Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2379 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-02-10
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English, Esperanto
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 180 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The second series of Red Dwarf is, as Danny John-Jules says in the accompanying DVD commentary, "the one where it really went good". First broadcast in the autumn of 1988, these six episodes showcase Rob Grant and Doug Naylor's sardonic, sarcastic humour to perfection. The writing has matured, no longer focussing solely on SF in-jokes and gags about bodily functions, instead allowing the humour to develop from the characters and their sometimes surprisingly poignant interactions: Lister's timeless love for Kochanksi, for example, or Rimmer's brief memory-implanted love for one of Lister's ex-girlfriends. The cast had gelled, too, and there's even more colour this year as the drab sets are spiced up, a little more money has been assigned to models and special effects, and the crew even go on location once in a while.

"Kryten" introduces us to the eponymous house robot (here played by David Ross), although after this first episode he was not to reappear until Series 3, when Robert Llewellyn made the role his own. Then in "Better Than Life" the show produced one of its all-time classic episodes, as the boys from the Dwarf take part in a virtual reality game that's ruined by Rimmer's tortured psyche. Other highlights include "Queeg", in which Holly is replaced by a domineering computer personality, the baffling time travel paradox of "Stasis Leak", the puzzling conundrum of "Thanks for the Memory", and the astonishingly feminine "Parallel Universe".

On the DVD: Red Dwarf, Series 2 has another chaotic and undisciplined group commentary from the cast, all clearly enjoying the opportunity to reminisce. The second disc has a host of fun extras, including an "A-Z of Red Dwarf", outtakes, deleted scenes, a Doug Naylor interview, model shots, and the full, unexpurgated "Tongue Tied" music video. As with the first set, the animated menus are great fun and the "Play All" facility is the most useful little flashing button ever created. --Mark Walker

Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
DVD 9
DVD 5
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Stereo English
Dolby Digital Stereo
Cast Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Smeg Ups
Original Trailer
Red Dwarf A To Z Documentary
Doug Naylor Interview
Alternate Personalities Featurette
Tongue Tied Uncut
Special Effects Raw Footage
Isolated Music Cues
Talking Book Chapters
Photo Gallery
Weblink
Hidden Easter Egg
English

Synopsis
The sci-fi spoof RED DWARF finds chicken-soup-machine repairman Dave Lister (Craig Charles) as the last human being in the universe on a spaceship 3,000,000 years in the future. Along with the holographic image of his deceased bunkmate, Rimmer (Chris Barrie), and other odd characters, Lister navigates the stars on increasingly bizarre adventures. This collection includes the second six episodes of the series: "Kryten," "Better Than Life," "Thanks for the Memory," "Statis Leak," "Queeg," and "Parallel Universe."

Customer Reviews

Red Dwarf II
This series had more funding than the first, and it does show. The cast are now established, it's as if the roles are now second nature to them. There's some absolute classic lines, the line in the episode "Kryten" when they realise that the crew they've gone to rescue have been actually been dead for several centuries and Lister turns to Rimmer and says "the blonde one's winking at you" still has me doubled over laughing today.

Red Dwarf is so original and simply can't be copied - the Americans have tried and failed miserably. What makes it is the cast, no-one else could have played any character, with any other actors it just doesn't work, they're so perfect in the roles. This series is sheer brilliance.

As with series 1, there are plenty of extras - smeg ups and documentries galore. This DVD is definitely a MUST HAVE for any Dwarfer.

A truly excellent series.
Some situation comedies live or die by their inventiveness ... and Red Dwarf is certainly one such.

The problem with many is that the inventiveness "fails" as one series becomes two, then three, then five, etc. With Red Dwarf this simply doesn't happen. I have got eight series of this sitcom on DVD (and this review applies to, and will be submitted on, all eight) and the eigth is every bit as superb as the first.

I unhesitatingly recommend Red Dwarf to all.

Perfection in one small package
Series Two is certainly my second favourite series (after Five) as it hosts one classic episode after another with 'Stasis Leak' being the weakest in this series. This is still heads and shoulders above any other episodes from Series Seven though.

Kryten:

The first apperance by that mechanoid; but he is not as we know him from Series Three onwards. The first apperance of Blue Midget. Am I the only one who prefers this to Starbug? 4/5

Better Than Life:

A bizarre episode. One second it is a pathos episode with the death of Rimmer's father annocced (is that how you spell it?) and then it is the comforts of the Total Immersion Video Game. 4.2/5

Thanks for the Memory:

Perfection is one word that sums this episode up. In fact it is this episode and 'Queeg' which give Series Two a popular status among fans. Another pathos episode and Rimmer is seen as a 'little lamb lost in the wood' and Lister is seen as a really nice guy. It is ironic that this time last series (Balance of Power) Rimmer was detestable. My third favourite episode of Red Dwarf. 5/5

Stasis Leak:

A strange episode as Lister is prepared to die just for three weeks with Kochanski, in the nuclear holocaust. It is strange with the future Lister. As the timeline being radically changed between Two and Eight, it is unlikely Lister will end up as the Lister seen here who has married Kochanski. 3.5/10

Queeg:

A fan favourite and Holly is at his peak. I do not want to spoil it for people who have not seen this but the threat that is Queeg is a little closer to home. Not much more to say about the classic episode... 5/5

Parallel Universe:

The 'party' episode of the series and is still strong. The central characters' female selves are wonderfully portrayed yet the Dog seems superfluous. It is a shame the writers did not develop the cliff hanger seen at the end but it tie up 'Future Echoes.' 5/5 without mentioning the Tounge Tied song.

Overall, this series takes the stronger and weaker points of the first series and improves on them wildly creating a worth while three hours.