Out of Time (Red Dwarf episode)
Encyclopedia
"Out of Time" is the sixth, and last, episode of science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
Series VI and the 36th in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2
on 11 November 1993. Written by Rob Grant
& Doug Naylor
and directed by Andy de Emmony, it was the first Red Dwarf series finale to end on a cliffhanger.
decides to conduct a "morale-meeting" and appoints himself "morale officer". However the morale-meeting turns out to be nothing more than an excuse for Rimmer to vent his feelings about how much he hates everyone. The rest of the crew discuss the bleak lives they're now leading, but the conversation is stopped when Starbug flies into a region of space populated by unreality pockets, a security measure around a top-secret Space Corps test ship. Eager to see what has such protection, the crew fly in but more of these unreality pockets occur, causing very strong hallucinations and Lister to think he is a 3000 series android (an unsuccessful model, due to its hyper-realistic appearance
), after which he is forced to obey orders from Kryten, a 4000 series. Everyone is about to give up when Kryten
suggests the crew go into Deep Sleep. Once awoken, the crew board the derelict ship and find a device capable of time travel. The crew test the device, but as it only allows Starbug to travel through time, not space, it is of no use at the moment, however if a faster-than-light drive can be found then the time machine will allow them to travel through space instantaneously.
The crew are subsequently contacted by another Starbug, populated by their future selves, who explain that their own time-drive is malfunctioning and request to be allowed to copy parts from the present-day time-drive. Only Kryten speaks to them to prevent the rest of the crew learning about their futures, however afterwards he gets very emotional around Lister
which makes him very worried. Lister speaks to Kryten telling him he understands that he's died in the future, but Kryten tells him that he is aboard the future ship, making Lister very confused. Kryten explains that the future crew's time drive has malfunctioned and only allows them to go forwards. In order to fix it, they need to copy components from the time drive aboard the present Starbug. The future crew board, but everyone except Kryten is sealed in the hold to prevent them from meeting their future counterparts. Lister is desperate to see what's happened to him and rigs a camera to see what's going on, and each of the crew is dismayed to see what they have become. Rimmer is overweight, Cat
is bald, Kryten has donned a toupee and a turtleneck sweater, and Lister is merely a brain in a jar
. It soon becomes clear that their future selves are snobs and have socialised with some of the most evil figures of history (including the Hitlers
) (with future Rimmer stating he's "a hoot" as long as he's not talking politics) and lived in the height of luxury.
Lister refuses to help the future crew after seeing what they have become, and sends them at gunpoint back to their ship without the information they need. Later, as the crew try to come to terms with the fact they're destined to lead selfish and despicable lives, the future crew launch an attack on their past-selves and, unwilling to spend the rest of their existence stranded in deep space, are willing to kill the crew knowing they'll be wiping themselves out. Rimmer shows uncharacteristic bravery by suggesting they fight, stating "Better dead than smeg" and the rest of the crew agree. Although things start off well, the more advanced future Starbug causes massive damage causing Lister, Cat, and Kryten to all get killed by explosions in the cockpit. Rimmer realises that the crew's only hope is to destroy the time-drive, and grabs a bazookoid. Rimmer struggles through the bowels of the crumbling ship but manages to reach the time drive and fires upon it. However it is too late, as Starbug is hit by a missile and is destroyed in a massive explosion...
TO BE CONTINUED
...
The episode was filmed with auto-cue prompts installed throughout the Starbug set, since Rob Grant and Doug Naylor did not actually finish the script. He had to type lines for the actors to read, and simultaneously make it look like a well-rehearsed episode to the audience.
"Out of Time" ended with Rimmer blowing the time drive up and the ship exploding, then a caption appearing, which read 'To Be Continued...'. But that was not the initial ending that was filmed – the idea to go with that cliffhanger was thought of in post-production, but then a conclusion to the story was written and recorded; as Rimmer blows up the time drive, he is thrown back and everything around him returns to normal as the future selves never exist; later, the crew celebrate the erasure of their future selves (referencing Lister's earlier statement that the crew never celebrate anything) and Rimmer's bravery which he is uncharacteristically modest about. Kryten then informs everyone that Red Dwarfs vapour trail has been relocated and the crew then toast their good fortune with some margarita. "To the present" says Kryten. Lister then blurts out "That's urine re-cyc", and the crew is left with foam moustaches.
Several endings were considered, including the crew finding Red Dwarf at the end, which had been the original idea (and would be used in Nanarchy
in 1997, four years later), but it was decided it would be a better cliffhanger to kill everyone off – especially as the BBC had already said it wanted more Red Dwarf. Nevertheless, due to a number of circumstances, viewers would be waiting three years for a resolution.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
Series VI and the 36th in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 11 November 1993. Written by Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
& Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
and directed by Andy de Emmony, it was the first Red Dwarf series finale to end on a cliffhanger.
Plot
Things are grim aboard Starbug, as the crew have now lost all trace of Red Dwarf. RimmerArnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
decides to conduct a "morale-meeting" and appoints himself "morale officer". However the morale-meeting turns out to be nothing more than an excuse for Rimmer to vent his feelings about how much he hates everyone. The rest of the crew discuss the bleak lives they're now leading, but the conversation is stopped when Starbug flies into a region of space populated by unreality pockets, a security measure around a top-secret Space Corps test ship. Eager to see what has such protection, the crew fly in but more of these unreality pockets occur, causing very strong hallucinations and Lister to think he is a 3000 series android (an unsuccessful model, due to its hyper-realistic appearance
Uncanny Valley
The uncanny valley is a hypothesis in the field of robotics and 3D computer animation, which holds that when human replicas look and act almost, but not perfectly, like actual human beings, it causes a response of revulsion among human observers...
), after which he is forced to obey orders from Kryten, a 4000 series. Everyone is about to give up when Kryten
Kryten
Kryten is a fictional character in the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf. Kryten's registration code on Red Dwarf is "Kryten additional 001". The name Kryten is a reference to the head butler in the J.M...
suggests the crew go into Deep Sleep. Once awoken, the crew board the derelict ship and find a device capable of time travel. The crew test the device, but as it only allows Starbug to travel through time, not space, it is of no use at the moment, however if a faster-than-light drive can be found then the time machine will allow them to travel through space instantaneously.
The crew are subsequently contacted by another Starbug, populated by their future selves, who explain that their own time-drive is malfunctioning and request to be allowed to copy parts from the present-day time-drive. Only Kryten speaks to them to prevent the rest of the crew learning about their futures, however afterwards he gets very emotional around Lister
Dave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
which makes him very worried. Lister speaks to Kryten telling him he understands that he's died in the future, but Kryten tells him that he is aboard the future ship, making Lister very confused. Kryten explains that the future crew's time drive has malfunctioned and only allows them to go forwards. In order to fix it, they need to copy components from the time drive aboard the present Starbug. The future crew board, but everyone except Kryten is sealed in the hold to prevent them from meeting their future counterparts. Lister is desperate to see what's happened to him and rigs a camera to see what's going on, and each of the crew is dismayed to see what they have become. Rimmer is overweight, Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
is bald, Kryten has donned a toupee and a turtleneck sweater, and Lister is merely a brain in a jar
Brain in a vat
In philosophy, the brain in a vat is an element used in a variety of thought experiments intended to draw out certain features of our ideas of knowledge, reality, truth, mind, and meaning...
. It soon becomes clear that their future selves are snobs and have socialised with some of the most evil figures of history (including the Hitlers
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
) (with future Rimmer stating he's "a hoot" as long as he's not talking politics) and lived in the height of luxury.
Lister refuses to help the future crew after seeing what they have become, and sends them at gunpoint back to their ship without the information they need. Later, as the crew try to come to terms with the fact they're destined to lead selfish and despicable lives, the future crew launch an attack on their past-selves and, unwilling to spend the rest of their existence stranded in deep space, are willing to kill the crew knowing they'll be wiping themselves out. Rimmer shows uncharacteristic bravery by suggesting they fight, stating "Better dead than smeg" and the rest of the crew agree. Although things start off well, the more advanced future Starbug causes massive damage causing Lister, Cat, and Kryten to all get killed by explosions in the cockpit. Rimmer realises that the crew's only hope is to destroy the time-drive, and grabs a bazookoid. Rimmer struggles through the bowels of the crumbling ship but manages to reach the time drive and fires upon it. However it is too late, as Starbug is hit by a missile and is destroyed in a massive explosion...
TO BE CONTINUED
Tikka to Ride
"Tikka To Ride" is the first episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series VII and the 37th in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 17 January 1997...
...
Production
"Out of Time", known as "Present From The Future" during shooting, featured an idea that the writers were thinking about for some time – Lister as an android. The idea never materialised as an episode in its own right but wound up as part of the plot here.The episode was filmed with auto-cue prompts installed throughout the Starbug set, since Rob Grant and Doug Naylor did not actually finish the script. He had to type lines for the actors to read, and simultaneously make it look like a well-rehearsed episode to the audience.
"Out of Time" ended with Rimmer blowing the time drive up and the ship exploding, then a caption appearing, which read 'To Be Continued...'. But that was not the initial ending that was filmed – the idea to go with that cliffhanger was thought of in post-production, but then a conclusion to the story was written and recorded; as Rimmer blows up the time drive, he is thrown back and everything around him returns to normal as the future selves never exist; later, the crew celebrate the erasure of their future selves (referencing Lister's earlier statement that the crew never celebrate anything) and Rimmer's bravery which he is uncharacteristically modest about. Kryten then informs everyone that Red Dwarfs vapour trail has been relocated and the crew then toast their good fortune with some margarita. "To the present" says Kryten. Lister then blurts out "That's urine re-cyc", and the crew is left with foam moustaches.
Several endings were considered, including the crew finding Red Dwarf at the end, which had been the original idea (and would be used in Nanarchy
Nanarchy
"Nanarchy" is the eighth, and final, episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series VII and the 44th in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 7 March 1997. Written by Paul Alexander, James Hendrie & Doug Naylor and directed by Ed Bye...
in 1997, four years later), but it was decided it would be a better cliffhanger to kill everyone off – especially as the BBC had already said it wanted more Red Dwarf. Nevertheless, due to a number of circumstances, viewers would be waiting three years for a resolution.