Red Dwarf: Back to Earth
Three-part miniseries continuing the British sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf.
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, also known as Red Dwarf IX, is a three-part miniseries that continues the British science fiction sitcom *Red Dwarf*. It aired on the UK channel Dave from 10 to 12 April 2009, and was released on DVD on 15 June 2009 and on Blu-ray on 31 August 2009. This marked the first television appearance of *Red Dwarf* in more than a decade.
The story follows technician Dave Lister (Craig Charles), the sole survivor of an accident aboard the spaceship Red Dwarf and the last human alive three million years in the future. He is joined by his shipmates: a holographic replica of his deceased bunkmate and boss, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie); a sapient Cat (Danny John-Jules), the product of three million years of evolution; and the sanitation droid Kryten (Robert Llewellyn). The plot sees the characters arriving on Earth in the year 2009, only to discover they are characters in a television series called *Red Dwarf*.
**Plot**
"Part One" begins nine years after Series VIII on Red Dwarf. Kochanski (Chloë Annett), Lister's love interest, is apparently dead, and Holly is out of commission after a flood caused by Lister leaves the Skutters drying him out. The crew find water supplies low and investigate the water tank, where they encounter a giant squid. After escaping, the squid vanishes, and Katerina Bartikovsky (Sophie Winkleman), a former Red Dwarf science officer, appears. She tells Rimmer he will be switched off in 24 hours, then uses the ship's equipment to analyze the squid's DNA, converting a mining laser into a dimension cutter to open a portal so Lister can find a mate and restart humanity.
In "Part Two," the crew realize they inhabit an "invalid dimension." The portal pulls them to Earth in 2009, where they find their adventures have been turned into a fictional TV show called *Red Dwarf*. Accepting they are fictional characters, they find a DVD of the "Back to Earth" special and, alarmed to learn they will die at its end, decide to find their creators to plead for more life. On a bus, Lister meets two young fans who reassure him he is heroic and cool despite his flaws. They theorize that Kochanski likely left Red Dwarf because she tired of Lister, with Kryten covering up her departure to spare Lister's feelings—a claim Kryten later admits is true. Bartikovsky tells Rimmer it is not wrong to kill a hologram, so he pushes her under a bus.
I
- type
- Television miniseries
- broadcast_dates
- 10–12 April 2009
- channel
- Dave
- episodes
- 3
- format
- High definition (4K resolution)
- notable_feature
- First Red Dwarf television outing in over ten years
Lore & Background
The miniseries follows technician Dave Lister, the only survivor of an accident on the spaceship Red Dwarf and the last human three million years in the future, along with hologram Arnold Rimmer, a sapient Cat, and sanitation droid Kryten. The storyline involves the characters arriving back on Earth circa 2009, only to find they are characters in a television series called Red Dwarf. The plot unfolds over three parts, beginning with a water shortage and a giant squid, leading to a dimension cutter that opens a portal to Earth. There, the crew discover they are fictional, find a DVD of the special, and learn they are to die at the end. They track down their creator, who is killed by Lister, before discovering the entire experience is a shared hallucination caused by a female relative of the despair squid.
Reader's Guide
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth marked the return of the series after a decade-long hiatus, airing on the digital channel Dave. It was the first Red Dwarf production filmed in high definition, using the Red camera system at 4K resolution, and the first without a laughter track. The miniseries achieved record ratings for Dave, with Part One drawing four million viewers over Easter weekend, the highest ever for a commissioned programme on a UK digital network. Its reception led to the commissioning of a tenth series, Red Dwarf X, broadcast in 2012, and subsequent series XI and XII. The special's storyline, heavily influenced by Blade Runner, explores themes of fictional identity and reality, and its viral marketing campaign won a Broadcast Digital Award for Best Use of Digital Technology.
Did You Know?
- The miniseries was the first Red Dwarf television outing in over ten years.
- It was filmed in high definition using the Red camera system at 4K resolution.
- Part One achieved the UK's highest ever viewing figures for a commissioned programme on a digital network.
- The viral marketing campaign for the series won a Broadcast Digital Award for Best Use of Digital Technology.
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