It’s cold outside, there’s no kind of atmosphere…
That’s right, the ‘Boys from the Dwarf’ are back! Red Dwarf XII sees the entire crew return for a brand-new series - and I mean the entire crew, as the twelfth series features surprise cameos from Holly (the original Norman Lovett version at that) and even everyone’s (least) favourite talking breakfast appliance, much to the horror of the crew…
"It's hilarious to see the crew in their own mechanoid bodies, complete with novelty condom heads"
Whilst the first rebooted series (it's probably best if we don't talk about Back to Earth) was rather hit-and-miss, XI was more like a time-warp back to the originals in tone and style. Red Dwarf XII follows suit, and whilst not quite perfect, there are some hilarious laugh-out-loud moments.
Highlights include an episode where Lister, Rimmer and the Cat are captured by a group of vengeful mechanoids known as the MILF (the Mechanoid Intergalactic Liberation Front), who force them to carry out all the chores Kryten has ever done for them. It’s hilarious to see the crew in their own mechanoid bodies, complete with novelty condom heads after all those years of ripping into Kryten. It is hard to believe that it has taken twelve series for this to happen, but this just goes to show that Red Dwarf can still engage with new ideas after all these years.
"The new series feels almost like a tribute to the old days on the Dwarf - but that's just fine by me"
At times, the new series feels almost like a tribute to the old days on the Dwarf, with repeated jokes and throwbacks to the originals – but that’s just fine by me, they were great and there’s no harm in celebrating them. Besides, the new episodes manage to combine these with enough originality to ensure that Red Dwarf still has plenty more to offer.
The series has now finished, but don’t panic if you missed it, as all episodes are available for you to binge online at UKTV Gold.
