Here's what you'll find in the seventh season of Red Dwarf: the truth behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the return of Ace Rimmer (or a reasonable facsimile), an emotional rollercoaster created from real emotions, a very seductive virus, and numerous mishaps involving dimensional accidents, wormholes, nanobots, and male-female relationships. If that makes perfect sense to you, you're undoubtedly a fan of the cult comedy/science fiction series, but even if you're not, there are plenty of laughs to be had. Of course, not every Red Dwarf fan will be in accordance--Series 7 has been the subject of much controversy since its original airing in 1997-98, due mostly to the departure of co-creator Rob Grant, the departure of Chris Barrie's Arnold Rimmer, and the arrival of new castmate Chloe Annett as Dave Lister's ex-girlfriend, Christine Kochanski (who had been played by another actress, Clare Grogan, in earlier episodes). But no matter which side you happen to pick for this debate, there are still enough amusing and thought-provoking moments in each episode to please even the most demanding fan. Highlights for the season include the opener, "Tikka to Ride," which turns a trip for curry into a visit to Dallas circa '63; "Blue," which addresses the departure of Rimmer and the uncomfortable relationship between Kochanski, Lister (Craig Charles), and Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), and "Nanarchy," in which the aforementioned microscopic robots create more havoc than actual repair. Supplemental features have always been one of the main attractions to the Red Dwarf DVD sets, and Series 7 doesn't disappoint: included are commentary by the cast (including Norman Lovett, the original Holly) on "Nanarchy"; "Back from the Dead," a 90-minute featurette with new interviews and previously unseen footage; a pair of short films made by fans for a competition; extended editions of three episodes (with no laugh track); 40 minutes of deleted scenes; early effects footage; and lots more. What's in store for the crew of the Red Dwarf in Series 8, their final adventures? Well, for one, they've all been re-created--even Arnold Rimmer (unfortunately)--by the Nanobots, but Lister, Kochanski, Cat, and Kryten are almost immediately in hot water for allegedly stealing the Starbug. From there, things get stranger (or back to normal by Red Dwarf standards): it seems that everything the crew is experiencing is an artificial-reality creation programmed by the Red Dwarf's captain, Hollister ("Back in the Red, Part 2"); Rimmer discovers that despite his recent revival, he's doomed to die soon ("Cassandra"), which puts a serious crimp in his plan to finally make officer; the rewired Kryten turns a pet sparrow into a rampaging dinosaur ("Pete, Part 1") and turns a tidy profit by secretly filming women in the shower ("Krytie TV); and finally, the Grim Reaper comes to call in the series finale, "Only the Good Die Young," which reveals the fate of the entire crew. More bizarre than bittersweet, series 8 is classic Red Dwarf lunacy and an inspired sendoff for this unique and clever U.K. cult TV series. As with previous DVD sets, series 8 is loaded with extras, including commentary by the cast on "Cassandra"; "The Tank," which offers interviews with the cast and crew; and featurettes on the show's origins and special model effects designer Bill Pearson. Rounding out the extras are deleted scenes, raw effects footage, a gallery of stills, a frothy "Fight!" music featurette comprised of brawl scenes from the series, a battery of promotional spots filmed for BBC and American PBS stations (as well as the amusing Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace parody that heralded the beginning of series 8), a 1984 "Dave Hollings: Space Cadet" radio sketch, and as always, a collection of "smeg-ups" (bloopers). --Paul Gaita
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