Aftermath

The debut of Red Dwarf on Dave broke records both for the channel, and for digital television. 2.6 million tuned in for the first episode - 12% of the viewing audience and officially the highest-rated commissioned show on British digital television ever.

Totalling up the numbers for the whole weekend, and the viewership for episode one was over four million, with episodes two and three also pulling in around three million apiece - all a huge step up for a channel that had yet to cross the million mark until Red Dwarf arrived. At time of writing, the episodes are still bringing in high numbers for Dave on their umpteenth repeat. No wonder talks were underway even before the broadcast for a possible full series of the show!

The DVD was released on June 15th, 2009, making this the first Red Dwarf series not to be put out on VHS cassette. A Director's Cut version of the three shows - feature-length, and with a few little edits along the way - was given the top position on the disc, with the intention that this be viewed as the 'definitive' version of the show.

Among the tweaks were compressions to the early scenes of episode one, and the addition of a few shots here and there (notably an extra flash of Cat dropping into the Remembrance Garden). Eagle-eyed fans might also spot a release date sign in front of the DVD when Lister breaks into the cabinet. The shot was reframed for broadcast as it was felt that it looked too promotional - which was never the intention.

The Director's Cut also included alternative credits, incorporating the many vis-FX artists who could not be credited on the broadcast shows. 'Boy and Girl on Bus' were also renamed as 'Oracle Boy and Girl'.

At the end of the credits, a typewriter is show and the words 'The End' are typed. Could it be that the whole thing is a work of fiction by an outside writer?!

Well, yes, obviously. It's a TV show. That's how these things work.