10 Red Dwarf Episodes You Absolutely Must See

In many ways, this episode marks the beginning of the golden age of Red Dwarf, with the introduction of a host of changes that saw the show transition into its most familiar format. Kryten joins the crew full time, Holly undergoes a head sex-change and fans are treated to a banging new arrangement of the theme tune for a new opening sequence. As for the cliffhanger that the previous season ended on (see Parallel Universe), that's hand-waved away with a fast-forwarded Star Wars style opening crawl that is impossible to read without the pause button.

The plot of the episode itself, is pure genius, another example of a clever concept which offers no shortage of comedic gold. Rimmer and Kryten find themselves stranded on another world, with Lister and Cat heading out to rescue them. This time round however, the planet in question is Earth, circa the 1990s. The only problem is that time is running backwards, due to the fact that that this is actually Earth in the far future, after the "Big Crunch", in which the universe has finished expanding and has begun to fold back onto itself.

The comedic potential of this set-up is almost limitless and the writers, cast and crew pull out all the stops to craft a barrage of visually unique gags and intelligent ideas. The big showstopper of course, is a bar room brawl in reverse, or a "bar room tidy". It's definitely one of the most visually unique stories ever put to screen.