Red Dwarf: Every Major Character Ranked From Worst To Best
5. Holly 2
Ranking right up there with The Cat in terms of great creations in Red Dwarf is Holly, the ship’s omnipotent computer. An impossibly intelligent piece of A.I, Holly has the lives and fates of the Red Dwarf crew in its metaphorical hands, and yet is for whatever reason anthropomorphised by a somewhat detached floating head.
Holly’s second iteration is portrayed by Hattie Hayridge for the show’s middle years. Hayridge has big shoes to fill (on which more later) but does a splendid job, making the character her own for several seasons. Hayridge’s Holly is no less spacey, but is more human and humane than the first depiction,
True to form, this version of Holly is given a ludicrous backstory to explain away with the change of actors, with Holly 1.0 undergoing a head sex change after falling in love with his female counterpart.
While this version of Holly can’t quite live up to the original, Hayridge’s version of the character is great fun and ensures the show’s (often somewhat loose) continuity is kept running for one of its finest creations.