Out of Pod Experience

Well, I've had the chance to watch some of Red Dwarf Series X.

As a long-time Red Dwarf fan, I both eagerly awaited and dreaded the arrival of this series; I've learned from bitter experience that television shows usually don't survive a nearly 15 year hiatus, and I was afraid that Series X would follow suit.

To recap: the Dwarfers had previously used nanobots to reconstruct Red Dwarf, crew and all, and for their efforts, they were thrown in the brig. After a series of mishaps with the newly-revived crew, Lister and company once again find themselves alone in the cosmos.

Series X picks up some time after that; Rimmer is once again a hologram, Holly is absent for reasons unknown, and Red Dwarf is once again their only sanctuary from a universe full of rogue Simulants, GELFs, homicidal mechanoids, and mutated vindaloo curries.

Now, on to the review!

The Good:

Series X, unlike the previous series, returns to the formula that worked so well in the early series; Rimmer is still failing t pass his officer exam, Lister is still a space-bum, and Danny John Jules returns as the Cat with such skill that it seems like only 15 minutes have passed, instead of 15 years. The principle cast are once again alone in the depths of space, with their various character traits and neuroses gloriously intact.

The writing is top-notch, this time around. Unlike previous series, the Grant-Naylor writing partnership is back with a vengeance. The jokes and sight gags, rather than being retreads of old Skutter jokes and tired character bits, are fresh and original, which simultaneously gives newbies a way to get 'into' the bizarre humor of the show and allows long-time fans to laugh all over again.

The sets have been redone, but the 'flavor' still manages to come through; the corridors and rooms of the ship are still recognizably 'Red Dwarf' in appearance, if a bit flashier. The addition of animated computer terminals is a nice touch, and highlights the established fact that Red Dwarf was a state-of-the-art vessel. The guest stars, when they appear, are still well-cast, and fit in well with the atmosphere that we've come to expect of the show.

The Bad:

Well, I suppose the only real downside to the series is that the cast are beginning to show their age: Craig Charles, in particular, has lost much of the youthful vibrancy needed to believably portray a 'space-punk' character like Lister.

The wonderful humor contributed by Norman Lovett and Hattie Hayridge, who both played Holly, is notable in its absence. That they haven't (yet) made a return in Series X is not really a drawback, however, since it allows the series to (once again) follow a new comedic direction without resorting to jokes that played themselves out years ago.

The Conclusion:

I very much enjoyed Series X. It's a glorious 'return to form' for a series that was getting stale, and it manages to make the 'old' feel 'new' again, without retreading played-out jokes or sacrificing the things that made it so popular, entertaining and just plain funny in the first place.

Rent it, watch it, borrow it. Just see it, because television with this level of quality is rarely seen anymore.