Space Travel Is Lonely: A Video About Red Dwarf

Join me as I take a look at the British comedy Red Dwarf and the incredibly unique sense of tone and atmosphere it manages to create in its earliest episodes.
#reddwarf #retrospective #videoessay #bbccomedy

[@Atyir0Chaoschant]

I started to watch this show as a very depressed teenager and there was some sense of comfort and joy in it ive never felt watching something since.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, I'd agree with you on that sense of optimism - it's a show I've found myself coming back to many times since I first saw it when I was younger.

[@Atyir0Chaoschant]

@@DouglasRobson00 im from czech republic And here IT Is surprisingly very favorite show i also was Once on Stand up show with Norman Lovett aka Holy, very funny And Humble man, And also there Is from time to time Trpaslicon (Dwarfcon) which Is comic con about Red Dwarf, well the show was one of the reasons which led to me dating now my gf i can say quite surely IT influenced my life to a certain degree... And also Quotes from the show with friends. Yeah i love IT still :)

[@Atyir0Chaoschant]

@@DouglasRobson00 there Is something about main protagonist who Isnt typical die hard-know how to deal with everything smarter than most etc Its just ordinary not a brightest lightbulb dude with a Dream And with even dumber crew dealing with a situations dumbest way possible And yet Its still one of the best stories ever And i love IT

[@spongemaster]

I can relate, I first got into the show about a year or two ago during a low point of my life as an autistic adult with no friends, no job and no real purpose in life. I had seen a few episodes on Dave as a teenager and sort of knew what to expect but what I didn't expect was just how hard those early episodes would connect with me emotionally during this point of my life. There was just something about watching these two "losers" (Lister and Rimmer) alone in the universe with only each other and the Cat for company trying to make the best of their situation that felt strangely comforting to me. I feel as though series 1-2 and even moments of 3-6 were just as much a character-driven drama as it was comedy.

[@Atyir0Chaoschant]

@@spongemaster yes Its perfect storytelling and it isnt out of reach for the viewer to connect with protagonists, like if you watch iron man Hes a genius playboy milionare philantropist And it Is very hard to find for like 99% population to connect with but Dave Is asi i said just ordinary dude with a Dream. It stays on the ground with Its feet except the scifi stuff And there Is also good Budy to Budy smacktalk not the corny type like from Hollywood or other big productions

[@steviesstuff101]

"It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere. I'm all alone, more or less."

[@theinvisiblepantha]

Red dwarf is a fascinating, claustrophobic tragic, character drama about a small number of terrible people trapped with eachother and their neuroses. It's also a sitcom with crude jokes. Both is good. Genre is a starting point

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, I've always appreciated how the show was able to thread together these very disparate elements - that you wouldn't think would work together - into something that is really special!

[@Volcanopyre]

I only recently realised that Lister and Rimmer are the only people who could have survived to experience Red Dwarf

[@dars5229]

Waiting For Godot IN SPAAAAAACE!

[@ollyyyyyyyyy1352]

There's a bit from one of Holly's opening monologues (I think from Queeg? Not 100% on that though) which I think perfectly surmises the Vibe of the early seasons: "As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile, and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh, haven't you?"

[@MrMortull]

I don't mean to be one of 'those' people, but that's one of the most intensely British lines of dialogue to ever be broadcast. We're a weird lot, and like our comedy with a dash of fatalism (or at least laugh in the face of the inevitable). Even comparatively light-hearted BBC comedies of the time still had this streak of philosophical resignation, like One Foot In The Grave's semi-regular habit of taking a few minutes to ponder on mortality.

[@bluesrocker91]

That very line popped into my head the other day watching The Martian... The scene where Watney is explaining his dire situation to his video log, listing all the different ways he could die horribly, all alone on Mars, and I just thought it would be perfect to have Holly chip in with "still, you've got to laugh haven't you." 😂

[@taudvore259]

I think the nihilism works better in Red Dwarf than in stuff like R&M is because it’s part of the setting, not the characters. In many shows the characters have all they need to live a traditionally full and happy life but focus so much on how none of it will matter in a billion year when they’re dead that they don’t enjoy it. They’ve given up on attaining happiness and their misery is self-inflicted. Red Dwarf is the opposite. Rimmer and Lister are still trying to reach their dreams, and the hopelessness comes from that no longer being possible. Rimmer wants to climb the ranks in an organisation that doesn’t exist anymore, and Lister can never reach Figi. There are no more Kebab shops, but they still believe they can find their happiness and strive for it anyway. Rick and Morty makes me laugh and feel miserable. Red Dwarf makes me smile and feel cheery.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, I think you've hit the nail on the head, really!

[@rxblx2442]

Really well said! Which may explain why so many of us as teenagers related to and loved the tone of those early episodes.

[@hughcaldwell1034]

Yeah, I often feel like R&M is playing dress up with nihilism. They are in a full, burstingly vibrant universe and claim none of it matters so why bother. In Red Dwarf, they are alone in a vast emptiness and choose to live.

[@loadeddice4696]

In the third series (IIRC) they switch to a fancier bedroom set, which from a Doylist perspective is because they had more of a budget, but from a Watsonian perspective is because it took a couple of years for Lister to realise "wait if everyone's dead, I can just move into the officers' quarters". He had instinctively stayed in his crappy bunk because even with the entire ship as his oyster, that's where he lives.

[@ramonalavigne8953]

"There was only one after eight mint left. And everyone was too polite to take it."

[@leonsutliffe9572]

"shoes have souls" is still my favourite joke of all time

[@baronjutter]

I love the early seasons when it had this perfect balance of a depressing lonely vaguely hard-scifi with the comedy. It slowly morphed into more of a parody of its characters and setting that didn't take the setting remotely serious like it used to.

[@jamesramble1765]

I think this video is really well thought out and explores the side of red dwarf that a lot of us forget about, but in my opinion I think something that could've strengthened this argument of loneliness and the disparity of the show would be to refer to the book? I'm aware they're seperate canons but I think the book really helped me understand that the plot of red dwarf is honestly a textbook dystopia. In the few chapters where humanity is still alive and thriving they talk about the capitalist barbarity of what it's like to actually BE a hologram, how there is one per ship and if someone higher above you on the chain of command dies, you are immediately replaced and cease being the hologram, the fact that brands like Coca Cola used to own star systems and were able to use said stars to promote branding, even the drugs that are sold on Midas (where the book starts), one of them being the game-set that we see the characters use in both the book and the show but they also have a really interesting drug called bliss which lets the user think they're an iteration of God. These small parts of the world are written about as if they're thrown away for laughs, but if you actually think about it, the world of Red Dwarf is a dystopia and it's honestly really interesting that they chose to present us with this awful mirror on capitalism and property and then the solution to that problem being Lister outliving them all in cryo-stasis, which is what current billionaires are actively looking into! Great video, thought I'd add this on :)

[@schiz0phren1c]

@jamesramble1765 I liked your comment but have also decided to post one here to say that is EXACTLY what I myself would have said!(Bliss sounds like a helluva drug mmmkay!), however I would go on to recommend the other book "Colony" by I liked your comment but have also decided to post one here to say that is EXACTLY what I myself would have said, however I would go on to recommend the other book "Colony" by grant and add that there may have been a seed of genesis in it to Red Dwarf.

[@vishmonster]

I read the novel version and didn't realise that there was a show until years later, that was a very strange experience feeling the deja vu turn into nostalgia.

[@angledcoathanger]

Had no idea there was a novel. Is it any good?

[@vishmonster]

@@angledcoathanger It's extremely faithful to the show. Really no more no less. I wouldn't bother unless you're really overwhelmed with curiousity.

[@bluesrocker91]

​@angledcoathanger There are four novels... Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers Better Than Life The Last Human Backwards They're worth reading.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Totally agree. While I like more of Red Dwarf than not, there is something genuinely special about the first few seasons. It feels like the more robots and aliens and clones and soforth they ran into, the less lonely the show felt, until that feeling of isolation was gone. And the one time they recaptured it - the beginning of Back To Earth - was instantly tossed away by the plot.

[@StarvedForTime]

Season 1 & 2s bleakness were absolutely attractive to me as a teenager. I still think they're the best. The stuff afterwards was still good, but the yearning chasm was gone.

[@TyredCyclist]

You can also add to that feeling of loneliness that there were no aliens, every creature or race we come across over the course of the show are remnants of humanity evolutions, creations or simply left behind. I don’t recall it being explicitly explained in the show but it is in the first book that humanity invents the freezing technology to explore the galaxy to find new life and they find nothing. Love the video I’d have easily watched more of it!

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, there's a lot of really interesting stuff in the books - they may well need their own video at some point. And thanks - glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@seanturner1197]

I used to watch this when I was a kid. The one thing I really liked about the premise was the fact that Lister and co. Had free reign of the Red Dwarf.

[@mattevans4377]

I understand that people like the first 2 seasons tone and atmosphere, but Kryten should not be underestimated in how he rounds out the crew.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Oh, I do value the permanent edition of Kryten to the crew - I think it would have been difficult for the show to continue as long as it has with just Lister, Rimmer, Holly and The Cat. I do think that along with him (although not entirely because of him) there came a change in style and tone.

[@ListersHatsune]

Red dwarf is my favourite tv show - being responsible for both my username (a Lister s) and for a part of my vocabulary. The first 2 seasons are underrated imo. It really represents the British view on life. Life on Red Dwarf is bleak and lonely but they still manage to have a laugh. We all know a Lister or a Rimmer or a cat or even a Kryten so despite their flaws we can relate to them. It's in that bleak lonley and flawed life that we Brits find humour.

[@bluegoalie]

The older I get the more I see myself in Rimmer!

[@schiz0phren1c]

@@bluegoalie you poor bastid. Lister alike here.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@bluegoalie It's like with Spongebob. As kind you want to become like him, but as adult you notice that Squidward has a much more desirable life.

[@levandrone]

Red Dwarf, LEXX and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 are the best sci-fi shows of the 90's

[@BaseDeltaZero1972]

LEXX was wonderfully bizarre. The whole crew (bar Kai) were selfish degenerates, I loved them all though!

[@polygun1645]

Well said I totally agree. I always thought there was something special about the first 2 seasons. The Grey sets and that feeling of isolation combined with great comedy and some solid Sci-Fi concepts. Thanks for the Memory is one of my favorite episodes of the entire show. "To the memory of the memory of Lisa Yates". Great stuff.

[@ethanswanson9209]

Loved watching Red Dwarf on my local PBS station growing up. Great video, thanks for making!

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@pyramidschema8668]

I've always thought the first 2 seasons were special, more philosophical and introspective, and I think you've really put your finger on why that is. The show was willing to simply put it's characters in a vast, empty and uncaring universe and let them try to come to terms with that, in a way that the later seasons really weren't. Also the credits song, right at the end, there's this echoing metallic thud that just reverberates and fades into silence. The jaunty song fading into the void really encapsulates the vibe of those early seasons for me.

[@Enceladeans]

Rimmer in particular is such an amazingly-written (and played, full credit to Chris Barrie) character. He truly is a smeghead, but at the same time everything about his backstory is depressing. Rimmer constantly walks this tightrope where the audience is never fully sure if they should hate or pity him, and since at the end of the day the show's a comedy he needs to be funny on top of it all too.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Red Dwarf has a lot in common with Dark Star A bunch of bored, dissolusioned people trapped in a beaten up old spaceship billions of light years from home

[@DouglasRobson00]

I could be wrong, but I believe in an interview with the creators about the show, they actually cite Dark Star as an influence, actually!

[@bearfishpie4916]

I came here to say the same thing - thematically and tonally, Dark Star and Series 1 and 2 of Red Dwarf feel quite close

[@pkpckls]

Great video. The bleakness of series 1 and 2 (and to a slightly lesser extent, 4 and 5) are what keeps bringing me back to them to rewatch. The rest of the series just seem like the Whacky Adventures of the Catchphrase Crew which doesn't really appeal to me. The sense of gallows humour is almost a comfort, in a way. If we're honest the situation the human race finds itself in is not that far off from the crew of Red Dwarf's - we're stuck on a lump of metal in the middle of a void, with no way to get away from each other for a bit of breathing room, and (as far as we know thus far) no other life in the universe to keep us company. And we're slowly driving each other insane, so we may as well find humour in it wherever we can. There are some fantastic passages in Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and Better Than Life about this bleak side of things, they're such brilliant books. As an example the stasis pods are described as having been created in order to facilitate interstellar travel for the purposes of making contact with alien life - but humanity finds out, after years upon years of searching, that there is no life in the universe, they're completely alone. So the pods end up being repurposed as either methods of punishment for infractions of petty rules by people like Lister, or methods for people like Rimmer to cling on to fractions of their lifespan for as long as possible while doing absolutely nothing fulfilling with that time whatsoever. That's a wonderfully bleak sci-fi concept, and the books are full to the brim with them.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Oh, absolutely - I've actually just finished reading both books (I think I've got Last Human to tackle next) and it really embodies the early spirit of the show, and pushes it forward in a lot of ways. The way they re-invent Better Than Life for that novel especially is fantastically bleak.

[@TheEvilCheesecake]

Good topic, good video. I think the key to the show is the difference in how Lister and Rimmer respond to the idea of an empty universe. Rimmer is faced with how little he achieved compared to his giant expectations, now that there is no chance to complete them. Lister always wanted to be a nothing nobody, and gets his dream. But they both have to learn from the other: Rimmer learns from Lister to make peace with his lost and wasted life, and Lister sometimes allows Rimmer to make him achieve something real, since giving up on life will eventually kill the soul. Most people will resonate deeply with one character, and a lot of people will resonate with both. But as you say, Series 8 terminates both of those arcs.

[@ldawg7117]

This is my favorite show ever. Some of my absolute favorite memories from childhood are watching this with my parents Saturday nights, back in the 90's.

[@Tresspassa]

Really nice video. Thanks for putting it together; you've really helped me put a few things into perspective (and triggered a bit of a brain dump, apologies) and for that I'm very grateful. I was introduced to Red Dwarf very, very early on in life -- think I was only 4, maybe 5 (very loose Gen X parents who loved the show, wanted to share it), so it's always held quite a strange, nostalgic effect on me. That sense of loneliness, of isolation, of the sheer infinity of things; that was burned into my consciousness -- without me even knowing it -- very early on. That's pretty grim, but Red Dwarf always juxtaposed it with wittiness, good humour and frankly, humanity. It’s like this: when you see the face of the void what can you do but laugh at it? It's obvious that the characters will never achieve their goals, but they don't despair and just keep on going. They have faith that, one day, they'll find some friendly remnant of the human species or perhaps some way back to the past they cherished -- impossibilities, we know; but still, there is that faint little glimmer of hope, and that is enough. That is human. It reminds us that succumb to nihilism, totally, is anathema, abomination. Red Dwarf manifests a feeling I like to call the 'Miserable Anglo Outlook' (--MAO--) (other British works, notably Warhammer/W40K, also manifest this quite powerfully), put shortly that means overwhelming bleakness and terrible odds balanced by hope, humour, humanity... and plenty of witty absurdism. That's something I hope to capture with my own work, which (often unintentionally) tends to reference the atmosphere created by Red Dwarf, guess it’s in my blood at this point. I've never been able to finish anything (which takes us back the motivations of the crew, that very human fallacy to hold to goals you'll probably never accomplish just for the sake of having something to believe in) but one day I might, so I keep plodding on. If you're interested, here's the opening lines from the story I'm currently working on. I did not realise it as I wrote this, but it echoes Red Dwarf very powerfully: "The further out you go, it is said, the more dirt you unwittingly drag into the playground of giants. It was an old saying, an evil saying, one that sat like a spoiled ration on the tongue and the crush of high-g on the brain; but it was a parable nonetheless accurate to the plight of the LWN Velocity Drifter, a little mote of starlight streaking wisplike across an infinite tapestry of vast, impenetrable darkness resplendent with a million glittering eyes..."

[@DouglasRobson00]

Firstly, thank you - I'm incredibly glad that my video has resonated with you to the degree that it has! And, secondly, I quite enjoyed the passage of your writing - I'd agree that there are echoes of Red Dwarf within it, but I think that all fiction (and all art, after all) is modeled on what came before. I like to know that there are artists carrying on that spirit and pushing it forward in new works!

[@Tresspassa]

​@@DouglasRobson00 Thank you! And yes, I agree with that sentiment. It's important to understand those elder works, and to (quite respectfully) use them to enhance your own creativity, adapting and transforming to suit new meanings, characters, and situations. Storytelling really is a beautiful thing.

[@exa_eille]

25 subscribers??? Call it 26 now, at least. Insane to find a channel this good, this early in its life. I always adored Red Dward S1 and 2 and have never seen anyone else nail why I did so well as this video. The world of Red Dwarf is brutally dark and horrifying when you think about it too much, but the show isn't about that. It's a looming sense of cosmic emptyness that orbits the show and informs the characters. A show about humanty's eternal optimism that something will go well in the face of the greatest counterpoint, an entire cosmos of disinterest.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Wow, thank you so much! And yeah, Red Dwarf is incredibly special in that regard - its world is apathetic and hollow but to dwell wholly on that would remove the show of its unique magic.

[@shteevuk]

When you think about it, 'keeping calm and carrying on' is a very British attitude, isn't it. Life is terrible but at least we can laugh about it :)

[@deeznoots6241]

All I can remember about red dwarf is the intro song and every other word being ‘smeg’

[@MegaAniLinkFan]

I clicked on this and watched it thinking it was a video that exploded in views. But nay, it's just 305 at the time writing this comment. You deserve a heck of a lot more attention. You made a fantastic video essay on a great sitcom series.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you so much - I'm glad you've enjoyed the video! And Red Dwarf really is a fantastic series, I hope to have done it justice!

[@cikame]

Good news, it's got 9.4k views now :D

[@MegaAniLinkFan]

@@cikame HOLY CRAP in less than WEEK it's 10k now

[@otocan]

It's barely seven minutes long, calling it a video essay diminishes the incredible work of others in the field. If it was substantially longer and went into greater depth (the show definitely warrants it), then it might deserve to explode in views.

[@MegaAniLinkFan]

​@@otocan ​ It is not diminishing to those who make half-hour videos. This is an essay. The guy talks for 7 minutes about the brilliance of a TV show and reflecting the messages of loneliness etc in great detail and shows examples and refers to what he is talking about to back up his opinions and info. That is an essay. Read an essay you wrote for high school or college, which are usually 5-6 pages long. Most don't take you a half hour to read. I tested it myself by reading a 6 page essay I wrote for college at a steady pace and I still had time within the 7 minutes. So a roughly 6 1/2 minutes is the read of a basic essay. Lots of video essays are long and more like a thesis. It's still a form of an essay. By saying what you are saying, you are attempting to diminish the time, effort, and research into a topic he enjoys talking about. He constructed a clear and concise point without going off the rails. Because while it is fair to give your opinion that more depth could have been given, to say that only then this video would deserve views, but only as a maybe, is quite silly.' Where do you draw the line? Movies need 5 minutes? Shows need 10 minutes per season? Everything has got to be summarized in some way. This video was well made, straight to the point and wasn't wacky filled with stupid sex jokes. This was very much an essay format and I will stand by that.

[@TheMarc1k1]

I knew when I saw the title you'd have a scene from the observation deck, always loved that look of 80's/90's 'Space' on a budget and the soundtrack too, it's really nostalgic for me. You're spot on as well about that unique feel Red Dwarf has, I think a chunk of that comes from just how English the show is and the fact that (at least to my knowledge) we've never really had another show like it in the UK. I think the culture of the production gives such a fun twist, for instance Far Scape which admittedly is heavily US focused in it's story but due to the Aus/NZ production/actors has such a great feel of it's own.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, that observation deck scene is a classic, it really epitomises the feel of those early seasons for me. And, yeah, I'm not sure if there are any similar shows that have come out of Britain - I suppose that makes it feel just that more special, though!

[@purefoldnz3070]

I still believe that Voyager took the idea for the Doctor from Rimmer, they even have similar personalities.

[@Flabbergash]

My favourite show of all time

[@trance_trousers]

I watched the first episode of Red Dwarf back in 1988 and was hooked straight away. Some of the episodes have had me in tears of laughter over the years, and I have all of them on DVD now. A great series, with great characters, and tons of hilarious moments.

[@Waterhouse1666]

The first season almost works as a kind of magical realism. The last human being alive with only a talking cat and the ghost of a man who hates him for company. All his questions of meaning and purposes met with indifference from a senile god. Season one is my favourite due to the pervasive atmosphere of loneliness.

[@SamuelBlack84]

He discovers that the nearest thing to a god is him

[@TheGameGetterKuzuri]

It's always a treat to find new channels. Loved this bit of art you've made. Red Dwarf is a classic. I binged it last year at my lowest and I really really wish it had TNG length. But probably better that it didn't have that so it didnt get unimaginative.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you! I just wanted to do this wonderful show justice, really - and, yeah, as much as I would have loved an excess of Red Dwarf, I can't imagine that they would have been able to maintain the quality of those early seasons. I've enjoyed the revival seasons (that I've seen so far) but they're not quite the same.

[@spaceforce-girlforcejjwest2048]

I still hope they do a real finale and do get back to Earth for real. All well said on the show DR, instant sub to you, Sir. And a twitter share, hope it get you more subs etc.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you so much! And yeah, I'm not entirely sure how the series should end but I would like to see the crew get some form of resolution!

[@jennifererixon2578]

i often skip the first two seasons on rewatch because of how emotionally raw they tended to be. i mostly watched seasons 3-6 as a kid on public television so they are the most nostalgic to me, llewellyn's kryten and femme holly the dvds started coming out in the us shortly after my mom passed away as i was a teenager so the loneliness and mismatched personalities of the first two seasons were poignant at the time, reflecting the absence of my mom in the household as well as the growing tension between myself, my brother, and my father, as well as my emerging queerness which was difficult to express but maybe that's why i should revisit the first couple seasons. it's been a long time thanks for this

[@DouglasRobson00]

I'm really glad that the show and what I've said has managed to resonate with you! And I understand what you mean - the emotional honesty and sincerity of art (and those episodes especially) can be quite poignant - I do hope that you can enjoy them now; although they'll always be there for when you're ready for them.

[@shteevuk]

Nice video ^_^ I always preferred the first 2 seasons of the show, sitting down to watch season 3, that new intro sequence hit me like a truck, and I never recovered from it. I know the fans and even the creators both think later seasons are superior but it's nice to know there are are at least a few people out there like me :)

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you! And yeah, I've always really enjoyed those early seasons - the transition between II and III is a little jarring. I'll admit that I really enjoy those seasons as well, just for different reasons.

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

First 4 series are timeless to me.

[@PandemonicHypercube]

Oof, yeah I can see how that would suck if you'd watched it from the beginning. I discovered the show randomly in season three or four, so I was completely unaware of the tone of the earlier seasons until I caught some reruns on UK TV Gold back in the day. While the later seasons are my favourite, I do really like the bleak tone of those early seasons.

[@hawthornrabbit]

This was really good! The poignancy of the observation dome scene did always get to me. And yeah, I really thought the show completely lost its way in season 8, but could never quite articulate why - but I think you're right, it's that the show lost what made it special. A lot of the darkness was gone, and I think that took a lot of the punch out of the humor.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Wow, thank you! And yeah, I always really loved that scene in the observation dome, and to my knowledge the series never really tried anything like that again, unfortunately.

[@themarlboromandalorian]

I'm gonna tell you what I tell everyone. Science fiction, like all fiction, exists solely to explore the human component. Everything else going on in it is just a shiny paintjob.

[@benjaminwilson9007]

Red dwarf feels like home.

[@Pablo668]

Great into to this series and what makes it work. I don't know if it was ever done in the series, but I read one of the books, and there was a situation where Red Dwarf was accelerating to light speed because of a nearby Black Hole. The author played up the effects of relativity on the ship (it being so huge) and different effects of different parts of the ship. The most memorable one for me being, Rimmer calling Lister to come to his area of the ship, Lister goes there in what he saw as just a few minutes, but to Rimmer it took two weeks. Great series, great writing.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, that was in Better Than Life, the second novel! It deviates from the show a fair bit more than the first does and is a really interesting read, I found.

[@devikwolf]

Red Dwarf will always be a true classic. It was nihilistic, but optimistic. The characters, though all of them deeply flawed in their own ways, had genuine qualities which made us love them and root for them - even that smeghead Rimmer - even as we laughed at their misfortunes and well-deserved comeuppances.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, I'd agree with that - the character writing is incredibly strong! Rimmer, as a character, shouldn't be in any way sympathetic but he's so recognisably human that he becomes somewhat endearing.

[@devikwolf]

@@DouglasRobson00 I think the important thing about Rimmer is that he WANTS to do better, he wants to BE better. And once we know about the absolute hell of his childhood, and we see him struggling against his own neuroses and the baggage left by his brothers and parents, we can understand why he's such a smeggy git, and WE want to see him win because of that. He deserves a win, even if he's an insufferable jerk.

[@hughcaldwell1034]

See I don't think RD is nihilistic at all. Nihilism, how it's colloquially used, is looking at everything and saying "None of this matters." The characters in Red Dwarf don't have everything. They are surrounded by nothing, yet pursue their own meaning, even when it's hopeless. They live in rebellion against the absurd.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Oh, yeah - I figured that getting into an in-depth discussion about the Absurd and nihilism would take up another video in of itself! And I'd agree that Lister is probably close to what Camus would refer to as the ideal Absurd man, even if I think Rimmer remains in conflict with the Absurd - he hasn't totally accepted it.

[@hughcaldwell1034]

@@DouglasRobson00 Yeah. I haven't actually read much Camus but that was my general impression, too.

[@lunabourke3923]

I really liked Series 8, by then the loneliness factor had really gone, Rimmer was now a physical being, so his tragic loneliness felt tangible, he did not need the useless scutters and Holly to accomidate his most basic of actions, he felt too human. The Cat was much more ingrained, and felt more like person the strange vain lonely creature that he is (he is still vapid, and there are references to his differences, but they do not feel as alien. Kryten was a good character, but one that while clearly robotic, made life too comfortable for the others, he was another person Lister could keep himself sane by being able to touch and talk. He also, finally got a version of Kristine Kochanski, so he was no longer the last human (which I liked for Series 7, and again, it was already less present, so whatever, she was a good character) Basically, he was Lister was not so alone, so as the last series for years, it was a good concept to bring back the crew.

[@iamsemjaza]

Hope in the dark void. Dreams while drifting through deep space. For these, they live on.

[@heronoverdose]

Red Dwarf is one of the most comfy shows ever, lofi TV.

[@Bogwedgle]

Red dwarf, in the early seasons, is a show that has 4 or 5 characters, each very unique. There's the occasional alien or one off extra characters for an episode but they usually exist to reflect something about the actual characters of the show. Because it has such a limited cast you really get to know these people/robots/cats. There's so much time to focus on their individual quirks and interactions with each other and because of the excellent acting and writing they really come together to form a cohesive whole and you really get to understand who they are and the effects their situation has on them. That's the core of why the show is good to me and where I contrast it with a lot of modern tv that really just doesn't give the characters space to Be because it's too busy forcing its exhausting overly complicated often nonsensical serialised nonsense down your throat. Giving space for the audience to understand the characters in a personal way rather than just in their relation to the Plot is something I think so much modern tv is missing.

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

Great vid of a fab show. I always loved the shot and music of that viewing dome

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks - and yeah, its a wonderful moment!

[@ryeofthebeholder]

I love the sort of existentialism in Red Dwarf. I can't really think of many other pieces of media in its particular vein, except maybe An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs. Also, this is an excellent video, hoping you get more recognition!

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you! And I'd never actually heard of that, I've looked into it and I think it's a game I'd quite enjoy, thanks for directing me toward it!

[@monkeychat291]

Had no idea this show existed. Very epic

[@user-bo3vn6dd5z]

The first two seasons go hard. I remember watching them when they first aired growing up in Merseyside. This was before Abert dock had been renewed and it was just an empy crumbling epiphet of a once great city. Of course I immediately saw myself in Lister. A working class Scouser with a dream just out there surviving space. The melancholy of the first two seasons was everything to me. Liverpool was an economic wreck in those days but Lister gave us hope. Well at least us nerds.

[@ViviFuchs]

I remember catching a few episodes of this show on PBS late at night after I had left the TV running and then woke up. The first episode I saw absolutely enraptured me and I have been hooked on it ever since. I will frequently start humming the ending theme LOL...

[@Dreymasmith]

I have always loved Red Dwarf from the first day I saw it (back when it first screened on tv), and it is wonderful to see such an insightful and incisive analysis of what set it apart (would love to hear a similar dissection of the books). The one complaint I have about RD is that the first episode was such a high point that everything that came after was bound to be less than that. Not saying what came after was bad (although there is a fair bit in the later seasons that was... difficult) but that that very first episode was so extraordinary in concept, writing, character and execution.

[@DouglasRobson00]

A lot of people have mentioned the books and I've actually been working my way through them since uploading this video - and I've enjoyed them, so it may well be that they do need their own video! There's a lot of interesting stuff in there that reinforces the theme and style of the show whilst crafting a unique story that stands apart from the series.

[@TheToastPeople]

My old man still calls me Dave Lister

[@OrdinaryThings]

what is the song that opens this (great) video? Its been in my head the last few days and can't find it!

[@DouglasRobson00]

It's the music cue from the Observation Dome scene - unfortunately, as it was just intended as transitional music, there's no fuller version. And thanks, I'm glad you've enjoyed the video!

[@WezYouTube]

What a wonderful video. Thank you

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks for watching - I'm glad you've enjoyed it!

[@BrianM_3rd]

Boys from the Dwarf 🙌 God, Series 1 pixel-mug Holly used to frighten the bejesus out of me as a kid. Took me ages to be brave enough to finally watch the first few episodes on video! You know, they always said Lister was the last human alive, but... how did they know that? I wonder why Holly didn't just circle the ship around the solar system or something until it was safe to return, instead of plunging the ship into deep space. (The answer presumably being: "so the show can happen" lol)

[@DouglasRobson00]

That's a good point - I suppose maybe it could be chalked up to Holly's growing senility and strange nature (although that wouldn't really have been developed by that point) - or perhaps that he can only put into action what he is ordered to do by a member of the crew?

[@deathforyou785]

Man your Chanel is so underrated it’s unreal

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you!

[@user-od7nd1ns3h]

I realized some years ago that a bunch of the early episodes were about their primary enemy being their own boredom.

[@jasonotto9126]

Very nice mate. Short and to the point

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you - glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@brandonm8901]

This is the first video I've seen discussing Red Dwarf. Used to be one of my favourite shows but felt like no one else had ever seen it

[@fnord4960]

Red Dwarf holds a special place in my heart, it something me and my brothers watched late at night. Good memories. Thanks for the video, you made a fantastic analysis of the show. Oh, also I forgot to mention. Gazpacho Soup is served COLD!

[@Sydsourtrout]

Great video. Havent watched it for years but I’m going to after watching this

[@cillianennis9921]

You forgot one of the main characters from the 1st episode the toaster. A remember him best as he has the most untoaster attitude but a few other electronic devices have personalities & are used for silly jokes.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Would you like some toast?

[@RurouniKalainGaming]

Quite enjoyed this, thank you. Red Dwarf is 1996 a lot of. It was part of my childhood and I never did seriously understand a lot of the jokes at the time but it always made me happy.

[@olly123451]

God I’d love this video to be longer ❤️ but I’m excited to see what you do!

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you!

[@letheepirus2398]

you missed out on a grate opportunity when talking about the loneliness and finality of the show not mentioning the dying cat priest, there's a lot that could be said about that scene. one old guy meeting his god at the end of his life and never seeing his promised land, Lister desperately trying to make him happy just for the guy to die. poor dude been abandon by his people and left alone to die and Lister being the last human who will undoubtedly face the same one day? idk man there's probably some parallels to draw between the two. heavy sceen

[@cikame]

It's easy to focus on the comedy in... a comedy, but what always struck me about the show was its artistry, Star Trek was always around when i was growing up and i saw the odd episode here and there but being in the UK Red Dwarf was always on repeat, Star Trek had the bigger budget and more sets and aliens and lore but i always preferred the more "realistic" visuals of Red Dwarf, from the big ugly ship full of pipes to the paintings and miniatures of crater laden planets, the starship Enterprise is cool and all, but i'd take a Starbug any day :P.

[@Pumpkinshire]

I’d like more on red dwarf is all so many things you can dive into still from little jokes like how David is a chicken soup dispenser technician to the episode where ace rimmer showed up and showed how hollow the hollow graphic rimmer is because he just waste his life and feels bad without taking responsibility it’s a great example of the sci fi enhancing the show and there are so many guys you did not have time to go over I’d love an hour retrospective when you get around to it

[@bebopdedop8776]

Cracking video mate reminded me of why i love red dwarf so much

[@matthewstarkie4254]

Personally, I quite liked how Red Dwarf reinvented itself approximately every 2 seasons, and I quite liked season 8. Back to Earth is the only season I've really disliked, it had real "Dimensions in Time" vibes. For me, I prefer season 8 overall to season 7, though I think the best couple of episodes of 7 are better than the best of 8, if that makes sense. I also feel the last couple of revival seasons have stagnated a bit. They are ok, but it feels like they're trying to recreate the atmosphere of seasons 4&5 without really adding much. And whilst I enjoyed The Promised Land, I think what I really want now is a conclusion. A definitive ending for the crew before it's too late to make one.

[@DouglasRobson00]

I'll admit, I'm not yet up to date on the revival seasons as of right now - I don't think I've seen The Promised Land, either. I think your assessment of them is dead on, though - they're good, but they owe a heavy debt to that middle period of the show.

[@nebky]

Great video, although huge at the time, I i feel like Red Dwarf is so underrated nowadays. The first few seasons hold such a special place in my heart.

[@DouglasRobson00]

I suppose it may just be less visible to people today - the way in which media is consumed has changed so much changes the way in which people watch and find shows. Although it's sort of nice, really - there's a whole new generation of fans discovering or about to discover the show!

[@bbernard1981]

What an amazing show and cast

[@DouglasRobson00]

Agreed!

[@deafviolinist]

thought to try and give advice - but realized my motive was that I wanted to feel special by showing how clever I am. You made me feel special instead. YOU did that Fefe Dobson. thank you

[@celestialceilagor3802]

I think something important to point out out of the later seasons is that season 7 had both ouroboros and stoke me a clipper back to back - these episodes to me were the end of red dwarf or at least the red dwarf started in episode 1 and are to me the best in the shows history. maybe season 8 wouldnt get such a bad wrap if it weren't for these coming right before it but its not good to write off the whole latter part of the show because of it, the show changes pitch sure, and thank god - the only problem red dwarf has ever had is not continuing that streak and becoming monotonous in its more recent episodes.

[@reubenthompson9397]

This isn't talked about enough when people talk about the show, how that it's not just a man and his friends in space, it's the last man, an evolved cat, a hologram and a senile AI drifting through the vast emptiness

[@aalhard]

2:38 CARNIVOROUS 😂😂😂

[@VeggieGamer]

This was excellent, man! Really glad it was suggested by YT! Though I definitely didn't find 8 (or 7 for that matter) as funny as the previous ones like you say you did, this was a great essay about what makes Red Dwarf special when it comes to sitcoms! I feel that the show focused on us laughing 'at' the crew we loved at that point, where as before, even during the early series, we also cared about them (as well as laughing at time XD) Just tell me you didn't find the 'Reservoir Dogs' Dwayne Dibley bit funny! XD JOKE! Each to their own! :)

[@MadHax-wt5tl]

I remember, just before the series turned into a prison sitcom. the 2 creators of the show, Dough & Grant, if I'm not mistaken. Had a huge falling out about the direction of the show. They parted ways, and the snow continued the way the remaining writer envisioned it. I know I wasn't the only fan who wasn't thrilled with any of those events or outcomes.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Yeah, I believe it was just before the start of Red Dwarf VII, actually (although correct me if I'm wrong) - although another point of interest here is that after the two parted ways, each wrote another Red Dwarf novel which presumably covers their vision of the show's future. I'm currently working my way through the first (which is interesting, but mostly follows the show at this point) but I'll be interested to see how each of the later novels continues that narrative...

[@MadHax-wt5tl]

@@DouglasRobson00 I cannot correct you, because I commented on everything I knew. That and Chris Barry leaving because of a creative disagreement. And then he immediately regretted his dissension, and returned in the following series.

[@matthewstarkie4254]

@@DouglasRobson00 I don't remember which way round they are, but from memory one novel heads towards an actual conclusion, whilst the other ends with a more "and the adventure continues..." vibe. From memory, both used bits of episodes as jumping off points (or, I guess parts of the novels became episodes), and both were a little bleak, lacking the more hopeful aspects of the series.

[@all-aroundhelper]

The episode that got me hooked to this gem of a show was "Back to Reality"

[@DouglasRobson00]

That is a fantastic episode, to be fair!

[@niyanlan8928]

Cool video and a really interesting subject. The show really hit home with people of a certain age and, as you say, wasn’t like anything else on TV. Look forward to seeing more videos as your channel grows.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you so much!

[@ryanbradshaw3715]

Great video dude. Enjoyed this.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks - glad to hear it!

[@Arbiter-xw3ng]

Great video man, great fun hearing someone talk about red dwarf! To be honest, i love how lonely the show felt in those early seasons, but also enjoy how it started to become a more swashbuckling space adventure in the latter series too One thing i wondered, have you ever seen the original version of the series 1 finale or the novelisations? It really drove in how bleak they intended the setting to be was, red dwarf is one of the only shows I would love to get a full on remake of the first series so they could go all the way without pulling any punches and really drive in that atmosphere and how mentally draining it could be

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks - and yeah, I have been working my way through the novels recently, and they do feel like what the show could have been on a greater budget and less constraints, and I'd be interested to see them adapted. To be fair, I think a video on the novels might be interesting once I've finished them all!

[@macsnafu]

Only the British could have made a comedy out of such a depressing scenario! As a comparison, you could look at the show Quark, where our protagonists are essentially the garbagemen of space, but who still manage to save the universe every now and then!

[@The_Texorcist]

I first saw this one some channel (might have been Sci-Fi) back in the 80s when i was a kid and i loved it. Sadly it was on late at night so I missed episodes here and there PLUS it didn't always show them in order. It was years later when i was able to watch the show in order as a teenager and i still loved it.

[@DouglasRobson00]

I was fortunate enough to have access to the first six or so seasons on dvd when I first started watching it - and I think it is a show that benefits immensely from that format.

[@YahyaJammy]

Thanks for articulating a feeling I've always felt about this show - a lot of British comedies are as insular as Red Dwarf: filmed in a handful of sets with a handful of characters who only interact with each other, but Red Dwarf makes it really apparent that there is nothing at all outside of their lives that we see. I have to ask though, what did you mean at 2:33 when you say the ship is carnivorous? I'd love to see another video elaborate on that

[@DouglasRobson00]

I'll admit, I was using a little bit of artistic licence in describing the ship as carnivorous - I mostly just meant that it was as if the characters could be swallowed up into it with its many decks, floors, and corridors.

[@centy64]

Red Dwarf has been one of my favourite shows since the early 90s when I started with it and while I always have a soft spot for the first 2 series' more dreary tone I love it all yes even the new stuff and yes even Back to Earth which admittedly I did not like at the time but now with a bit of perspective it's as good as any of the rest.

[@GeorgeTheDinoGuy]

Great video. I love this show :)

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

[@jclark2752]

Gazpacho soup… 🥺

[@DouglasRobson00]

Soup-er!

[@daxxydaxxy]

Very good video essay i will be back.

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thank you!

[@corneliusmcmuffin3256]

As a kid I was legitimately traumatized by the episode where they go to the planet where time flows backwards, the concept just filled me with this existential dread I never really got over.

[@PunksterOS]

Lol, what?

[@AllenQuid]

I couldn't put into words what felt different about season VIII until now.

[@phillbarnes8513]

“Smoke me a kipper…..” 🤣

[@starfishdbz]

"..... I'll be back for breakfast." 😂

[@jackiechan8840]

Good stuff 👍

[@DouglasRobson00]

Thanks!

[@BudravenOG]

Id watch any video breaking down elements of red dwarf.

[@relwalretep]

I think you did a good job with thia video, I liked how you were willing to praise the points you liked and mark thiaw yiu did not without resorting to deep cinematic analysis. One thing I might suggest is that, after listening to you talk about Goodall's theme, it could have beeb a nice opportunity to mention some other works he's done - Blackadder springs to mind where he also manages to come up with some theme music that can change the entire feel with a rearrangement. But perhaps you don't feel like talking too much about production and instead simply focus on the art as presented, and I can get that too. Subscribed, and about to watch some more. Thanks!

[@crispycarrots]

Nice video Douglas, I was just talking about Red Dwarf last night with friends. Obviously our dystopian google overlords heard us and presented me your video.

[@saltymcsalt]

Comparing Red Dwarf to Prick and Gaudy is like comparing an apple to a vomitted apple.

[@sacrificiallamb4568]

I really wanted to see the revived crew dealing with the intervening 3000 years and so on. JMC being offline and all automated, all the passing asteroids having been long mined out by better, faster ships.