TVSquad

I managed to obtain a copy of Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, the first original Red Dwarf series (albeit mini-series) in nine years, and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed.

As I mentioned before, it was nice to see the crew back and their usual callow banter. The episode, however, seemed more of an attempt at a relaunch of the franchise than a conclusion to the series. Nothing seems to actually get resolved.

Spoilers follow...

The following promotional video contains a few scene snippets of the upcoming Red Dwarf special/conclusion (called Back to Earth) and is mostly interviews, but simply seeing the conversation between Kryten and Rimmer sets my heart all pitter-pattery.

I wasn't a big fan of Season 8 of Red Dwarf (or the previous few seasons before that, but mostly Season 8) which changed the whole premise and I'm hoping this television special will wrap up the series in a way that is more personally satisfying.

There are spoilers and video after the jump, so if you're not interested in either I recommend to stop reading now.

Robert Llewelyn, best known to Red Dwarf fans as the android Kryten, has confessed on KTSC-TV in Seattle that the BBC has commissioned a one-hour special of Red Dwarf to film in October. For those keeping track, Red Dwarf hasn't been on television since 1999.

This may be a mistake. On one hand, eight seasons of the show was beating a dead horse. It stopped being good after season three. On the other hand, nine years is certainly enough time for creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (or whomever they designate) to write an hour's worth of new quality material.

It's also possible that enough of a nostalgia vibe would exist to make the one-hour special successful. I call it the Star Wars effect. It is where bad entertainment is accepted as good and sells like mad because a certain name is attached to it (see Star Wars Episode IV: The Phantom Menace for a good example. Or better yet, don't).

Okay, this one is for the sci-fi geeks. There's a few "space" shows I've watched and enjoyed, but there's far more I haven't seen, so help me out and let me know what your favorite television spaceships are. Below are five television spacecrafts I wouldn't mind being beamed onto, as long as they gave me a laser gun to protect myself, and maybe a large bucket of deep-fried tribbles ( I hear they taste like shrimp). Let's cruise:

The USS Swinetrek: This was the pig-shaped spacecraft from one of my favorite Muppet Show segments, "Pigs in Space." I always found myself intrigued by the adventures of Link Hogthrob, Doctor Strangepork, and first mate Miss Piggy. The episode with Mark Hamill where he appears on the spaceship as Luke Skywalker and Miss Piggy won't let him leave until he "rescues" her is one of my all-time favorite Muppet episodes.

Every Tuesday here on TV Squad , we will highlight the week's TV-on-DVD releases. Some noteworthy releases today, May 2, 2006:

• 3rd Rock from the Sun - Season 4
• Andromeda - Vol 5.5
• Dinosaurs - The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons
• A Fall of Eagles (mini-series)
• Hee Haw - Collection Vol 6
• I Love Lucy - The Complete 6th Season
• Kate & Allie - The Complete 1st Season
• King of the Hill - Complete 6th Season
• Leave It to Beaver - The Complete 2nd Season
• Life in the Undergrowth (mini-series)
• The Nanny - The Complete 2nd Season
• The Omega Factor
• Red Dwarf - Series 8
• The Red Green Show - 1997 Season

I'll admit I've never given Doctor Who a chance. When I would stumble upon it while surfing the channels it just never drew me in. Oddly enough, I also found myself skipping past Red Dwarf on many a night because I thought, quite ignorantly, that it was Doctor Who. Hey, remember I was only looking at my screen for a split second: "Science fiction show on PBS. Must be Doctor Who." Well I soon learned from my ignorance and became a fan of Red Dwarf while continuing my lifelong indifference of Doctor Who. Others don't agree however, as Doctor Who was recently named the best fantasy TV series by British TV watchers. Red Dwarf did come in second, however, with the TV version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy coming in third.