# Is Red Dwarf funny? Do you recommend it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165 "2011-10-19T18:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/21 "2011-10-20T09:57:47Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I did. It was pretty awful. I’m not hopeful about the future of the show, considering how bad the last few seasons were. The show really only worked when Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were BOTH writing it. Agree ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/22 "2011-10-20T10:27:35Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > Yes, it is very funny, but the first series was very patchy. I’ll try and find some decent youtube clips tomorrow to give you a flavour. [This clip](http://youtu.be/ObSZR83bx8Q) from the Series V episode “Quarantine” (one of my favourites) is pretty damn funny. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/23 "2011-10-20T11:37:36Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > It had its moments. The scene with Rimmer doing computer enhancement of the surveillance photo was great. That scene is why it was pretty awful instead of wholly awful. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/24 "2011-10-20T12:37:42Z")
FWIW, I like Red Dwarf but have been watching it since the early 90s, so it’s something I grew up with. Certainly, like any show, it has ups and downs and what those are will vary from person to person. My wife likes it as well, again fwiw, and is more of a casual viewer than I. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/25 "2011-10-20T13:08:13Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > It is well to be aware, however, that the underlying comic vision is very dark and misanthropic. The main ‘human’ characters, Lister and Rimmer are really both quite horrible in their very different ways (and none of the other regular or occasional characters are much better). If that is the sort of thing you like (and lots of people do), then go for it. Misanthropic? Really? Can you expand on that? I always found Rimmer kind of sympathetic and thought the ‘big reveal’ in series 7: Where they find the last resting place of all the Ace Rimmers to be genuinely moving. And he has a great character arc, from the galaxies biggest loser to the multiversus’ greatest hero. And while Lister is a slob he does generally try to do the right thing. In my opinion series 1 and 2 have their moments and help set the scene up but series 3 to 6 are when the show really hits its stride, series 7 isn’t great but it does have some decent scenes. Series 8 was the last one I watched, and while it was generally poor I felt that the actress Kochanski had started to find her niche in the show, its a pity she didn’t have better material. I have no desire to watch any of the later series, from the little I’ve seen of the plot it seems to be the sort of ironically self-referential and ‘meta’ material I generally dislike. btw I’ve said it before but although its heresy I always preferred the female Holly. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/26 "2011-10-20T13:27:59Z")
I don’t think it’s misanthropic at all. It does poke fun at the ridiculousness of religion, which some people might not like. For example, “Silicon Heaven” is the artificial concept of a joyful afterlife for robots and other mechanised servants, embedded in their chips by the manufacturers so that they will uncomplainingly put up with being treated like shit during their useful lives. Kryten, obviously, refuses to believe that it’s a human invention. (“Ridiculous! Where would all the calculators go?”) Likewise, Lister is God in the Cat’s mythology, thanks to a generations long Chinese-whispers style mangling of an event where he saved a stray cat. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/27 "2011-10-20T13:50:33Z")
I watched almost the entire series, and it is way to hit or miss and too choppy to recommend to someone else. Your best bet is to try and find the highlights and watch those, because there isn’t much else to it. It is extremely funny in moments, and some of the ideas behind it are thought provoking, but it’s so uneven I wouldn’t watch them again. It’s not a bad time waster, but if you’re time is limited, I’d try something else. And Dear God watch Firefly and Serenity (the follow up movie). You list Buffy and Angel, like Sci Fi, so Firefly is a must. On Netflix you could also try Archer, Futurama, or Psych. They’re much better than Red Dwarf, although not as Sci Fi. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/28 "2011-10-20T13:52:20Z")
I’m the OP of the other thread, and I haven’t been back to it yet. That’s not to say I will never be back, but it certainly didn’t reach out and grab me or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/29 "2011-10-20T14:24:36Z")
There are some brilliant moments. The above mentioned ‘big reveal’ in season 7 is one of them, though in a ‘whoa, I didn’t realize how attached to the characters I was’; there are other comedic gold episodes. Quick word about the format–something Mrs. Devil and I found a bit jarring at first, but it became tune-outable. There’s a laugh track (or studio audience). Most of the shows we watch, particularly in the sci-fi genera don’t have one, and for a while it was really distracting and gave it a much more television-y feel. YMMV, but it was pretty annoying for a while. I’m going to go make some smoked kipper vindaloo. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/30 "2011-10-20T14:44:16Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Likewise, Lister is God in the Cat’s mythology, thanks to a generations long Chinese-whispers style mangling of an event where he saved a stray cat. Its been a long time since I watched the shows and an even longer time since I read the books but I have fond memories of them, they seemed quite well written and expanded and clarified many of the ideas raised in the TV show. For example the history of the cats, in the book they breed and overpopulate the ship, and due to lack of food and resources turn on each other leading to an evolutionary ‘arms race’ where the smartest, strongest and most adaptable survive. There is even a scene where a Moses like figure saves the species by the inconceivable heresy of learning how to open the stockpiles of canned food and daring to do so. As I said in the other thread when at its best Red Dwarf was genuinely clever and thought-provoking, which I believe raised it above the common sit-com, it really made best use of its setting. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/31 "2011-10-20T14:50:27Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > For example the history of the cats, in the book they breed and overpopulate the ship, and due to lack of food and resources turn on each other leading to an evolutionary ‘arms race’ where the **smartest, strongest and most adaptable survive**. There is even a scene where a Moses like figure saves the species by the inconceivable heresy of learning how to open the stockpiles of canned food and daring to do so. Not the one’s with the most complete wardrobe and who know how to wear it? Shocked! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/32 "2011-10-20T15:00:07Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > And Dear God watch Firefly and Serenity (the follow up movie). You list Buffy and Angel, like Sci Fi, so Firefly is a must. I watched Firefly both when it aired on TV and own it on DVD and saw Serenity in the theater and own it on DVD. I forgot to list them. Dollhouse, too. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165/33 "2011-10-20T15:16:34Z")
I just watched the whole thing last year and I say if you’re a fan of comedy and science fiction, then go for it. It’s streaming on Netflix, so you’re not going to have to invest in the DVDs. There are a few rough spots and misfires, but I think the show overall is pretty funny and there’s good interaction between the case. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-red-dwarf-funny-do-you-recommend-it/600165.md?page=1)