Series VI appropriately feels dirty and grimy. Lister and Rimmer are both afforded rather unflattering outfits, Craig Charles being costumed in a pair of stained long johns as his primary costume rather than the shirt and trousers he sports in the previous few series, with Chris Barrie in a size-adding padded jacket which is very different to the svelte red Series V costume. It suits the more action-oriented narratives, admittedly, for which his rather formal-looking Series III to V uniform appears increasingly out of place, but it also seems to add a few pounds to him undeservedly; this is made worse in Series VII. The Cat's costuming is now largely based around changes of jacket with a single all-purpose undergarment, while Kryten goes back to being a bit more colourful.

It's worth noting that this series also sees some changes to characterisation. The Cat is now presented as the main pilot, with feline intuition and implausible nasal powers enhancing his abilities. Lister, by contrast, seems to regress a bit, with the scripts playing up his delusions about his musical talent and treating Kryten like a servant when previously he'd encouraged him to be independent. Rimmer is presented as more of a self-conscious and active coward, although the series' setting is used to emphasise his interest in militaristic order and discipline.

To expand on the point I made in the second paragraph, an issue with Series VI that I noticed in the latest rewatch is that much of the comedy becomes formulaic, perhaps as a result of behind-the-scenes pressure to get scripts written on time. I also understand that Grant and Naylor, after watching a lot of American TV while attempting to get the failed American Red Dwarf off the ground, became interested in a sort of gags-per-minute approach in which the characters spit out a new joke every other sentence. Thus the scripts tend to deliver a combination of the following:

1. An "old cat saying".

2. Cat declaring "we're deader than" some outmoded item of clothing.

3. Rimmer misquoting a Space Corps directive or similar regulation.

4. A joke about the shape of Kryten's head.

5. Lots of silly comparisons and similes, very much in the Blackadder mould.

I have to admit that even from the point of view of a Red Dwarf die hard like myself, these become a bit tiresome after a while. This, combined with the increased action and some excellent effects work, gives the show an even more intense feeling than Series V, and as a logical development of where the show had been going since Series IV if not earlier. Some consider VI to be the last "good" Red Dwarf, but I'm almost inclined to argue that, Rob Grant or no Rob Grant, it's actually the start of "less good" Red Dwarf, mostly due to structural issues with the narratives of several of the episodes, which I'll discuss in the individual articles, and limited characterisation.

Just as each of the four Dwarfers has a spot in Starbug's cockpit now, so do they have a clear role. Kryten delivers exposition and is used to make cooking and cleaning jokes; Rimmer makes snide remarks; Lister makes silly comparisons; Cat is stupid. They're meant to seem more like a team, but the relative lack of interpersonal conflict in more or less every episode except "Rimmerworld" possibly leaves something to be desired. Furthermore, most if not all of the episodes feature interesting ideas which aren't usually given the attention they might warrant due to the hectic pace of plot developments in the stories. Thus, while Series VI still has the "feel" of the "Grant Naylor" era in general, it also feels like the show struggling in a way that many commentators generally attest purely to Series VII onwards.

Red Dwarf Series V Overview

When talking about the "classic" years of Red Dwarf, the "Grant Naylor" era in which both creators were writing for the show, sometimes it's a little hard to think of things to say other than "this is good and I like it". This series is, as I understand it, often considered to be a particularly high point in the show's history, and while I'm not sure I personally have a "special" affection for it, I definitely think it's probably the most consistently strong set of six episodes from Series III to VI. More or less every series (apart perhaps from VIII, I'm afraid to say) added some new memorable thing to the "fabric" of the show, and Series V gave us Mr Flibble and Duayne Dibbley. There's far more to it than that, however, and Series V stands out somewhat from the eras of the show around it.

If one thing in particular strikes me about Series V of Red Dwarf is that it generally feels "darker". The characters appear to be in some kind of mortal peril in all but one episode and the quandaries they deal with typically seem to be of a heavier nature: the meaning of their existence and their inner demons and neuroses. In fact, virtually the entire series is about this in some capacity. It's also noteworthy that the characters spend more time on Starbug or in dark and dingy parts of Red Dwarf itself rather than in the brightly-lit quarters, which are actually only used in the very first episode and are then revamped to serve as the quarantine accommodation and the quarters of the good and evil versions of the crew in later ones.

The characters themselves are a little visually different as well. The addition of a long overcoat to Lister's fur hat gives him an oddly Russian look, while Cat looks more feline than ever with some quite heavy eye makeup. Kryten sports his most "boxy" head in this series, and arguably a more expressive one, but also quite pale compared to other series, contrasting starkly with the dark body. Although the green costume appears briefly in one episode, Rimmer primarily sports a red uniform in this series, which is quite distinctive but further adds, I feel, to the more intense visual scheme of the series, making everything look more darkly warm. Notably, this series would set the scheme of red as being the dominant colour of "soft light" holograms, recurring in Series VI and Rimmer's brief switch to soft light in Series X.

The series also sees some character changes. Something reflected on in "Quarantine" is the fact that Kryten comes across in this series as the "leader" of the group, and they seem to spend more time exploring nearby space and salvaging vessels, which sets up the narratives of three of the episodes. Kryten not only has to deliver reams of exposition but also seems to make many of the major decisions. Cat almost reverts to a Series I style role of hanging around to throw out the occasional one-liner and almost functions at times as "Lister's sidekick", whereas Lister himself takes on a more proactive role, perhaps implicitly instigated by his experiences in "The Inquisitor". It's particularly noteworthy that in "Holoship" it's discussed that he spends most of his time mucking around, playing games and eating curry, but we see very little of that in this series; there's less of the idle time-wasting that seems to preoccupy him in the previous two. Rimmer, who at times seemed to have rather mellowed out in the previous two series (with the exception of "Meltdown", mainly) comes across as more vindictive and unpleasant again in this series. The series is in many respects heavily Rimmer-centric, with the plots of "Holoship", "Terrorform" and "Quarantine" all substantially involving Rimmer in some position separate to the other three protagonists. Watching this it seems no wonder that many viewers, as I understand it, came to see Rimmer, rather than Lister, as the "central character" of the show, and I wonder if this is simply because, as the more psychologically complex character, Grant and Naylor found him more interesting to explore.

Series V is probably also the zenith of the show's self-insight and reflection on the characters, with multiple alternative versions of the characters appearing, most prominently in "Back to Reality". It's also probably the series which crams the most musing and philosophical thought into the nature of being into half-hour sitcom episodes, with plenty of consideration of what makes a worthwhile life in "The Inquisitor" and "Holoship" and the fundamental building blocks of identity in "Terrorform", "Demons & Angels" and "Back to Reality". The plot devices, particularly in "Terrorform" and "Demons & Angels", at times feel a bit "magical", but as this services interesting ideas and effective comedy it doesn't really matter. Series V shows how, at its peak, Red Dwarf could keep doing new and interesting things, and more or less encapsulates the show's combined strengths as both a character-driven sitcom and a contemplative science fiction show.

Red Dwarf Series X Overview

Red Dwarf made a welcome return in 2012, and by and large I was happy with the ultimate product. Budgetary limitations obviously worked in the show's favour, with the episodes achieving an "early Dwarf" feel by focusing on the characters. It's a nice-looking series as well, with good costumes for the main cast, nice sets and the high-quality filming making the entire production easy on the eye. Overall, this "back to basics" approach makes Series X evocative, in my opinion, of the show's notionally "classic" era. There's both camaraderie and conflict between the main characters as well as background character arcs for Lister and Rimmer, the latter dealing with his family history and the former trying to make something of himself and looking for Kochanski (who is mentioned in five of the episodes).

Series X has a very "red" look, appropriately enough I suppose for a show called Red Dwarf, and I think the sets and props are utilised well. Cat has some great costumes in this one, and I like Rimmer's uniform; it's a nice "hard light" take on the "classic" Series III to V Rimmer look. I know many people don't like the Series X Kryten costume, but I personally do, and I like the mask as well; it seems to enable a lot of funny expressions. That being said, the bands on his shoulders seem to be out of place and I wonder if they derive from the designers forgetting or not realising what the bands between the shoulders and neck were for on the old costume. Lister's costume overall is fine too, although much like Series VI's undergarment thing I'm not entirely fond of those red long johns he wears in a few episodes. The visual effects in Series X are a welcome return to model work too, with the ships and stations that appear in several episodes looking very believable and reminiscent of the old days. The cut-down version of the Series VIII ship model used to make a new model of the vessel is quite striking too, and I think it's appropriate. One thing I miss a tad is some of the effects work done in "Back to Earth" to give a sense of the vastness of the ship, although these probably weren't within the scope of the series' budget.

There are a few ongoing points in Series X that are a bit confusing. One of these is the concept of the "JMC Onboard Computer", which interacts with the crew in "Trojan" and "Dear Dave". The implication is that it's some kind of backup system which, in the absence of Holly or a similar AI, enforces the strictures of the corporation and facilitates the operation of the ship in accordance with the owners' policy, but this isn't made terribly clear, and at times it really feels as if one of the characters ought to point out, as I assume is meant to be the case, that the computer is enforcing rules and regulations that have presumably been obsolete for millions of years. Another is that, while talking vending machines have been in the show since the first series, this introduces some odd things like garbage robots and medical computers with personalities that never appear elsewhere in the show. I suppose you can just argue that it's a big ship. On the other hand, I like that they still give Starbug a look-in through some model work despite the fact that a Starbug set wasn't available; the Series reminds us that just because they primarily use Blue Midget in this Series, Starbug is still definitely present.

It's worth noting that Series X is a very "back to basics" version of the show, the ship itself only featuring the four main Dwarfers and a few automated services. There are no Skutters and there's no Holly or Kochanski, although the former is mentioned once and the latter mentioned in every episode but the last, as Lister is meant to be looking for her. This is worth discussing slightly further as an alternative to the "Speculation" sections I've done for Series VII and VIII. Supposedly the original plan was that Kochanski was going to be reintroduced in the fifth and sixth episodes of Series X, but the scrapping of the location budget made it impossible to produce the stories that would have done this. It's not clear to me whether scripts existed for this or not, and I wonder in what capacity Doug Naylor intended to reintroduce her: as a regular or just in a guest role? Personally I like Kochanski, mostly because I like the idea of a fifth Dwarfer, and I think there are things that could be done with the character that haven't been done yet, but I feel like the writing would have to be good enough to justify this, and not simply use her as "the woman". I've read that at Dimension Jump (the main Red Dwarf convention) a few years ago Doug Naylor said he wouldn't necessarily bring the character back, so who knows. In any event, given what happened in "Back to Earth", I'm inclined to think that Series X would have been too soon for the character to reappear, an anticlimactic conclusion to a new character arc for Lister. Personally I think a recurring guest role would suit the character more so that, as seemed to be the problem in Series VIII, the script didn't have to find stuff for her to do in episodes in which she didn't feature heavily in the plot. Supposedly they intend to make a couple more series after XII, and if she's not in either of the upcoming ones I think she ought at least to make an appearance in one of those last two hypothetical series.

Focusing on the show as produced, however, while I definitely think some episodes of Series X are stronger than others, and I think some jokes, plots and characters aren't entirely successful, overall I think Series X was a solid follow-up to "Back to Earth" and more or less established that the show could be revived and still be funny, exciting, and feature much-loved characters in familiar and unfamiliar situations. It's probably just a shame it took so long for this to be all figured out.

Red Dwarf Series VII Overview

There are a few different ways of looking at Series VII of Red Dwarf. You can think of it as the series that began the show's decline into mediocrity. You can look at it as a series that introduced some now-classic elements to the show. You can look at it as the series that convinced Chris Barrie to not permanently leave. Personally I think Series VII is a mixed bag: a series with a number of funny moments let down by unsuccessful core concepts. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is about Series VII that doesn't quite agree with me. I should probably, first of all, point out what I actually don't dislike about the Series. Firstly, I don't actually mind that Rimmer isn't in all of the episodes. That's not to say that I don't think the show would have been better off with him still in it. I do. Nonetheless, I don't actually mind the Lister-Kryten-Cat-Kochanski team. I actually think it works well enough. I also don't have a problem with the introduction of Kochanski. I think she freshens things up a bit, but I'll go into more detail on the character later.

One of my issues with Series VII might be a visual one, with the filmised video and a greater focus on single-camera shooting making the Series feel visually inconsistent. At times I feel Series VII is a little too glossy and shiny; something about it just doesn't look right to me. Whenever I think of Series VII I tend to think of it as something that visually sticks out from virtually everything else. The way it was filmed also means that it lacks the energy and atmosphere that comes from shooting in front of an audience. I don't believe that the show should slavishly have an audience; I think "Back to Earth" is fine without one, for instance. I just think that in this case everything seems a bit hyperreal and odd. In a way the whole of Series VII is a bit like the Rimmer Experience: there's a feeling of being somewhere in the uncanny valley. Obviously I'm also one of those people who prefers model work to CGI, and isn't too keen on the CGI used in Series VII.

Probably the main issue with Series VII, however, is the stories. We get a bizarre time travel story that completely contradicts the previous episode, a daft sendoff for Rimmer that is far too abrupt and simplistic, an incredibly overcomplicated introduction for Kochanski and absurd revelation about Lister, a bottle episode obviously made to save money, the show obsessing over Rimmer despite his departure, a nonsensical episode about Kryten, an episode with an annoying talking virus and a finale with a rushed resolution to the plot of the previous series. Some have described Series VII as "comedy drama", and while I don't think that's entirely justified, it's worth noting that "comedy drama" shows tend to occupy a longer time slot; usually forty-five minutes to an hour. Half an hour works for sitcoms; more plot-heavy comedy-drama writing needs more time.

As with the series to follow, Series VII I think tries to do too much. It's trying to carry on the Starbug-bound narrative of Series VI, write out Rimmer without writing him out too much, introducing a new main character, drive several episodes with a conflict between Kryten and Kochanski, inject some drama into proceedings and resolve the "search for Red Dwarf" narrative. It's odd to think that the show had been off the air for three years for various reasons, yet that elapse of time doesn't seem to have provided the people making the show with an opportunity to really establish what they were trying to do with the revived series. Series VII was the first time that a series of Red Dwarf ran for eight episodes rather than six, supposedly as a means of approaching the golden number 52 which would allow the show to be shown in syndication on American television. The problem is, in my opinion, that the humour couldn't sustain itself across eight episodes, with the effect that a few episodes seem to be pretty lacking in much memorable comedy.

One thing this series tries to do is generate a new conflict, this time between Kochanski and Kryten. At times I think this works, but at times it makes Kryten annoying. I also think it's let down by the fact that Kryten's just being irrationally jealous; Kochanski isn't particularly interested in Lister. It's also not really a conflict between their personalities, because Kochanski isn't given enough eccentricities. If they'd made her more peculiar their disagreements would be funnier and more interesting. I also wish they'd given Cat more to do. We never really get a strong impression of his opinion of Kochanski, for instance. Perhaps too much of this series was written in the belief that the abandoned "Identity Within" episode would be released and therefore the lack of Cat reflects an ultimately unfulfilled expectation that he'd be the focus of a whole episode.

I'm not overly keen on some of the costume choices in this series either. Lister's outfit is okay, but Cat's more uniform ensemble with changes of jacket over that set shiny undergarment thing is a bit visually uninteresting. That odd element of highlighting on the angles of Kryten's head always struck me as a strange choice which seems to emphasise the feeling of artificiality which permeates the series as a result of the other visual decisions. Kochanski's costume is dreadful and they really should have gone with something else; her more combat-oriented getup in Series VIII is much better, but completely underutilised.

SPECULATION

How could Series VII have been better within the limits of the practical restrictions in play? These are my thoughts.

1. They should have handled the character changes more carefully. Instead of writing Rimmer out and then writing in Kochanski in the subsequent episode, they should have had some overlap. I'm inclined to argue that Kochanski should have joined the crew in the first episode while Rimmer was still around. Secondly, I think they should have used Chris Barrie's availability more effectively. Instead of writing Rimmer out in the second episode, I think they should have kept him around for as many episodes as they could manage; another one or two at least. If you put together the stuff from "Ouroboros" and "Blue" there's at least room for an episode in which he features fairly prominently and one in which he's in a more supporting role.

This would have had two major impacts. Firstly, it would make Kochanski look less like "Rimmer's replacement", due to a more smooth transition occurring in which one character arrives as another departs. Given that Kochanski probably would have been introduced anyway to make the show more marketable in anticipation of the (ultimately unproduced) film which seemed to be on the cards at the time, this makes sense. Secondly, an overlap of the characters would avoid the awkward situation, which transpires in the series as produced, in which the show keeps reminding us of Rimmer despite his absence, making the viewer simply feel disappointed that he isn't around. While "Blue" is a decent episode which contained some important moments, I think the whole idea of it is a mistake.

2. They should have written in Kochanski differently and with a somewhat different characterisation. While I think the "she's from another universe" aspect is an acceptable method of introducing a long-dead character, the whole way it's established is ludicrously overcomplicated. My opinion is that something like this should have happened: they try to use some sci-fi method to get back to Red Dwarf, but it takes them to an alternative universe version of the ship that is falling apart. Before the ship fatally collapses, they find a stasis booth inside with Kochanski in it, take it and wake her up. Bam. Simple.

In my opinion, the problem with the way Kochanski's story is handled in Series VII is that it clashes with the rest of the setup. In Red Dwarf, the characters are stuck together by circumstances; as Lister points out in "Timeslides", it's like a prison you can't leave. The conflict comes from their clashing personalities. Kochanski, however, comes from a better life that she wants to get back to, which puts her at odds with the other characters due to circumstances, not personality. The idea that she has her own, better versions of the characters that she wants to get back to just make her seem like a visitor, not a new addition to the team. It also makes any romantic subplot to the series seem very out of place given that she has her "own" Lister (a concept that seems to be dropped after this series).

I also think a problem lies in the way that the writing tends to plump for a couple of soft options in the characterisation. Firstly, too often she's written, as the attractive female protagonist in a TV series often is, as the eye-rolling straight man tutting at the absurd behaviour of the eccentric men around her, rather than being particularly eccentric herself. She's just a bit nerdy and a bit posh, almost like a version of Rimmer without the arrogance and failed career. This has the added effect, as pointed out in the Series VII cast commentary, of making it a little difficult to imagine her and Lister ever being a couple, however briefly. They could have played up her desperation to be popular and liked by the others, or given her some other character trait to generate humorous conflict, although without making her just seem annoying. It's hard to imagine what these traits might be, however. What are the flaws of a successful, well-educated, well-presented person likely to be? I'm almost inclined to think that, in order to avoid the character being unlikeable, they could have made her someone who was over-enthusiastic or too inclined to be helpful or positive even when it wasn't necessary or useful, as a result of her desire to be liked. It's worth noting that, in the version of the flashback scene in "Ouroboros" used for Chloë Annett's audition for the role (which can be found as an Easter Egg on the Series VII DVD Disc 3), Kochanski actually does have this characteristic, telling a story about an accident with a truck driver whom she later drove around because she didn't want him to resent her. Why didn't this characteristic make it into the show as filmed? Similarly, while I don't have any problem with Chloë Annett and think her casting was fine (in fact I think she fits in surprisingly well, and obviously gets along well with the rest of the cast), given that she wasn't from a comedy background I wonder if perhaps the writing and direction needed to take this more into consideration. Non-comedy actors can do comedy, and do it well, under the right circumstances, but I'm not sure Series VII managed this, especially as the return of longtime director Ed Bye might have encouraged a "back to normal" approach which didn't necessarily account for all possible consequences of the changes made to the show.

3. They should have written Rimmer out differently. Bringing back Ace was, for starters, just the show re-hashing something they'd already re-hashed in Series VI. Furthermore, it's just too implausible; in the space of half an hour we're expected to believe that Rimmer is at least good enough to become a replacement to Ace. I realise they thought at the time that Chris Barrie was leaving permanently, although in the long run it turned out he wasn't actually leaving for very long at all. Nonetheless I think they could have written him out in some other way that made it feel more like the character could come back in the future. Of course he did anyway; I just think the way he's written out is too unlikely to work and kind of spoils the point of "Dimension Jump", which emphasised how much people were shaped by small experiences. If Rimmer can simply "become" Ace despite all of his enormous character flaws it just seems pointless. I'm almost inclined to say that they should have come up with some reason for Rimmer to be temporarily offlined (maybe his light bee got damaged or something, I don't know) so that the character could be more easily brought back, rather than trying to rush a meaningful departure for a character whose whole purpose is to be a useless, arrogant bastard (albeit one for whom we can feel a little sympathy at times).

I think Series VII had potential but some unwise writing and design decisions made it a flawed production.