Review of Red Dwarf: Just The Shows Volume 2 (Series 5 to 8) (6 Discs)

Introduction

`Red Dwarf` burst onto the scene in 1988, introducing British audiences to Dave Lister (Craig Charles) a slovenly Scouser who just happened to be the last human being alive, a highly evolved cat (Danny John-Jules), an annoying hologram called Rimmer (Chris Barrie), a sanitation mechanoid called Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) and Holly the ship`s computer (Norman Lovett and Hattie Hayridge). Between 1988 and 1999, `Red Dwarf` became a cult and then a mainstream hit, running for eight series, plus one in the US, and spawned rumours of a film that exist to this day.

Each series has been released on DVD with an increasing number of special features but recently the eight series shown in the UK have been released in DVD box sets of `just the shows` at an attractive price. This set is of the last four series screened between 1992 and 1999 when the `Red Dwarf` ship disappeared, Kochanski joined the crew and Mr. Flibble got very cross!

Video

The 4.3 fullscreen transfer appears to be broadcast quality so the standard of the video improves with every series as the years progress: by series eight the video quality is excellent.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 stereo is the same as when it was shown on TV but is very clear and perfectly fine for a dialogue dominated TV show that`s not dependent on effects-laden set pieces.

Features

As the title suggests, this is `Just the Shows`, so if you want the commentaries, bloopers, outtakes extended episodes etc. then you need to buy the individual seasons.

Conclusion

It took a few series for the character dynamics to be clearly honed and for the actors to seem at ease in their characters` skins as none of them had really acted in front of a camera before. The show really found it`s feet around the third and fourth series and by the time they got to the fifth series, they were established but were sadly beginning to lose momentum. As Lisa said in `The Simpsons`` episode `The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show`, "after so many years, the characters just can`t have the same impact they once had". Matters were made worse when writer and creator Rob Grant ceased to have any creative involvement following series six and Chris Barrie only made a handful of appearances in series seven. Despite this, the re-introduction of Kochanski (unfortunately played by Chlöe Annette rather than Claire Grogan, who initially played her), the love of Lister`s life manged to breathe some new life into the show, and such episodes as `Quarantine`, `Back to Reality`, `Gunmen of the Apocalypse`, `Stoke Me a Clipper` and the three-part `Back in the Red` prove that the last four series, though patchy, weren`t a complete disaster.

It`s almost undeniable that the show was at it`s strongest between series three to six and this box set contains some memorable episodes of `Red Dwarf`. To coin a sporting cliché, this is a box set `of two halves`, with series five and six containing brilliant episodes and fine writing but the last two series are a let down that even the most ardent fan would concede. Despite the considerable drop off in quality towards the end of the run, the way series eight finished left me wanting more. Another series to tie all the loose ends would have been welcome but now it`s too late given that seven years have passed and Craig Charles is a cabbie in `Coronation Street`!