RED DWARF
BACK TO EARTH

Available on disc

It's nine years since we last visited the mining ship Red Dwarf and Dave Lister is still getting up the nose of hologram Arnold Rimmer. As mechanoid Kryten returns from holiday, the Cat encounters a dimension-hopping squid in the water tank. Newly-arrived hologram Katerina uses the squid to create a portal back to earth.

RED DWARF is back in a three-part special for comedy and light entertainment channel Dave and, sad to say, the sparkle of the show has dimmed. The characters are a little heavier, a little more wrinkled, but otherwise unchanged. The plotting is true to the Dwarf tradition, but the jokes consistently fall flat. The performances as well are flat, but that's partly down to the script that is so lacking in funny lines.

In fact, Sophie Winkleman as the newly-arrived hologram Katerina is the best thing about this opening episode.

The dimensional portal announces that the Red Dwarf's dimension doesn't exist and transports the crew to Earth where their existence turns out to be a television series that is about to end with the death of all of them. Stalked by Katerina and guided by the sleeve notesof their final series, the team go in search of the show's creators to beg for more life.

At its peak RED DWARF mined comedy from the staples of science fiction. This second episode settles for merely referencing other science fiction and pretending that it's comedy. The main source is BLADE RUNNER with several scenes stolen whole and replayed as a replacement for real jokes or proper plot development.

There are some funny lines this time around and occasional funny moments, but having the characters searching for their real world contemporaries is very old hat and making fun of the sci fi geek is taking potshots at a very easy target.

Dave Lister meets actor Craig Charles on the set of Coronation Street. That leads to the creator, a man who is responsible for the crew's destiny, or is he?

The BLADE RUNNER references continue and the dearth of jokes continues. The whole plot references a previous one and there are hints of future specials if this is successful, but that is something to be feared rather than hoped for, unless some actual jokes can be worked in.

On the other hand, another special would be welcome because it would be too depressing to think that this is how the end of RED DWARF is to be marked.