What is it?
It's a Ship
OK, but what is it?
It' a human named Lister
Yea, but what is it?
It's a holigram named Rimmer
OK, but what is it?
It's a Cat
So you say, but what is it?
It's a mechanoid named Kryten
Yea, but what is it?
It's a computer named Holly
OK, but what is it?
It's a ship named Starbug
I get it now, but what is it?
It's Smeg
In 1988 Red Dwarf first hit BBC2, opening with titles showing a vast expanse of a ship named the Red Dwarf.
From there onwards we became acquainted with members of the crew, the most significant being Rimmer and Lister, technicians on board the mining ship, responsible for the likes of fixing chicken soup machines. Within the first few minutes of the show the concept of the hologram was introduced (a light based computer simulation of the dead), which was to come into play later. Meanwhile the plot was busied with showing the relationship between Lister and Rimmer - one of intense dislike toward each other. Shortly after these roles are established, Rimmer dies, along with everyone else except for Lister, who was in stasis at the time as punishment for bringing an unquarantined animal on board the ship. Rather than bring a sudden end to the situation, this serves only to enhance it. Holly, the ship computer, revives Lister, and to keep him sane on board a desolate ship, recreates Rimmer in hologrammatic form, and breaks the news that Lister has been in stasis for a period of 3 million years. During this time, the unquarantined creature - a cat - which Lister had smuggled onto the ship has had kittens which have bred and evolved. An unidentified life source is tracked and discovered to be a humanoid cat, lone survivor of his entire race. Despite Rimmer's wishes to flush the creature into space, Lister reasons it's the closest thing he now has to a cat, and Cat becomes a crew member. Lister took control and ordered Holly to plot a course back to Earth as the finale to the first episode, and each subsequent episode for the next couple of series was to be introduced by Holly's distress call, sumarising the position of the characters on board the ship. Six episodes later, in the opener to series two, Kryten was introduced, a lone mechanoid on board a crashed vessel, the dead crew of which he is still trying to serve. Adopting Kryten as a project in rebellion, Lister turns him against Rimmer's orders, and the end of the episode sees him disappear into deep space on Lister's bike. Another six episodes pass, and as a part of a new look Red Dwarf (which involves smarter uniforms, brighter sets, and a sex change for Holly) , Kryten is reintroduced, this time as a permanent crew member, his space bike having crashed. These characters form the basis of the show, a space sitcom, where the objective is to return to Earth. Over the years the feel of the show has changed with each new series. Red Dwarf offers fans action and character based comedy, and draws UK viewing figures of over six million. It is one of the most successful programmes ever shown on BBC 2 and has acquired a worldwide following. Numerous books, videos and other merchandise are now available.Red Dwarf has continued to document the adventures of these characters, and to date seven seasons have been broadcast. Series seven is currently airing throughout the world. An eighth series will go into production in 1998. Copy written by Cma
