# Red Dwarf (1988)

> Stranded three million years into deep space, the last human alive shares a mining ship with a hologram, a mutated cat, and a android crew.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/302

## Facts

- Seasons: 12
- Episodes: 73
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, science fiction
- Created by: Doug Naylor, Rob Grant
- Network: BBC Two, U&Dave
- Cast: Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Norman Lovett, Chloë Annett, Chris Barrie, Hattie Hayridge, Don Henderson
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094535/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: joyful, witty, irreverent, cozy

## What critics say

Widely acclaimed as a cult British sitcom whose blend of science fiction and character comedy stays funny across its long run, though later seasons are judged less consistent than the early ones.

## Synopsis

Red Dwarf (1988-2017) is a British science fiction sitcom created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor for BBC Two. Craig Charles plays Dave Lister, the last human alive, a slovenly night-shift technician stranded three million years in deep space aboard the mining ship Red Dwarf. He shares his exile with Chris Barrie's pompous hologram Arnold Rimmer, Danny John-Jules's vain pet-turned-humanoid Cat, and Robert Llewellyn's prissy service android Kryten. Their engine is simple and funny: Lister wants nothing more than a cold beer and a quiet life, while the rest of the crew keeps tripping over egos, grudges, and a ship that keeps breaking down. Episodes are self-contained comic adventures built around malfunctioning technology, simulated realities, and mishaps that escalate into farce, with the series running across twelve seasons and seventy-three episodes. Its atmosphere is cheerfully cozy despite the vast loneliness of its setting, a joyful blend of deadpan wit, slapstick, and warm camaraderie. Fans of Futurama, The Office, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy will find the same mix of absurdist sci-fi and affectionate character comedy.

## Shows like Red Dwarf

- [Space Dandy (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54312)
- [Firefly (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1353)
- [Lexx (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/1715)
- [Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/143549)
- [Avenue 5 (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/76961)
- [Solar Opposites (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/82255)
- [Other Space (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55476)
- [Father Ted (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/1710)
- [Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/1844)
- [Futurama (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/581)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt