Red Dwarf: The Promised Land
A 2020 Red Dwarf special featuring feral cats and a hologram with superpowers.
In 2020, the British science-fiction sitcom *Red Dwarf* returned with a television special titled *Red Dwarf: The Promised Land*, marking the franchise's thirteenth instalment. The story follows the crew—Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, the Cat, and Kryten—as they confront Rodon, the ruthless leader of a group of feral cats who has sworn to destroy anyone who refuses to worship him.
The plot begins with a fleet of warships commanded by the "felis sapiens," ruled by the tyrannical Rodon. Three cat clerics, who worship a different god, escape execution by stealing a shuttle and heading to their "birthplace" to find their deity. Meanwhile, aboard the Red Dwarf, Dave Lister explores cargo bays he hasn't visited since leaving stasis. There, he discovers a reboot disc for Holly, the ship's computer lost years earlier. When booted, Holly is restored from his original startup file but fails to recognize the crew. Following pre-programmed orders to dispose of the ship, Holly plans to destroy it. Unable to change his mind, Lister, Kryten, Rimmer, and the Cat flee in Starbug to find a new vessel.
They encounter a derelict ship called the Iron Star, equipped with advanced technology, including "Diamond Light" hologrammatic projection. This new system is more powerful than "Hard Light," granting holograms superhero-like abilities. Ignoring safety protocols, Rimmer converts his program to Diamond Light, dubbing himself "The Mighty Light," but quickly shuts down. His reckless use drains his Light Bee's battery, leaving him with only minutes of power unless plugged into a mains supply. Exploring further, the crew finds the three cat clerics, who immediately recognize Lister as their god. Kryten advises Lister not to correct them, as their faith is all they have. The clerics reveal they fled from Rodon, who seeks them and the Anubis Stone—a stone Kryten identifies as polished beetle dung.
Rodon arrives, takes the stone, and orders the Iron Star destroyed. The Dwarfers and clerics escape in Starbug but crash-land on a desert moon after debris damage. Rodon's ship gives chase, forcing them to hide in a sandstorm, where they become trapped underground. Rimmer, now a low-energy black-and-white version, contacts Holly and convinces him to upload the last saved back-up files, restoring his original, computer-senile personality. Holly launches a mining torpedo that destroys the moon,
- type
- Television special
- release_year
- 2020
- country
- United Kingdom
- genre
- Science-fiction comedy
- director
- Not specified in article
- network
- Dave (as per article)
- runtime
- 90 minutes
Lore & Background
The plot follows the Red Dwarf crew—Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, the Cat, and Kryten—as they discover a derelict ship called the Iron Star, which contains advanced hologrammatic projection technology called Diamond Light. Rimmer converts to Diamond Light, gaining superhero-like abilities, but recklessly drains his Light Bee's battery, leaving him dependent on a mains power supply. Meanwhile, three cat clerics fleeing the tyrannical Rodon mistake Lister for their god, and the crew becomes entangled in a conflict over the Anubis Stone, which is initially thought to be polished beetle dung.
Reader's Guide
Red Dwarf: The Promised Land serves as the thirteenth instalment of the long-running British sitcom, continuing the franchise's blend of comedy and science fiction. The special was released on 9 April 2020 on the Dave network. Reception was positive, with Rachel Knightley of Starburst giving it a nine out of ten, noting that fans would not be disappointed and that the story stands on its own. The special also included three 60-minute documentaries acting as a retrospective of all previous twelve series. Its significance lies in extending the Red Dwarf legacy with new characters and technology, while maintaining the core dynamic of the crew.
Did You Know?
- The special was filmed at Pinewood Studios in front of a live studio audience.
- Ray Fearon was the first confirmed actor outside the show regulars, portraying Rodon, the leader of the feral cats.
- The Anubis Stone is initially revealed to be polished beetle dung, but later found to have a real stone of immense power underneath.
- Norman Lovett returned as Holly after a one-off guest spot in Series XII.
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