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Quarantine (Red Dwarf episode)
Encyclopedia
"Quarantine" is the fourth episode of science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
Series V and the twenty eighth in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British
television channel BBC2 on 12 March 1992. The episode, fifth to be filmed, was the first one to be solely directed by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor. The episode has Rimmer contracting a holo-virus and turning against the rest of the crew.
Rimmer
is requested by Kryten to return to Red Dwarf in an escape pod due to Lanstrom being a hologram (since Holly can only generate one). Naturally Rimmer is put out at this, especially when Kryten pulls a Space Corps Directive on him. Soon, the others arrive at Lanstrom's lab; however, she proves to have contracted a holo-virus that causes her to become homicidally insane, and to have Psionic powers such as hex vision. She gives chase, and speaks to Rimmer on the radio, causing him to decide to head back to Red Dwarf anyway. Lister
, Kryten
and the Cat
decide to give Lanstrom the run-around, as the holo-virus will soon kill her. However Lanstrom corners them and is about to finish them off when, just in time, the virus takes its toll and Lanstrom disappears. The three head back to Red Dwarf, and take the chance to test the luck virus, which gives Lister incredible luck before his natural body defences combat it and it wears off.
Returning to the ship, Starbug is redirected by Rimmer to the quarantine
bay. Having decided to use the Space Corps Directives against the others, he quotes a rule that gets the others thrown in isolation for three months.
There, in Bay 47, nothing gets in and nothing gets out, not even a microbe. The only things the internees have to entertain them are a knitting magazine, crossword books with nearly all the crosswords completed, Rimmer's own taste in music
, and a video entitled Wallpapering, Painting and Stippling - a DIY Guide. To make things even more hellish, Rimmer gives them only one bunk between them (due to Lister being the only registered crewmember). Predictably, Lister
, Kryten
and the Cat
all soon start getting on each other's nerves - much to Rimmer's delight.
However, it soom emerges that Rimmer has the holo-virus, having contracted it when he spoke to Lanstrom over the radio. Eventually he appears to the crew wearing a red-and-white checked gingham
dress and army boots, teaming up with a glove puppet, named Mr. Flibble, and sentencing his "naughty" shipmates to two hours of W.O.O. (With Out Oxygen), saying "That'll teach you to be breadbasket
s." Things look pretty bad, but by using the luck virus taken from the Viral Research Department, Lister is able to get them out of quarantine. Now on the run from Rimmer, Kryten has a plan to purge the holo-virus from his system. Thanks to the luck virus, all the equipment that's needed just happens to by lying by their feet. Just in the nick of time, Kryten activates the purge and Rimmer is cured. After being informed that Rimmer will be fine, Lister takes it as a sign the virus has worn off.
The episode ends with Rimmer, back to normal, in quarantine. Lister, Kryten and Cat appear to him wearing checked gingham dresses, suggesting that they intend to make his stay every bit as maddening as theirs.
leaving as director, the remaining episodes were directed by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Quarantine, which was fifth to be filmed in the series, was the first one to be solely directed by the co-creators. Although supposed to be the simple 'dialogue' episode for the series Grant and Naylor found it hard going. The main scene of the Cat, Lister and Kryten arguing in the quarantine bay took a grand total of 57 minutes to record, the cast either breaking up with laughter or else having trouble with dialogue that had only recently been delivered.
The original idea was to have each of the crew infected with Psi-powers, but this was later changed to the positive viruses story. Time constraints, coupled with the fact that it was pitched as the cheap show, meant that the script wasn't developed as well as Grant and Naylor had hoped. It was the cheap show so that the others were affordable.
Maggie Steed
agreed to wear a prosthetic face mask to appear as the dying hologramatic Dr Lanstrom.
classic". Viewers particularly enjoyed Rimmer's descent into insanity, the character of Mr. Flibble becoming a fan favourite.
The episode proved popular enough with the BBC to head one of the two Series V video releases. The BBC had decided to ignore the original running order and used the most popular episodes from Series V to maximise sales of the videos. The episode that featured on the other Series V video release being "Back to Reality".
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 V and the twenty eighth in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel BBC2 on 12 March 1992. The episode, fifth to be filmed, was the first one to be solely directed by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor. The episode has Rimmer contracting a holo-virus and turning against the rest of the crew.
Plot
Red Dwarf receives a signal from the hologram Dr. Hildegarde Lanstrom. The crew takes Starbug to visit the Viral Research Centre, (where Lanstrom had been working on a theory that viruses can be positive as well as negative, and had isolated several positive viruses, including one, the "luck virus", that grants whomever contracts it extreme good luck.)Rimmer
Arnold 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...
is requested by Kryten to return to Red Dwarf in an escape pod due to Lanstrom being a hologram (since Holly can only generate one). Naturally Rimmer is put out at this, especially when Kryten pulls a Space Corps Directive on him. Soon, the others arrive at Lanstrom's lab; however, she proves to have contracted a holo-virus that causes her to become homicidally insane, and to have Psionic powers such as hex vision. She gives chase, and speaks to Rimmer on the radio, causing him to decide to head back to Red Dwarf anyway. 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...
, 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...
and the 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...
decide to give Lanstrom the run-around, as the holo-virus will soon kill her. However Lanstrom corners them and is about to finish them off when, just in time, the virus takes its toll and Lanstrom disappears. The three head back to Red Dwarf, and take the chance to test the luck virus, which gives Lister incredible luck before his natural body defences combat it and it wears off.
Returning to the ship, Starbug is redirected by Rimmer to the quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
bay. Having decided to use the Space Corps Directives against the others, he quotes a rule that gets the others thrown in isolation for three months.
There, in Bay 47, nothing gets in and nothing gets out, not even a microbe. The only things the internees have to entertain them are a knitting magazine, crossword books with nearly all the crosswords completed, Rimmer's own taste in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, and a video entitled Wallpapering, Painting and Stippling - a DIY Guide. To make things even more hellish, Rimmer gives them only one bunk between them (due to Lister being the only registered crewmember). Predictably, 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...
, 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...
and the 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...
all soon start getting on each other's nerves - much to Rimmer's delight.
However, it soom emerges that Rimmer has the holo-virus, having contracted it when he spoke to Lanstrom over the radio. Eventually he appears to the crew wearing a red-and-white checked gingham
Gingham
Gingham is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarn.The name originates from an adjective in the Malay language, genggang , meaning striped. Some sources say that the name came into English via Dutch...
dress and army boots, teaming up with a glove puppet, named Mr. Flibble, and sentencing his "naughty" shipmates to two hours of W.O.O. (With Out Oxygen), saying "That'll teach you to be breadbasket
Breadbasket
The breadbasket or the granary of a country is a region which, because of richness of soil and/or advantageous climate, produces an agricultural surplus which is often considered vital for the country as a whole. Rice bowl is a similar term used in Southeast Asia...
s." Things look pretty bad, but by using the luck virus taken from the Viral Research Department, Lister is able to get them out of quarantine. Now on the run from Rimmer, Kryten has a plan to purge the holo-virus from his system. Thanks to the luck virus, all the equipment that's needed just happens to by lying by their feet. Just in the nick of time, Kryten activates the purge and Rimmer is cured. After being informed that Rimmer will be fine, Lister takes it as a sign the virus has worn off.
The episode ends with Rimmer, back to normal, in quarantine. Lister, Kryten and Cat appear to him wearing checked gingham dresses, suggesting that they intend to make his stay every bit as maddening as theirs.
Production
Due to Juliet MayJuliet May
Juliet May is a British television director. She has directed a variety of television shows, including Challenge Anneka, Dalziel and Pascoe, Hope and Glory New Tricks and the award-winning Miranda....
leaving as director, the remaining episodes were directed by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Quarantine, which was fifth to be filmed in the series, was the first one to be solely directed by the co-creators. Although supposed to be the simple 'dialogue' episode for the series Grant and Naylor found it hard going. The main scene of the Cat, Lister and Kryten arguing in the quarantine bay took a grand total of 57 minutes to record, the cast either breaking up with laughter or else having trouble with dialogue that had only recently been delivered.
The original idea was to have each of the crew infected with Psi-powers, but this was later changed to the positive viruses story. Time constraints, coupled with the fact that it was pitched as the cheap show, meant that the script wasn't developed as well as Grant and Naylor had hoped. It was the cheap show so that the others were affordable.
Maggie Steed
Maggie Steed
Maggie Steed is an English actress and comedienne.-Youth:After studying drama at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, she left the theatre for several years.-Career:...
agreed to wear a prosthetic face mask to appear as the dying hologramatic Dr Lanstrom.
Cultural references
- Dr Hildegarde Lanstrom references Schopenhauer's "Life without pain has no meaning" quote.
- The character of Dr Hildegarde Lanstrom may be a reference to the molecular biologist Dr Hildegarde Lamfrom.
Reception
The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 12 March 1992 in the 9:00pm evening time slot, and was considered as one of the better episodes from the series, just behind "Back to Reality". 'Reviews by Gavrielle' stating that "the episode develops into aclassic". Viewers particularly enjoyed Rimmer's descent into insanity, the character of Mr. Flibble becoming a fan favourite.
The episode proved popular enough with the BBC to head one of the two Series V video releases. The BBC had decided to ignore the original running order and used the most popular episodes from Series V to maximise sales of the videos. The episode that featured on the other Series V video release being "Back to Reality".