DVD: Red Dwarf - Series 1
BBC America Home Video (2 discs)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

---

I'm kind of a backwards person, so it makes perfect sense that I should review Red Dwarf Series 2 in the June issue and series 1 in the July issue. There's a satisfying kind of symmetry to it that makes all the sense in the world to anyone who loves a show in which the main characters are a hologram, a humanoid evolved from a cat, a ship's computer with an IQ of 6, and a disgusting slob whose idea of hygiene is to bite his toenails short once a week.

The six episodes that made up the 1988 debut season are all here, along with a tons of bonus features that are piled on so thick you'll want to send the BBC a thank you card. Granted, the "smeg-ups" go by much too fast, and I'm sure the cast smegged up a whole lot more than that, as they were working the kinks out of a new show, but the documentary, the exquisite model shots, the inexplicably entertaining "Japanese episode," deleted scenes and best of all, the wild and crazy "commentary" by the four cast members make up for the brevity of the smeg-ups. I put commentary in quotes only because there's very little organized discussion going on. It's more like Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, Norman Lovett and Craig Charles tapped a few kegs and laughed a lot and just kept the party going through six episodes. It's so much fun to listen to it adds a whole new way to enjoy one of the most enjoyable shows in BBC history.

Apparently somebody figured out there was room for more cool stuff, so they added a bonus commentary track on episode one, "The End." We get to hear the more organized thoughts of series creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and director Ed Bye. Whoever's responsible for this series is a friend of mine, because he or she is fighting against nekked DVDs. Nothing worse than laying your money down and getting nothing but bare bones. Nothing better than getting home, popping a disc in the player and finding out that it probably doesn't have a single meg of free space left.

© 2003 - DJ Johnson