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Title:
Red Dwarf VII: The Original And Extended Series: 3-Disc Set
Region:
One
Genre:
Sci-Fi Comedy
Stars:
Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Chloe Annett,
and Norman Lovett
Guest
Stars: Brian Cox, Sarah Alexander, and Alexander John-Jules
Writers:
Doug Naylor, Paul Alexander, Kim Fuller, Robert Llewellyn, and James Hendrie
Created
By: Rob Grant and Doug Naylor
Producer
And Director: Ed Bye
Executive
Producer: Doug Naylor
Feature
length: 240 minutes
Extras:
Extended Versions Of Three Episodes, Cast Audio Commentaries For All Series
Seven Episodes, “Back From The Dead” Original Documentary, Deleted Scenes,
Smeg Ups, “Identity Within” – The Lost Episode, Robert Llewellyn Video
Diary, Fan Films – The Winning Shorts, “Burning Rubber” Featurette, “How
Do They Do That?” – The Effects, Trailer And Kryten Introductions, Raw FX
Footage, Isolated Music Cues, “Dave Hollins” Radio Sketches, Photo Gallery,
and Web Link
Languages:
English Stereo Sound
Subtitles:
English Subtitles For The Deaf And Hearing Impaired
Packaging:
Three-Disc Single-Size Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 9 Per Episode
Sound:
Stereo Sound
Year
of Television Broadcast: 1997/DVD Release: 2006
Home
Video Distributor: BBC Home Video Through Warner Home Video
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
After
series six of “Red Dwarf” concluded there was a sense that the series had
run it’s course and rumors of a feature film that would continue from where
the series had left off, but Grant Major had interests elsewhere as did Chris
Barrie, who had been appearing in two British sitcoms at the same time and was
beginning to get opportunities to appear in feature films. Eventually Barrie
would appear in both “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” movies here in the States
while Craig Charles would make a guest appearance on the Canadian SCI FI import
original series “LEXX”, but the BBC was interested in a new “Red Dwarf”
series and with a new production space, the affordability of utilizing CGI
effects on a BBC budget, and the return of entire cast as well as series
co-creator and executive producer/writer Doug Naylor, “Red Dwarf VII”
finally premiered on the small screen in the UK in 1997. After quickly recapping
the events of the series six finale, which had first aired in 1993, “Red
Dwarf” follows Dave Lister (Craig Charles), the last known surviving human
being stranded millions of light years away from Earth aboard a large shuttle
type ship called a “Starbug” with the hologram of Arnold Rimmer (Chris
Barrie), an officer responsible for the death of the mining ship Red
Dwarf’s original crew as well as his own demise millions of years earlier,
but was still given a virtual life because the ship’s AI Holly (Norman Lovett)
wanted someone to keep Lister from going insane from loneliness. Rimmer
doesn’t drive Lister insane, but he does annoy him from time to time though
one could argue that having Rimmer around has indeed kept Lister from killing
himself. Also among the crew is an evolved Cat (Danny John-Jules), descendent
from a kitten Lister snuck onboard and consequently the reason why he was placed
in cryogenic suspension for disobeying ship rules. The cat is humanoid in
appearance with impeccable style and a vain attitude. The only distinction the
can be outwardly seen from his being mistaken for a human are the feline fangs
he posses. Finally there is Kryten (Robert
Llewellyn), the android first encountered in series two that is somewhat bumbling,
but ultimately well meaning and good natured.
Norman
Lovett’s return as the ship’s AI “Holly” does not occur until the last
episode of series seven. Lovett had portrayed the Red Dwarf’s AI in series one
and two and would return on a regular basis for the eighth and final series.
Chris Barrie could only appear in a few series seven episodes so he is written
out of the series to make room for Kochanski (Chloe Annett), the object of
Lister’s affections before his cryogenic incarceration, she is brought back to
life by having her appear from a tear in the very fabric of space that enables
her to cross over from her parallel universe and get stuck in Lister’s. Chloe
Annett helped to breathe extra life into the comedic situations by adding a sexy
feminine touch the previous series lacked. While Rob Grant and Doug Naylor had
written all of the scripts for the first six series, new writers were brought
onboard to assist with the expanded seventh series eight episode run. The show
changes a bit as a result often adding a melancholy sentimentality to the
comedy. For the seventh series DVD release, BBC Video has packaged all eight
episodes along with a host of extra value materials in a three-disc single size
keep case together with a 16 page booklet containing behind the scenes
information and anecdotes as well as DVD contents information and a set of
collector’s cards too. So for Region One collector’s of the series, this
three-disc set will match perfectly with your growing “Red Dwarf” DVD
library.
Extended
versions of three episodes containing scenes that had to be cut for time or
budget reasons have been reinserted along with the original BBC broadcast
versions. There are cast commentaries for all eight episodes too. In the case of
the three extended shows, only the extended versions feature cast commentary.
Chris Barrie participates in most of the episode commentaries and then departs.
Norman Lovett joins the remaining cast members for the series finale commentary.
In addition, there is a dramatization of an unrecorded episode entitled
“Identity Within” narrated by Chris Barrie who reads the stage directions
and voiced by the cast especially for this DVD release (44:01). Storyboard like
drawings are used to depict what the action might have been like had the episode
been produced. If you count this “lost” episode along with the extended
versions as well as the others, viewers actually get twelve episodes in the set.
A digitally remastered “Tikka To Ride”, “Ouroboros” and “Duct
Soup” are the extended episodes offered within the set. The other episodes
included are “Stoke Me A Clipper”, “Blue”, “Beyond A Joke”,
“Epideme” and “Nanarchy.” The lengths of the extended episodes tend to
be between thirty or forty minutes while the broadcast versions are just under
thirty minutes each. Each episode is presented in their original (1.33:1)
broadcast aspect ratio with English Stereo Sound and English Subtitles for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing encoded as an option. The picture quality looks quite
film like due to a process used during the production that despite hearing it
explained in the commentaries as well as the feature length documentary, I still
don’t quite know how to explain. This was the first time “Red Dwarf” was
not recorded in front of a studio audience. The extended versions exclude the
laugh tracks found on the broadcast versions. The English Stereo Soundtrack is
clear and free of any analogue background hissing or noise too.
“Back
From The Dead” (1:29) is a feature length documentary featuring newly recorded
interviews with cast members as well as the creative staff behind the show
discussing the production of “Red Dwarf VII.” Guest stars mentioned to
appear in the seventh series include Brian Cox (Manhunter), Sarah
Alexander, (The Original BBC Version of Coupling), and Danny Jules-Jones nephew
Alexander as a baby Lister. There are also deleted scenes (43:26), bloopers
called “Smeg-Ups” (10:26), Robert Llewellyn’s video diary for one of the
episode’s production, reels of model effects (20:55), Chris Veale’s CGI
effects (5:22), and BBC CGI effects (4:37) as well as behind the scenes
featurettes detailing the effects (5:28) and a featurette entitled “Burning
Rubber” (2:30). Eleven isolated music cues are included, but the feature
desperately needs a “Play All” function to make listening to the music
easier as a whole. A fan film detailing the development hell of the still as of
this writing unproduced “Red Dwarf” feature film entitled “Yeah, No, Yeah,
No” and an animated short are also presented on the DVD along with award
presentation by Doug Naylor and there are also VHS recorded TV spots as well as
tenth anniversary video introductions with Robert Llewellyn, Chris Barrie, and
Craig Charles in character that appeared in fan conventions and home video
releases. The 1984 radio sketches that eventually led to the development of
“Red Dwarf” are interesting to listen to and Chris Barrie is a participant
in these forerunners to the TV series, which I suppose makes him among the
earliest participants I the creation of the show. Still galleries of production
photos, behind-the-scenes shots, costume designs, and home video cover art wrap
up the bonus features along with a link to the official website at www.reddwarf.com.
The
interactive menus feature full motion scene selections and three-dimensional
navigating around the ship’s mid section and crew quarters are nicely rendered
though I wish a straight list option for the extra value features on disc three
were included as an option too. Unless it is included as an Easter egg here or
in another set, I would like to see the failed American pilot on the series
eight DVD release whenever it comes out here in the States. “Red Dwarf VII:
The Original And Extended Series: 3-Disc Set” is available now at retailers on
and offline in this dimension and possibly others courtesy of BBC Video.
©
Copyright 2006 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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