Rating: 
Summary: gaspacho soup
Review: a must have in any fan of this shows collection. great episodes and a great premise to a fantastic story creating a believable situation with one man, Lister, the sole survivor coming out of stasis and then finding out hes lightyears in the future after Rimmer didnt fix the drive plate. along for Lister's ride is a hologram of Rimmer, the computer Holly, whos only a head and one of Lister's cats babys turned into a human with cat instincts and fangs and a insatiable craving for fashion wear. wacky moments include where in the episode Me2 where Lister is watching the death of Rimmer, Rimmer yells gaspachi soup and many others. the ride is great and it gets even better and into depth later on in the other 7 seasons.
Rating:
Summary: Seinfeld In Space
Review: Don't listen to that detractor John Tilelli- He's just a pediatric cardiologist from Bumblehump Florida. I checked out his reviews. His idea of good Sci-fi is aparrantly limited to Men In Black II. I'm not surprised this was a little over his head. It's true that the classic RD foursome (Rimmer,Lister, Cat, Kryton) wouldn't coagulate until after this season, however, these episodes are hilarious and the actors are playing around- experimenting with the new format of television sci-fi comedy. Like all great English episodics, this series didn't need to rely on special effects, or stars, or gratuitous sex and violence. Not that I mind those things, but the English have had a television focus on story and characterization- and those two elements are very present in Red Dwarf. If I could get an uptown Bergdorf's fashion maven into this show almost as much as she liked Absolutely Fabulous, you and your friends will get hours of fun out of this set. Crack open a couple of cold ones, break out the store of marijuana gin, and watch these petty, inconsiderate, slobs go at each other- you'll see shades of you and your friends in them...
Rating: 
Summary: MAGNIFICENT series, overweight DVD.
Review: First let me say, that if i were just rating the series, I would give it 5-stars right off. Even the weaker episodes (mostly the earlier, and very late ones) are very funny, and if not laugh out loud funny, still very kitsch and charming.
And those of you who own the DVD are probably screaming maniacally "How could you want more from a DVD release!?" Thats just it, these releases are a little bloated with special features. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather a studio err on the side of including more material than less, but since I am of a mind to collect this entire series on DVD, the price tag is a bit inhibitive. I bought the series pack, where you get both seasons one and two for a bit cheaper, but its still way up there. EXCLUDING the multiple audio commentaries that accompany the actual shows, there is a whole DVD of supplementary material with EACH season. Each DVD has 90 minutes of documentary and other video, plus a cartload of other stuff, most of which I can't imagine looking at more than once or twice.
I'm not sure if some of the inclusions raised the price because of royalties needing to be paid, but honestly, an ENTIRE japanese version of the first episode is on the season one dvd. Its fun to watch it for about 5 minutes and get a kick out of the crazy voiceovers, but the whole episode? And the documentaries are far too long and poorly edited. You get the feeling they realized they had to have an extra disc to fit any special features in, so they just decided to cram it with stuff. Wether or not they could have excluded some stuff and made it cheaper, I can't say, but things like clips from the audio books (maybe a veiled advertisement), which I have read anyway, Isolated music cues, etc, make me think they are just trying to get a couple extra bucks from the cult nuts, which is great, but i'm on a budget.
That said, there is some other really cool bonus stuff. The documentaries, though they could be more succinct, are still full of cool facts and interviews. Outtakes are always great, some deleted scenes worth watching, funny commentaries, and some neat production notes and easter eggs.
All in all, if you like red dwarf, you HAVE to buy it, and for all my complaining, I'm still going to fork over the dough and be glad I had a chance to own such a good transfer of every episode of this great show. Its better to have more than less, but its going to cost me a couple hundred dollars to get the whole series, and half the discs will be full of useless ephemera like a geological survey of an asteroid the characters played golf on. Shave 5 bucks off the list price and forget some of this fluff.
In short: Buy it, love it, but don't get too excited about the towering list of special features (which is longer than the list of episodes).
Rating:
Summary: The Original is Back
Review: For a long time, the only copies of Red Dwarf shown on TV or sold in stores were re-editied versions with the more off-colour jokes cut out and CGI special effects shots taking up the extra time. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see the ORIGINAL VERSION back. I had thought the Red Dwarf I remember from college to be gone forever. I am glad the BBC has seen the light and given the fans what we want: the classic comedy series as originally shown. Series One is probably the weakest season they did. The show got better as it went on. But I would still reccomend these first 6 episodes to anyone who loves the show and to anyone who has yet to get a chance to see it. I already have got the show one new fan by showing these DVDs and will probably have more soon. Red Dwarf Rocks.
Rating:
Summary: I Wonder if they Play this Show on Fiji?
Review: For years I've been sporadically watching episodes of the ridiculous, yet side-splittingly funny, Sci-Fi Britcom, "Red Dwarf" on my local PBS station. Now the BBC have finally released too DVD the show that answers the question, "What would it be like if they allowed total idiots in space?" The show's premise takes place on board the mining ship, Red Dwarf. It is three million years in the future.Through various acts of ineptitude, crewman, Dave Lister is the last (and slobbiest) human left in the universe.But he is not alone.He is kept company by Holly, the ship's brilliant yet moronic computer. Also on board is the holographic image of deceased crewman, Arnold J. Rimmer. When alive, Rimmer was the most annoying idiot in the universe (think of a cross between Felix Unger and Frank Burns). Now dead he seems to want to continue on in that position.To round out the ship's inhabitants is a half human/half feline creature called simply 'the Cat'.Apparently he is the product of millions of years of cat evolution and has a prediliction for zoot suits, eating "little fishies" and spraying areas of the ship he claims ownership of.Together these four characters go on various adventures in stupidity, that make up one of the funniest shows to come out of British Television.The show is well written and the actors (Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules & Norman Lovett) are wonderful. The DVD, "Red Dwarf Series-I" has the first season (six episodes) which presents the origins and first adventures of the show. These early episodes are crude in appearence and special effects, but that dosn't get in the way of the laughs. The only thing missing is the hilarious, character of Kryton the Robot, who would join the cast in future seasons. The DVD itself is excellent featuring sophisticated, animated menus and tons of extras including a "Red Dwarf" documentry, episode commentaries (featuring the show's creators and actors), deleted scenes,etc. This DVD is "Red Dwarf" heaven. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi or British comedies or both, than I would highly recommend the "Red Dwarf" DVD series.
Rating: 
Summary: I was really disappointed . . .
Review: I had seen Red Dwarf on television from time to time on PBS, and I was really amused by it. It was just as funny as Hitchhiker's Guide, and yet at the same time, you could really enjoy the look and feel of the show, and the show's characters. What I didn't know was that I was watching episodes of Red Dwarf from seasons much, much later than the first season, made in 1987. The first season episodes in this DVD package, a total of six, are from a period of Red Dwarf where the show was still sputtering to get off of the ground. If something funny happened in an episode, it almost seems like it happened by accident. Note: An accident is not to be confused with clever improvisation. One of my favorite characters, the android with the angular looking face, that I'd seen on TV, was not introduced until season two. If they ever have episodes of Red Dwarf on DVD beyond season two, I'll be sure to buy them, because they were just so good to watch. One of the funniest episodes of Red Dwarf, which really wasn't an episode of the show, but an episode of a cooking show, with the characters of Red Dwarf, isn't available on VHS or DVD, but I can always hope that they will issue this for sale one day. . .
Rating:
Summary: Smeg! Red Dwarf is now on DVD!
Review: I have been a fan of the sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf for many years, in fact let's put it this way, I've been watching it since it first came out "cough-cough" years ago! So I am more than happy it is now on DVD, especially as two a year seem to be coming out and we are already on Season 4 so roll on Season, 6, 7 and 8 is all I can say! This is a great DVD. You get all the first series on one Disc plus loads of other extras on another disc. And who can forget the first series when we were introduced to the grungiest man in the universe, Lister, the most cowardly man ever (and now a hologram) Rimmer, an ever so slightly insane computer called Holly, and the last descendent of Lister's cat, known only as Cat and eventually Kryten the neurotic but lovable Mechanoid. This is British humour at its best, and over the years it has improved like a good mellow wine. I am not going to give an in depth account of each episode, just and overview of the ongoing storyline which is that the Red Dwarf is a deep space mining ship with a crew of thousands. However due to the ineptitude of Second Technician Arnold Judas Rimmer, that crew has been wiped in a massive radiation leak and the ship left to drift in space for millions of years whilst the radiation dies down. The only survivor is Dave Lister who was in cryogenic suspension after being punished by the Ship's Captain for bringing a cat on board, Arnold Rimmer's, now a Hologram (that means he's dead but resurrected in the form of a computer simulation but he can't touch anything) and ex-room mate of Lister's and a very human looking descendant of Lister's cat, who has all the vanity and habits of a feline that has evolved over millions of years. We are treated to a variety of hilarious moments as Dave Lister comes to terms with being the only man left alive on the Space Ship and in the universe, and his reluctant friendship with Rimmer (who he hates and loves in the same breath) his relationship with Cat and eventually the Android (called Mecanoid in the series) Kryten who joins them in one episode in Series 2 and then becomes a permanent feature by Series 3. There is also Holly, the ship's slightly mad computer, after all he has been alone for a VERY long time and two Scutters (repair robots) who have also become a little demented over the years, they both belong to a John Wayne fan club! This is well worth watching, and if you don't become addicted after the first ten minutes I'll be very surprised and you'll be a Smeghead! You also get the full six episodes on one disc, a collector's booklet and another disc full of extras such as cast commentary, deleted scenes, isolated music cuts, photo gallery and a lot, lot more!
Rating:
Summary: Smeg! Red Dwarf is now on DVD!
Review: I have been a fan of the sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf for many years, in fact let's put it this way, I've been watching it since it first came out "cough-cough" years ago! So I am more than happy it is now on DVD, especially as two a year seem to be coming out and we are already on Season 4 so roll on Season, 6, 7 and 8 is all I can say! This is a great DVD. You get all the first series on one Disc plus loads of other extras on another disc. And who can forget the first series when we were introduced to the grungiest man in the universe, Lister, the most cowardly man ever (and now a hologram) Rimmer, an ever so slightly insane computer called Holly, and the last descendent of Lister's cat, known only as Cat and eventually Kryten the neurotic but lovable Mechanoid. This is British humour at its best, and over the years it has improved like a good mellow wine. I am not going to give an in depth account of each episode, just and overview of the ongoing storyline which is that the Red Dwarf is a deep space mining ship with a crew of thousands. However due to the ineptitude of Second Technician Arnold Judas Rimmer, that crew has been wiped in a massive radiation leak and the ship left to drift in space for millions of years whilst the radiation dies down. The only survivor is Dave Lister who was in cryogenic suspension after being punished by the Ship's Captain for bringing a cat on board, Arnold Rimmer's, now a Hologram (that means he's dead but resurrected in the form of a computer simulation but he can't touch anything) and ex-room mate of Lister's and a very human looking descendant of Lister's cat, who has all the vanity and habits of a feline that has evolved over millions of years. We are treated to a variety of hilarious moments as Dave Lister comes to terms with being the only man left alive on the Space Ship and in the universe, and his reluctant friendship with Rimmer (who he hates and loves in the same breath) his relationship with Cat and eventually the Android (called Mecanoid in the series) Kryten who joins them in one episode in Series 2 and then becomes a permanent feature by Series 3. There is also Holly, the ship's slightly mad computer, after all he has been alone for a VERY long time and two Scutters (repair robots) who have also become a little demented over the years, they both belong to a John Wayne fan club! This is well worth watching, and if you don't become addicted after the first ten minutes I'll be very surprised and you'll be a Smeghead! You also get the full six episodes on one disc, a collector's booklet and another disc full of extras such as cast commentary, deleted scenes, isolated music cuts, photo gallery and a lot, lot more!
Rating: 
Summary: Stupid, boring, pointless
Review: I suppose that the idea of combining science fiction and comedy in a television series is appealing. It would attract a crossover audience and maybe provide some interesting unique dilemmas. Unfortunately this series is so badly written tnat the experiment fails miserably. The setting is as follows: The crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf was killed in a radiation accident. The only survivors are a crewman (Lister), his reincarnated cat (appearing as a Little Richard alter ego), and the holograms of the rest of the crew. They have been lost in space for a billion years and so are we. The episodes start with the ship's computer orienting us to the story - here's a sample: "In our last episode, Lister failed the chef's exam even though he said that he passed. That's about as exciting as it gets around here." The computer speaks the truth. I to exercise a lot of patience to get to anything that is funny or remotely interesting. The sets are terrible. The camera work suits an Austrian operetta. The reserved British laugh track doesn't help us get in the mood. The 'cat' doesn't help the plot move along and is simply annoying. Save your money and wait for something better to come along. BBC television did some great comedies. This, sadly, is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Not the most polished production, but Red Dwarf did it first
Review: I've never seen Red Dwarf and really had no specific interest in watching it. But my wife rented it, so it was only a matter of time before I was sucked into the madness that is Red Dwarf.
What is Red Dwarf? Why, it's Star Trek: Voyager. That not good enough for you? I speak as a Red Dwarf newbie, so if you're a rabid fan of the series you can skip this.
Still here? Okay: Red Dwarf is actually a ship. A big, ugly floating city. It's a mining colony, to be precise, and it's crewed by a bunch of folks who are much like the working blue-collar slobs you might find in any city. The closest approximation to the atmosphere is the workaday life of the poor saps that get eaten in the movie Alien. It's grungy, it's gritty, and it's very easy to identify with the crew.
One-armed robots known as "scutters" zip around the ship, performing maintenance jobs at the behest of Holly (Norman Lovett), the ship's computer. Holly appears as a floating head on computer screens; a balding, monotone-voiced face with bad teeth and deadpan delivery. Just about everything else has the possibility of talking on the ship, from the food dispensers to toasters. Most integral to the technology are the holographics, used to recreate one dead crewmember whose knowledge is too important to the mission of Red Dwarf. In essence, the hologram is a technological ghost, able to interact with everyone (even sleeping) but incapable of touching or being touched.
Our two main characters are Dave Lister (Craig Charles), an uber-slacker who pretty much doesn't want to do anything but get drunk, high, or laid and his manager, Arnold J. Rimmer (Chris Barrie), an uptight, neurotic stick in the mud. They hate each other with a passion, a problem exacerbated by Lister's insistence on bringing an illegal animal (a cat, played by...well, a cat) on board. This leads to Lister being put into stasis, a sort of benign punishment straight out of Judge Dredd: the prisoner is put in suspended animation and doesn't actually experience the passage of time.
Then Something Bad Happens ™ that kills off everyone on board. Except Lister, who is safely ensconced in his stasis prison.
Three MILLION years pass.
...
That's right, THREE MILLION YEARS. If there's a concept I had difficulty wrapping my mind around, it's the implications of what it means to have three million years pass you by. A lot can happen in three million years. A lot probably SHOULD have happened in three million years. But Red Dwarf had a small budget to start, so you'll have to forgive the three million questions that undoubtedly pop up about a ship in space for three million years. I mean, metal degrades in three million years, doesn't it?
Anyway, the assumption in Red Dwarf is that most things kept working as they always did. Which really does beg the question as to why there was ever a crew in the first place (and perhaps verifies Lister's belief that he may as well slack off as none of it makes any difference).
Lonely and a little crazy, Holly wakes up Lister. To Lister's horror, Holly uses the holographics to recreate the crewmember "most important to the mission," to keep Lister from going crazy: Rimmer. Rimmer's more or less the same as his past self, except he has a huge "H" glued to his head. Rounding out the cast is the evolutionary descendant of the cat Lister brought on board, known only as Cat (Danny John-Jules). Cat is basically Prince with fangs...my wife, who never saw the first season prior to renting the DVD, thought he was a vampire.
If there's a weakness in the show, it's Cat. He has little to do and is only really amusing to people who have cats, in which case he's either hilarious or very obvious. He does help liven the show up by hopping around and screeching in colorful outfits in a series that tends to have very little movement. There's also the dreadful long shots of the model that is Red Dwarf. These boring pans seem to take place every five minutes and make you really feel like you're trapped on the ship along with Lister. I'm not sure that's a good thing.
The humor is decidedly British, which is good if you're British and not quite as good if you're not. There are a lot of references to European popular culture that are easily lost on Americans (I know I was confused a couple of times) as well as 80s references that really date the show. Still, I was a child of the 80s so I got most of those jokes.
What's amazing about Red Dwarf is its ability to go for the absolutely lowest fart jokes and simultaneously work in high-minded science fiction concepts. Everything from faster-than-light travel, time travel, and holographic technology is explored at any one point in time. This can make the series both confusing and surprisingly fresh, depending on the circumstances.
The first season has almost no budget, but that only adds to the claustrophobia. It does have a lot of funny witticisms, but you have to get past the accents. Lister slurs a lot of his lines (as well he should), which makes him sometimes difficult to follow. But I find it difficult to be too harsh with the show...it's like criticizing an off-Broadway show for being off-Broadway.
What's most telling is how much Red Dwarf influenced other science fiction shows. Star Trek Voyager is an almost play-by-play rip off of Red Dwarf, down to the holographic doctor, the resident comic alien, and the fact that the crew is so far out in space that no laws apply. The only thing that's missing is hostile aliens, but I'm sure they'll turn up soon enough.
It may not be the most polished production, but Red Dwarf did it first.
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