Red Dwarf: Every Series Ranked From Worst To Best
From smeg to not-so-smeg, this is the definitive list of all the Red Dwarf series.
Red Dwarf is nearly 30 years old. That is quite an achievement for a TV show that isn't a soap opera, a Saturday night football highlights show, or Doctor Who. It's even more of an achievement for a geeky little sci-fi sitcom, that some BBC executives didn't have faith in making it past even one series.
How exactly have the Dwarfers made it this far? In part, it's because of a solid, and loyal, fan-base who've stuck with the show through the highs, the lows, and the cancellations. But it's also because of the staying power of most of the cast and writing team. Despite some changes over the years, the same four actors, and one co-creator, have remained as a core part of this long-lasting Red Dwarf journey.
It's been one smeg of a journey too. 67 episodes in total across 11 series, with series 12 now landing on Dave. And whilst not every episode, or even series have worked, they've never drifted far enough away from the Red Dwarf ethos to make fans abandon Starbug and ditch the show.
As we await the next step of their clueless trek across the stars, let's start-up the Holly Hop Drive and fly backwards in time to see which were the best, and worst, Red Dwarf series.
11. Red Dwarf: Back To Earth
Whilst largely successful in ratings (which resulted in series 10 being commissioned), Back to Earth was by far the worst series in the show's history. The critical failing of Back to Earth was the largely self-indulgent plot, which saw the Dwarfers transported to real-life Earth and come to realise that their existence was just a work of fiction. Hilarious meta-gags and fourth-wall breaking did not follow.
Because on paper, such an idea might seem interesting and fun. But in reality, it was a laboured affair that simply didn't translate to the screen. At best, it's a cloying fan-made tribute to the show. At worst, it's a cringe-inducing three episodes of poor jokes, hammy acting, and sub-standard writing. And let's not get us started with one of the worst Blade Runner homages in the history of Blade Runner homages; even a hardened replicant would feel embarrassment at this a particular attempt at a parody.
In essence then, Back to Earth is the total smeghead of the whole Red Dwarf canon.