Red dwarf

Red Dwarf is a British science fiction comedy programme.

It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. The show aired on BBC Two from 1988 to 1999. Later, it aired on Dave between 2009 and 2020. While it uses space settings, the show is primarily a character-driven comedy. It uses science fiction elements as complementary plot devices to explore relationships. The series follows a small crew surviving on a massive mining spaceship.

The plot begins in the late 21st century. An on-board radiation leak kills almost the entire crew. Dave Lister, a low-ranking third-class technician, survives because he is in suspended animation. This state is called stasis, which allows a person to sleep safely for long periods. Lister was in stasis as punishment for smuggling a pregnant cat named Frankenstein onto the ship. The ship's computer, Holly, keeps Lister in stasis until radiation levels return to normal. This process takes three million years. When Lister wakes, he is the last living human in the universe.

Lister is not entirely alone on the mining vessel. To keep Lister sane, Holly resurrects a hologram of his deceased bunkmate. This hologram is Arnold Judas Rimmer, a second-class technician. Rimmer is a complex character described as fussy, bureaucratic, neurotic, and cowardly. The crew also includes Cat, a humanoid creature. Cat evolved from the offspring of Lister's pet cat during the three million years of stasis. Later, the crew rescues Kryten, a series 4000 service mechanoid or sanitation android.

Kryten is highly resourceful and possesses encyclopedic knowledge of the universe.

The cast features several notable actors playing these iconic roles. Chris Barrie plays the hologram Rimmer. Craig Charles plays the technician Lister. Danny John-Jules plays the self-centered Cat. Robert Llewellyn plays the android Kryten. The computer, Holly, was played by Norman Lovett and Hattie Hayridge. The show has produced twelve series and one feature-length special called The Promised Land. The series even inspired four novels published between 1989 and 1996.

Throughout its history, the show has experienced many changes. In Series III, the computer Holly changed from male to female. In Series VI, the ship was stolen, forcing the crew to use a smaller craft called Starbug. During Series VII, Rimmer was replaced by Kristine Kochanski, a navigation officer from an alternate universe. At the start of Series VIII, Kryten's nanobots reconstructed the Red Dwarf ship. These nanobots had previously broken the ship down into its constituent atoms. This event also resurrected the original crew members, including the original male Holly.

Red Dwarf has achieved significant success in the television industry. In 1994, the episode "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" won an International Emmy Award in the Popular Arts category. That same year, it won Best BBC Comedy Series at the British Comedy Awards. The eighth series in 1999 attracted more than eight million viewers. This was a massive audience for the UK at that time. In 2016, readers voted Series XI as the Best Returning TV Sitcom. Furthermore, Empire magazine ranked the show 80th on its list of the 100 best TV shows of all time.

The series connects science fiction themes to human experiences. Even though there are no aliens, the crew encounters strange lifeforms that evolved from Earth. They face phenomena like time distortions and mutant diseases. These elements provide a backdrop for the "Odd Couple" relationship between Lister and Rimmer. Their intense dislike for each other drives much of the comedy. The show demonstrates how even in the vastness of space, human-like connections remain central.