Red Dwarf Thread - So what is it?

Have you all seen the Promised Land that they did? I thought it was really good, considering it's new, and doesn't have Rob Grant's input.

Yep, really loved it. It's not perfect but probably the best they've been since the original six series.

Having said that, I have enjoyed series 10-12 too. There is the odd duff episode but on the whole they are pretty solid with a few proper classics in there:
Father and Suns (that scene with Lister playing both his drunk dad and surly son is genius)
Officer Rimmer & Give and Take both brilliant (abrupt ending of the former aside)
Skipper (Cat's "Are you guys nuts!!? cracks me up everytime.)

Where can I watch all the newer ones on? I've seen the odd one and quite enjoyed them.

Didn't like The Big Lebowski. Enough said.

Series 6 was great

I’ve not seen any of the Dave stuff

4-5 is easily the peak. 6 is a very slight decline IMO - no Red Dwarf, no Holly, no Skutters.

Then it shits itself horribly. Got a bit better after the first Dave revival, but it's really a shadow of its former self.

New Kochanski was hot though.

Does Dave have their own Kochanski or are we talking Grogan vs Annett?

Let's face it, both.

The missus and I did a Red Dwarf re-watch this year, when it was all on Netflix. And I concur with the comments above: 4-5 are probably the best series, but 7-8 it falls off a cliff.

All of the Dave series were available on the UKTV app, apart from "Back to Earth", and so we never bothered re-watching the Dave stuff. We'll have to get round to it at some point, but I really don't want to pay for BTE as I remember it being terrible.

It is interesting going back, as I was a HUGE RD nerd when I was about 11-13, and my opinion on which were the best episodes has changed a little over the years. I always thought series 7 & 8 were crap, though, even back then.

Rewatched the older series over the last year, the ones on Netflix. I think it's frequently amusing but I really noticed just how ropey the sci-fi plotting is.

It's not a huge problem but for some reason I remembered the sci-fi being fairly solid, just with inept bumbling characters. But there are plot holes and contradictions everywhere.

I too was a huge Red Dwarf fan in my teens. Definitely series 2-5 we’re the best. I taped series 4 off the telly and watched those repeatedly. So many great quotes.

6 might have won the big awards for Gunmen, but it was the start of the decline. I confess I’ve not kept up with the recent Dave series after Back to Earth turned out to be utter rubbish. I should give them a go.

Anyway, I always felt the plotting and sci-fi was pretty tight within episodes and series, but the writers definitely changed what they considered “canon” from time to time. Best not to dwell on that I guess!

The novels are well worth a read, but I suspect everyone here knows that already!

Best episode?

I’d have to go with Marooned from series 3.

Series 1 also feels more like a play because they look like they're stood on a stage in front of a piece of plasterboard and all the props look like they were robbed from the BBC canteen.

Having said that, in terms of straight-up gags and wordplay, series 2 and 3 are probably the funniest. "Kryten" (the episode) is just phenomenally hilarious.

"My mate Ace here is incredibly, incredibly brave..."