Four Idiots in Deep Space Should Not Have Been This Funny
Nerdy Up North
The setup
After a radiation leak wipes out the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf, Dave Lister wakes three million years later as the last known human alive. His company consists of a hologram of his dead bunkmate Rimmer, a humanoid creature descended from his pet cat, and the increasingly eccentric ship computer Holly.
Red Dwarf is probably the best example of why budget does not matter nearly as much as chemistry. Some of the sets look like they were built from whatever the BBC found in a cupboard, but once Lister, Rimmer, Cat and Kryten are arguing, none of that matters.
Craig Charles and Chris Barrie are perfect together because Lister and Rimmer should never willingly spend five minutes in the same room. Lister is lazy, scruffy and somehow still the most normal person left alive. Rimmer is petty, insecure and convinced he deserves far more respect than anybody is prepared to give him. Watching them trapped together for millions of years is basically the worst flat share in history.
Then you have Cat, who can walk into a disaster and still be mainly concerned about whether his clothes look good, and Kryten, whose attempts to understand humans get increasingly ridiculous. The show takes massive science fiction ideas, alternate dimensions, time travel, artificial intelligence, identity, and usually uses them as an excuse for four people to insult each other.
That is what makes Red Dwarf more than a sitcom with spaceships. Some episodes are genuinely clever science fiction. Backwards, Gunmen of the Apocalypse and Queeg all play with ideas that a serious sci fi show could use, but Red Dwarf never forgets it is meant to make you laugh first.
The quality definitely moves around over such a long run. Cast changes, production changes and revivals mean it never feels completely consistent. But when those original characters are bouncing off each other properly, it is still one of the funniest British comedies ever made.
Positives
Brilliant chemistry, endlessly quotable characters, clever science fiction ideas and a proper British sense of humour that never needed a huge budget.
Negatives
The quality varies between eras and some production values obviously show their age.
Verdict
Red Dwarf proves that four great characters and a ridiculous idea can carry you further than expensive effects ever will. Smegging brilliant when it is firing properly.
