Red Dwarf - Series 1 DVD > Reviews > Starting at The End !?!

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Advantages:	It's Red Dwarf !  !  !  !
Disadvantages:	There are only 8 Series  -  and no Blockbuster Film (YET)

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yes

Full review

OK, so it Red Dwarf. So what. Well for those of you who have never seen Red Dwarf, it is not just a Sci Fi comedy. In fact Red Dwarf also looks at human behaviour (all be it with a very "interesting" group of people). It strikes just the right balance between comedy and sci fi. In fact the sci fi part seems incidental at times.
Red Dwarf is the late 80's answer to Doctor Who and comedies like Yes Minister. In fact, this can be seen as a meeting of Dr Who (esp Tom Baker years), The Odd Couple, and Yes Minister/Blackadder.

Ham acting, poor special effects, low budgets all just add to the charm of Red Dwarf, and the way in which characters grow is wonderful to watch.

It has to be said that this becomes a classic comedy. Although the edges are a little rough, the script is brilliant. For most episodes Red Dwarf only used 4-6 characters (with 4 being the core in most episodes).

Listed below are some thoughts (but nor spoilers) on the episodes in Season One:

1. THE END
Laying down the major plot points for the entire series. This episode does better than most first episodes. The characters are all introduced in a clear manner, along with all their neurosis!
The niave acting adds to the charm - Craig Charles was an unknown when this first aired. It is said that neither Rob Grant or Doug Naylor wanted to hire Craig Charles due to his Liverpudlian background (they are both from Manchester!).

2. FUTURE ECHOES
A great episode. Watch out for the cut scenes and other special effects. Although the budget for the series was extremely limited, the effects with the charaters appearing twice in the same shot are brilliant.
My favourite scene has to be when Lister and Rimmer are having the discussion about Lister going into stasis. Rimmer seems to be having a completely different conversation - I don't want to give too much away.

3. BALANCE OF POWER
Lister decides to try and qualify as an officer so that he can order Rimmer to switch himself off and bring Kochanski back to life for a few hours.
I love the walk Rimmer does when it seems he has Kochanski's hips.

4. WAITING FOR GOD
This is the first time we really see Rimers obsession with aliens (a recurring theme throughout all the Red Dwarf series'). Also, the plot about Lister being the God of the Cat Race is wonderful (and very sacreligious).
Especially funny is the "virgin birth" scene. Even today I am amazed that this did not receive a backlash from people like Barbara Whitehouse.

5. CONFIDENCE AND PARANOIA
Craig Ferguson and Lee Cornes make guest apperances as Listers Confience and Paranoia.
Some great acting and wonderful lines in this episode.

6. ME²
One of the crew is doubled up! No I am not going to explain further. Again the ham special effects make this episode more watchable.
This episode really allows the Rimmer character to mature and become a central figure in the series.

DVD extras:

Although few in number the extras on the DVD, most are exceptionally well done.

I have an issue with the "Drinking" featurette - WHY WAS IT EVERY ALLOWED TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.

Also, I do not quite understand the point of putting the Japanese episode on the disc. Strange choice, but I suppose there was a lack of material from the early days. Maybe it would have been better to put on the unaired US Pilot (truely awful to watch but would make us appreciate the original even more).

As for the rest of the extras, they are worth the price of the DVD on their own.

The cast commentaries really show how much all the cast enjoyed making the original series. We get great insights into the lack of acting talent, poor budgets, confusion and how many problems that team actually faced.

In all honesty this is one DVD I prefer watching with the Cast commenteries ON.

There is also a commenty track from the writers and director. Although these are delivered with less laughter and mayhem, they are very educational to the harder core fan.

The Deleted Scenes are worth watching as you get to see how badly some of the ideas were put into action - thank god for editing suites!

Finally, the Smeg Ups are great. It is always funny to watch things go wrong, and with Red Dwarf this is no exception.

All in all this is a wonderful two disc set which is reasonably priced and will give hours of entertainment. If you are expecting better special effects or better quality acting than the original, this is not for you.

This compliation is for fans and new comers to Red Drawf. Anyone who can enjoy slightly jilted humour will find something to like in this. If you liked the Tom Baker days of Dr Who, Red Dwarf should become a firm favourite.