Red Dwarf XII (DVD)

This season is great. It is a return to form in comedy and timing like we haven't seen in a while. I got the bluray and all the episodes and extras fit on one disc without any major compression issues.My main reason for posting this review is to talk about the extras. I had not been able to find any solid information about what the extras were going to be for the Region 1 release. Now that I have it in hand I can let you know it has the same bonus features as the UK release. That's 140 minutes of stuff!I've grabbed this off of the Red Dwarf UK website:THE 28-YEARS-LATER AFFAIR - THE MAKING OF RED DWARF XIIWith so much of the behind-the-scenes technical stuff being covered by the featurettes, and with last year's documentary having covered the process of actually bringing the show back and getting it into production, this time around things are focused more heavily on the scripts and actors.As such, a wide range of Series XII's guest cast are featured and interviewed - including Norman Lovett, Mac McDonald, Helen George, Ryan Gage, Richard Glover, Ian Boldsworth (Ray Peacock) and Marcus Garvey. And especially excitingly, David Ross returns to Red Dwarf documentaries once again, discussing his reprise of the role of Talkie Toaster.Along the way, you'll learn how easy it is to become a mechanoid these days, how social media can get you a part in Red Dwarf, and the effect that a returning computer can have on the structural integrity of a studio...DELETED SCENESWith Series XI and XII both having been so tightly packed with material, there wasn't a huge amount left on the cutting room floor - but we've gathered together some notable highlights of things that were trimmed for time, including an entire alternative ending to one of the episodes! Here's a run-down:CUREDThe storyboard - with Chris Barrie narration - that was shown to the audience on the recording night of Starbug stuck turning left.The crew look for a way in to the base.More dialogue between Cat and Vlad the Impaler.Rimmer suspects Professor Telford might be evil for a completely superficial reason.SILICONIAAnother storyboard narration, this time by Robert Llewellyn, of the crew tracking down Lister's guitar and Starbug being captured by the SS Vespasian.The original ending to the episode, as Lister forces a not-fully-de-meched Rimmer and Cat to join him in a rendition of "Baby Don't Be Ovulating Tonight".TIMEWAVEAdditional dialogue with the crew and the Crit Cop.The crew are ushered into a jail cell with a pair of criticism junkies.Bonus PackageMECHOCRACYLister frantically packs up his quarters as the crew prepare to abandon ship.M-CORPRimmer and Lister argue over which of the two of them is worse off.SKIPPERAn alternative introduction to The Rat.SMEG-UPSIt's a Red Dwarf DVD, it's a Smeg Ups compilation. You know the score by now. Expect laughs, swearing and general inappropriateness aplenty.THE SPEED OF DARK - LIGHTING RED DWARFEverybody's favourite nerdy director of photography Ed Moore gives a tour around the Red Dwarf set, focusing not only on his own work lighting the set but also on some of the general changes and developments that have taken place to create the Series XI and XII versions of the ship.LIGHTING RED DWARF - THEN AND NOWRed Dwarf's original lighting designer John Pomphrey visited the set during production of Series XII - and sat down for a chat with Ed Moore about the different approaches taken to lighting the show in the 1980s/1990s and today.A FONT TO THE SENSESGraphic designer Matthew Clark talks through some of his work on Series XII, with particular focus on signage and typography designed to give the set a feeling of depth - along with several in-jokes that you probably won't ever spot on screen!A NEW MODEL ARMYModel shoot DoP Nigel Stone, The Model Unit's Mike Tucker and The Magic Camera Company's Andy Rolfe and Peter Seymour Howell discuss the techniques for shooting brand new Red Dwarf and Starbug footage for Series XI and XII - and how design elements going all the way back to Series III have informed the new material.FLYING BY WIREFRAMEEver wondered just how they did that bit? And that bit? Howard Jones (no relation to the keyboard player!) of AXIS VFX talks through some of the VFX techniques required to pull off some of the series' more striking visuals.IN SPACE THEY CAN HEAR YOU SCREAMSound engineer Rikki Hanson talks about picking up the sounds of Red Dwarf during recording - both on the set and among the audience!THE SANDS OF STUNTBUGVoxeljet's Phil O'Connell goes into the detail of how the 3D-printed "Stuntbug" model is made - and destroyed!

The DVD played fine, the content was mixed. Have been a fan of Red Dwarf for a long time, and when the series is on target it is hilarious and even thought-provoking. This latest series misses the target all too often, which I will credit somewhat to overfamiliarity, but also to a certain sense of exhaustion. Two episodes are more than worthwhile, however: the fourth delves entertainingly into the more ludicrous aspect of elections, while the series finale presents one of Rimmer's best showcases as he hops from one reality to another, seeking one where he's not, in his eyes, a pathetic loser. There are snatches of fun in the other episodes, but these two manage to deliver in full and, if you're a fan at all, make this series worth the price of admission.

“Red Dwarf: Series XII” continues the adventures of the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf – Dave Lister (Craig Charles), Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Cat (Danny John-Jules), and Kryten (Robert Llewellyn). Over the course of this series, the crew meet history’s most evil people, all of whom were “cured,” then get turned into mechanoids, travel back in time to encounter a ship where criticism is outlawed, face a machine uprising on Red Dwarf, face a new corporate owner after the Jupiter Mining Corporation is bought out, and Rimmer goes in search of a universe where he’s not a loser. Most of the episodes are great, featuring the comedy and character moments fans expect from the franchise. Really, the only one that doesn’t hold up is “Timewave,” the third episode of the season. Otherwise, the remaining five are well-crafted with the combination of hilarity and depth that fans expect. “Mechocracy” and “Skipper” are the best, with both featuring nice references to themes from throughout the franchise. David Ross returned from retirement to voice Talkie Toaster in “Mechocracy,” reviving the character for the first time since 1991. The following episode, “M-Corp” references the franchise’s first episode, “The End.” Finally, “Skipper” brings back Norman Lovett and Mac McDonald, being the best episode since Dave revived the franchise with “Back to Earth.” Bonus features on this Blu-ray include a behind-the-scenes look, deleted scenes, Smeg Ups, visual effects and model shots, and more.

LOVE RED DWARF since the early 90s. Thank you to the team for continuing to put out quality comedic entertainment. The characters and . dialogue have infiltrated my life. This series (XII) is even better than series XI, which was great (not sure anything could beat the moose stuff in episode 1 of series XI). Love how Rimmer is back to his early Rimmer super annoying ways ("rimmering" down the corridor, for example), Cat is extra narcissistic and vain, as in the early days. I adore that Kryten has to confront the truth that he is the most capable member of the crew and that he is therefore the caretaker of the rest of the crew (is he taken advantage of? is he subservient?) So happy to see lots of references to early episodes (such as Rimmer talking about Kryten killing the crew of the Nova 5 in the election story episode). There's a LOT of humor to love in series XII!

Series XII re-uses the back canon like Lister re-uses his underwear: without freshening it up for 30 years, even when it's full of holes, because it's worked in the past.Yes, reprises of classic scenes/gags, and even Holly and Hollister cameos, shoehorned into half the episodes are good for a quick laugh. But when those episodes need to pad with such inside-joke filler and the rest but one are largely social-commentary comedy sketches that could be done with almost any fictional context, not per se relying upon the Dwarf universe as more than a backdrop, it begins to feel like the show is back to coasting on its own momentum. And that's a disappointing contrast to the unexpectedly decent unexpected reboot material of series X and XI...

As always I received this Blu-ray of Red Dwarf Series 12 promptly and fairly well packaged - though the discs were loose within their case but thankfully were undamaged - something to look at for (maybe) Series 13 if it gets announced, or certainly the Series 1-8 Boxset which is due for release.Series 12's writing is pretty well on-par with previous series, especially the post-Back To Earth set of series. Unfortunately, it feels like the recording was slightly rushed as the performance isn't quite what it was for Series 10 and 11. The actors generally seem hesitant and some near slip-ups have been left in as part of the final recording it seems. I completely understand that these guys were under pressure because of Series 11 being recorded only a few weeks previous, but when this affects the quality I would have preferred them to have more time to apply the polish.Generally though this is a great selection of episodes which all appear to run similar themes of corporate corruption, morals and lots of other topics which as an avid Dwarfer you would ultimately become accustomed to. The production values, as with all post-BtE series are excellent and you can really see where money (and lots of hard work and time) have been spent to ensure Red Dwarf looks the best it can be.Compared to the previous series offerings of extras, Series 12's is a lot more extensive and goes into a lot more detail than before with regard to the production - covering everything from the graphics, to lighting and the model-making which is always a personal favourite.Overall I was very pleased with this series and the way it has been presented on disc, but do wonder if for Series 13 whether they will opt for singular series, or at least having more of a gap between recordings to give the actors a breather.

Red Dwarf is without a doubt my favorite all time sitcom. And id go so far as to to say one of the best shows currently on television. This is in large part due to the stellar cast of characters, because of the shows longevity we the audience feel a strong connection for the boys from the dwarf and we know how each will react ina given situation. This isn't to say the show is stale, on the contrary, this seasons writing is jam packed with some brilliant plots and storylines relevant to todays world (mechrocracy comes to mind) as well as being peppered with the series' famous comedy.I only hope there's more to come in the future as it's clear that Doug Naylor still has tons of ideas for the show, and the cast still knows how to deliver the goods

Taking some time of the production of Red Dwarf must have given the producers enough time to come up with some great ideas for season 11 & 12. They were beyond my expectations. So refreshing to see this after watching some Marvel Universe Hollywood production. Iron Man in trouble?... meh... he has this ridiculous suit, so how tough can it be? These guys in trouble? Now that's a challenge!

I'm a big fan of Red Dwarf, have all the DVDs of Series 1 - 8 and series 10 &11 on Blu-ray, I've even pre-ordered the series 1 - 8 boxset on Blu-ray which comes out later this year, so I thought I had better buy this too. To be honest, I think series 10 was very good, series 11 was good and this series is just okay, but I've still bought it anyway. I'm torn between whether I prefer series 8 or 10, suppose I'll just have to keep watching them.

Brilliant, well seasoned continuation of the Red Dwarf Crew adventures. This series is packed with fun and entertainment. Well worth adding to the Collection. Watch out for Holly's reappearance!