# Let's talk about Red Dwarf **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983 "2005-04-06T03:13:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/81 "2005-04-07T23:44:52Z")
> [@Scott\_plaid](#): > > You just used your two thound, two hundred, twenty seconfd post to ask about Catering Officer Olaf Peterson? :dubious: He was a total git! Besides, everybody is DEAD, Biffy. > > P.S. Jayrot, where did you get that from? I don’t remeber his having believed in gods in the least. From _The Last Day_, regarding Silicon Heaven. K: But aren’t you a pantheist? Surely you believe that god is in all things? L: Yeah, but I’m not a frying-pantheist. I like how down the line a few seasons later, Lister has apparently grown to accept the idea of a silicon afterlife. When speaking about the disabled simulant ship: “Let’s just hope they’re rotting is silicon hell along with all the photocopiers.” ---
**Author:** ![\_xiao\_wenti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b782af/32.png) [@\_xiao\_wenti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_xiao_wenti)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/82 "2005-04-08T00:35:35Z")
I was brousing through wikipedia and I came across the Red Dwarf entry. Just to share > **[Red Dwarf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf_(television))** > > Red Dwarf is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. The premise of the series follows the low-ranking technician Dave Lister, who awakens after being in suspended animation for three million years to find he is the last living human, with no crew on board the mining spacecraft Red Dwarf other than Arnold Rimmer, ... ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/83 "2005-04-08T00:48:58Z")
Ohh, thanks! > [@a wiki'er](#): > > All four books were published in audiobook format, the first two read by Chris Barrie with Last Human read by Craig Charles and Backwards read by its author Rob Grant. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/84 "2005-04-08T03:06:18Z")
Funny scene from “Waiting for God” CAT: Hey! You can’t have my shiny thing! I found it, it’s my shiny thing. RIMMER: What are you dribbling about? CAT: (Pulls out a silver yo-yo) This is my shiny thing, and if you try and take it off me, I may have to eat you. RIMMER: It’s a yo-yo, you modo. CAT: It does two amazing things. One, you have the shiny thing at the top, and the string down below, or, and this is the clever part, you have the string at the top, and the shiny thing down here where the string used to be. RIMMER: Yeah … woweeee! You haven’t the slightest clue what it’s for, do you? CAT: Why sure I do, grease stain. You hold the shiny thing in one hand, and you go … aaaooowww! The string’s moving! Hey! Stop that thing! Catch that string! Aaaooowww! The cat’s noises and moves are just hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/85 "2005-04-08T04:00:04Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Horribly butchered: > > It was me plan! … We where going to to live in the snow and have a goat. What happened to me plan? Thats ok Lister, she can stil grit the path. Yeah, I remember that line – but all the crew were now little piles of dust, or grit, or whatever. That part didn’t specifically mention whether Lister did anything to dispose of the remains… Oh, and I don’t know if there was anything about this in the TV show, but I loved the chapter from the first book that described the evolution and history of the cats on board. Especially the bit about the cat who learned how to use the holy symbol, the can opener. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/86 "2005-04-08T04:41:43Z")
> [@Scott\_plaid](#): > > All four books were published in audiobook format, the first two read by Chris Barrie with Last Human read by Craig Charles and Backwards read by its author Rob Grant. On the books read by Chris Barrie, he imitates the voices of the other actors when he reads their characters’ dialogue. He’s eerily good at it. One of the DVDs has a recording of him doing a couple of chapters if you want to check it out. Which reminds me of another favorite episode of mine - the one where Rimmer steals Lister’s body. In the commentary on the DVD, they talk about how incredibly hard that was to film, but they did such a good job at making it look real that it looks totally effortless. “Oh smeg oh smeg oh smeg. What the smeg have you smeggin’ done?! You’ve lost me smeggin’ arm!” “It’s worse than you think. I lost your watch, too.” ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/87 "2005-04-08T05:03:11Z")
I love this show - all 8 seasons. My favorite episode is Inquisitor because it contains my favorite lines: Kryten: Logically, sir, there is only one way you could have possibly have opened that door. I feel quite nauseous. Where is it? LISTER: Where’s what? KRYTEN: Oh, sir!! You’ve got it in your jacket!! LISTER: I got us out of the hold, didn’t I? KRYTEN: Sir, you are sick! You are a sick, sick person! How can you possibly even conceive of such an idea? LISTER: Cheer up! Or I’ll beat you to death with the wet end! KRYTEN: Sir, if mechanoids could barf, I’d be onto my fifth bag by now. You’re a sick person! Sick! Sick! I don’t really have a favorite character. I love them all. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/88 "2005-04-08T14:19:00Z")
Of all the seasons I think series 5 is the best, when they left the Dwarf it seemed to go very downhill. The latest season is dire IMHO and completely unwatchable. Favourite character - Rimmer, such a loser but can also be such a bastard. Episode - Back to Reality or the Wild West one (sorry, don’t remember the name) I’ve read all the books, the two they wrote together were very great, Rob Grant’s was good, Doug Naylor’s was just bizaare, not in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/89 "2005-04-08T14:40:06Z")
The planet of wax figure robots had two of my favorite moments: -Listers face as he watches Winnie the Pooh go before the firing squad. -When Lister puts Rimmers “light bee” in his mouth and spits it out. The way Rimmer says, “My _god_, that was disgusting” just slays me. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/90 "2005-04-08T15:15:15Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > The planet of wax figure robots had two of my favorite moments: > > -Listers face as he watches Winnie the Pooh go before the firing squad. > > -When Lister puts Rimmers “light bee” in his mouth and spits it out. The way Rimmer says, “My _god_, that was disgusting” just slays me. Ha! That was a great episode. I’d forgotten about the light bee. Rimmer’s line is great, but like most things Red Dwarf, it’s the accent that makes it hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![meanoldman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@meanoldman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meanoldman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/91 "2005-04-08T16:02:25Z")
One of my favorite lines appears fairly early on. When the Cat character is first introduced. Cat: " You monkees eat off the floor?" And who can forget Rimmer dressed in that nice, red gingham dress. " Mr. Flibbles says, Game over boys". ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/92 "2005-04-08T16:15:06Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Whoa whoa whoa! When the smeg did a third book come out?!? I’m in agreement here, when did this happen?! I must buy the good one, which is it again? Favorite line, gets a lot of use from me: Lister(Waking up drunk): What time is it? Rimmer(Also drunk squinting at a clock):Thursday. There’re some numbers after that, but they could be anything. Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/93 "2005-04-08T21:15:25Z")
I saw you cross the dance floor (dancing) I thought of birds and bees (reproductive system baby) but when I tried to talk to you (talk talk) My tongue unraveled to my knees (flippity flippity flop) I tried to say I love you (love you) but it came out kind of wrong girl (wrong girl) It sounded like ma-doobadee-doop a-ma-ma-merme-mamer ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/94 "2005-04-08T21:36:04Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > ::We interrupt this fine thread for an important announcement::: > > If you’re in trouble, he will save the day > He’s brave and he’s fearless, come what may > Without him, the mission would go astray > He’s Arnold, Arnold, Arnold Rimmer That was probably my favorite episode. “I never want to see that stupid smeghead again!” I think Cat might be my favorite character, but they’re all great. Well, maybe Kochanski isn’t great, but I don’t hate her. Cat: Fish! Food Machine: Today’s fish is trout ala creme. Enjoy your meal. (repeats several times, so that Cat has a huge stack of fish) Cat: I will! (later in the episode) Cat: My stomach has been pumped and now I’m hungry! Aaaooowwww! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/95 "2005-04-08T23:18:39Z")
Food escape! ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/96 "2005-04-08T23:55:24Z")
> [@meanoldman](#): > > And who can forget Rimmer dressed in that nice, red gingham dress. " Mr. Flibbles says, Game over boys". Oh man. I just saw that episode for the first time the other day. It quickly became one of my new favorites. Thank you all for so many responses! I’m so glad there are more Red Dwarf fans out there! ---
**Author:** ![Buran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Buran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buran)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/97 "2005-04-08T23:56:32Z")
Actually I think people are unduly harsh on Clare Grogan as Kochanski, she seemed really uncomfortable in series 7 alongside the established characters but in my opinion was much more watchable in series 8. Pity the material she had to work with with in that series was awful. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/98 "2005-04-09T00:10:41Z")
Clare Grogan was the first Kochanski who showed up in flashbacks or the rare time travelling escapade. Chloe Annet was the Kochanski introduced in series 7&8 as a regular travelling companion from another dimension. I don’t think she was ever really able to overcome the wrong-headedness of that characters introduction as a main character to be any good. ---
**Author:** ![Buran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Buran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buran)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/99 "2005-04-09T00:23:55Z")
There you go, I was thinking of the wrong person. I think the introduction of Kochanski as a main character could have worked if the writing quality was at the level of series 3 - 6, however the four main characters plus Holly (a female character that worked) was more than enough material to be going on and the whole premise of series 8 was a massive mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983/100 "2005-04-09T00:48:02Z")
I don’t think the introduction of a female human character as a main would have ever worked well, with the premise of Red Dwarf being about the last human and all. The reason Holly worked was because she’s a computer :). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-red-dwarf/297983.md?page=6)