“You mean we’re just characters in a television show?”
Red Dwarf fans rejoice, the show is back for another adventure, this time Back To Earth.
The two disc Director’s Cut with specials is a must have DVD for every Red Dwarf fan collection and for those who appreciate British comedy that dares to take on the genre of Science Fiction.
When Red Dwarf hit American television screens back in the ‘90’s, there may have been a collective gasp of disbelief and then a general outburst of laughter. In the Red Dwarf, a space ship that has been drifting for eons with a lone human Dave Lister (Craig Charles) newly awakened from cryo-sleep and his highly evolved(?) cat (Danny John-Jules) as the only passengers, life has many questions.
Bossed and buffeted by Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) the hologram of Lister’s commanding officer, and soon joined by the android Kryton, Lister struggles to follow their mission which is….well, to keep going.
In this new adventure, it is nine years since we last saw the gang, and not much has changed. An encounter with a dimension traveling giant squid in the water tank and the arrival of a new hologram to replace Rimmer sets the gang on the path of adventure sending them back to Earth.
Arriving in a 21st century media store they discover that they are characters in a television series and that their existance is limited. Now they have a new directive, to find their creator and beg for a longer life.
What sounds like a serious plotline is full of the Red Dwarf humor and charm, bickering and attitudes. It is great fun to see the cast at work together again and well done to everyone involved.
Red Dwarf Back to Earth The Director’s Cut is presented on two discs with a treasure-trove of special features. On disc one audiences may watch either the Director’s Cut version without interruptions, or the program in three episodes with intro/to be continued/credits. The Director’s Cut also has the feature of a commentary by writer Doug Naylor.
The episodes feature cast commentaries with Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn. Both commentaries are excellent, Doug Naylor’s for technical information, and the cast for fun that is equal to the show itself. These actors enjoy working together, and reveal elements of the production that make viewers feel they are hearing privileged information and are thus part of the gang.
Disc Two has a collection of specials that will keep audiences entertained and laughing. There is an all-new documentary about the series, revealing elements of modern filming which are so far beyond the production levels available to the earlier programs, and serve to enhance the stories and acting even more. There is a making of featurette, deleted scenes from the episodes, a wonderful gag reel , web videos with the actors and crew, a photo gallery and even an Easter Egg.
It is wonderful to see the gang in action, and to have all these great bonus bits to enjoy.
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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