How the smeg did they do it?

Photograph courtesy of penny arcade.com
Cast from left to right: , Danny John-Jules (Cat), Hattie Hayridge (Holly), Craig Charles (Dave Lister), Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) and Chris Barrie (Arnold Rimmer)

Dwarfers everywhere are rejoicing as digital channel Dave has commissioned four special episodes of Red Dwarf for 2009. Two episodes continue from where series eight left off and the other two the "making of the specials".

Three million years into deep space and the last human being in the universe, Dave Lister, is awaking from stasis to find that the entire crew of Jupiter mining ship Red Dwarf have been killed by a radiation leak. His only companions a hologram of his dead crew mate Rimmer and a creature that evolved from the ship's cat.

This is the story that began the cult science-fiction sit-com that is Red Dwarf. So how did this genre hybrid go on to win an International Emmy, a British Comedy Award and become one of the highest rated shows on the BBC?

The formula was a collaboration of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor's writing skills, the actors' comedic timing and of course the fantastic set and prop design.

Grant and Naylor's production company (Grant Naylor productions) had experienced success before the birth of Red Dwarf after they saved the satirical comedy Spitting Image from almost certain extinction. Their ability to mix satirical comedy, science-fiction and plot-driven humour is what makes Red Dwarf such compelling viewing.

The cast, and their ability to deliver one-liners with perfect comedic timing, adds to the cult following of Red Dwarf. Everyone has their favourite character; whether it's Lister and his slobbish ways, Rimmer and his anal retentiveness, the Cat's cool or Kryten's comedic way of analysing everything to the extent that it no longer becomes recognisable to a human being. For example his description of a pub is: "A meeting place where people try to achieve advanced states of mental incompetence by the repeated consumption of fermented vegetable drinks".

Then of course there is the whole Norman Lovett/ Hattie Hayridge debate. Who really was the better Holly? They both bring their own individual brand of comedy to the character. Norman Lovett adds a loveable, dry humoured approach to Holly and Hattie Hayridge adds a ditsy and fantastically feminine touch to the character.

Famous for its unpredictable plot, Red Dwarf ultimately stands the test of time. It has remained in popular consciousness and is in the BBC's ten best selling dvds, even beating The Office which as we all know has won loads of awards and had a far larger budget than the small crimson one.

So there you have it. Red Dwarf is "kicking bottom all the way".