Waiting for God (Red Dwarf)

Last updated

"Waiting for God"
Red Dwarf episode
Episode no.Series 1
Episode 4
Directed by Ed Bye
Written by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
Original air date7 March 1988 (1988-03-07)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Balance of Power"		Next →
"Confidence and Paranoia"
List of episodes

"Waiting For God" is the fourth episode from science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series one. [1] It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 7 March 1988. [2] The episode's theme is religion: atheist Rimmer succumbs to a passionate belief in a superrace of aliens with the technology to give him a new body, while Lister reflects on his role as god of the Cat people.

Contents

Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, [3] the episode was considered to be one of the weakest from the first series. [4] The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to bring the episodes up to a standard suitable for international broadcast. [5]

Plot

Holly (Norman Lovett) tracks an unidentified object near to Red Dwarf and brings it aboard. When Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) sees it, he quickly believes it to be a stasis capsule carrying a dormant member of an alien race that can give him a new body. However, when he leaves it in the observation room and awaits it being cleared of quarantine, Dave Lister (Craig Charles) makes a closer inspection and finds it to be one of the ships' jettisoned garbage pods. When Holly admits to him that he didn't say anything about this to Rimmer as a joke, Lister decides to keep quiet as well. [6] While leaving Rimmer to carry out fruitless examinations of the pod, Lister becomes curious about Cat (Danny John-Jules) and his sudden disappearances for "investigating", and decides to learn more about his people.

Lister learns the Cat race lived their lives according to five sacred religious laws (four of which Lister himself would have broken because of his lifestyle), and that Cat's race destroyed itself in holy wars over minor details of their heaven "Fuchal" (based on a misunderstanding of Lister's future plans on Fiji). When Cat disappears again, Lister follows him to the ship's cargo hold, whereupon he discovers Cat has been attending to one other survivor – an elderly and blind cat priest. Learning that he is dying, Lister overhears him questioning his faith to his race's god "Cloister", and asks Cat to burn his priest's hat. Lister opts to prevent this and convinces the priest he lived an admirable life and will soon reach "Fuchal", causing the priest to be joyous on his final day before he dies. [7] Returning to the upper decks, Lister joins Rimmer to examine the pod's contents after its quarantine period is over. When Rimmer begins to see garbage and doubts what he originally thought, he finally deduces angrily what he was investigating over the episode's closing credits. [7]

Production

Written by co-creators, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by series regular Ed Bye, [3] the episode features the first real appearance of the skutters.[ clarification needed ] They were considered unreliable props because they would frequently go out of control. It was thought that nearby taxi radio signals were interfering with the remote control signals. [8]

Noel Coleman starred as the Cat Priest and John Lenahan returned to voice the Toaster. [3]

Cultural references

Reception

The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 7 March 1988 in the 9:00pm evening time slot. [2] Although the pilot episode "The End" drew in over five million viewers, viewing figures declined as the series progressed. [10] The episode was considered to be one of the weakest from the first series by Red Dwarf Smegazine readers — it came in 27th place with 0.4% of the votes. [4] [ clarification needed ]

Remastering

The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s. [11] Changes throughout the series included replacement of the opening credits, [12] giving the picture a colour grade and filmising, [13] computer generated special effects of Red Dwarf [14] and many more visual and audio enhancements. [14]

Changes specific to "Waiting For God" include new music to accompany the Cat's early scenes, echo added to the pod quarantine scenes, continuity error of Rimmer's folded arms corrected, Cat religion artwork added to Holly's explanation of the Cat race, some lines removed and certain scenes tightened up, shots of Lister with donut and golden sausage removed and new ashes canister leaving Red Dwarf inserted. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "British Sitcom Guide — Red Dwarf — Series 1". sitcom.co.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  2. 1 2 "BBC Programme Catalogue RED DWARF — WAITING FOR GOD". BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 "Red Dwarf Waiting for God (1988) Full cast and crew". IMDb. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
  4. 1 2 Episode Survey Results, Red Dwarf Smegazine, p. 27, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN   0965-5603
  5. ↑ "Sci-Fi-London Film Festival — The Bodysnatcher Collection". sci-fi-london.com. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
  6. ↑ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 48.
  7. 1 2 Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 49.
  8. ↑ Red Dwarf series 1 guide: episode four: Waiting For God, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 4, August 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN   0965-5603
  9. ↑ "Red Dwarf movie connections". IMDb. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  10. ↑ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 8-9.
  11. ↑ "Remasters of the Universe". reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  12. ↑ "Red Dwarf Series I Remastering". reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
  13. ↑ Remastering Crew (2007). The End Re-Mastered DVD Commentary (DVD). BBC.
  14. 1 2 Remastering Crew (2007). 'Re-Dwarf' Documentary (DVD). BBC.
  15. ↑ Remastering Crew (2007). Balance of Power Re-Mastered text commentary (DVD). BBC.
  16. ↑ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 206.

Related Research Articles

"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series one, and was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 22 February 1988. It was written by co-creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye.

The End (<i>Red Dwarf</i>) 1st episode of the 1st series of Red Dwarf

"The End" is the first episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf, which was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 15 February 1988. The episode introduces the main characters and sets up the story backbone of the series. On the mining ship Red Dwarf, Dave Lister is placed in stasis for refusing to give up the whereabouts of his forbidden pet cat. When he emerges from stasis, three million years later, he discovers that everybody has died from a radiation leak.

"Balance of Power" is the third episode of science fiction comedy Red Dwarf series one. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 29 February 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye. The story revolves around Lister's desire to bring his one true love, Kristine Kochanski, back as a hologram.

"Confidence and Paranoia" is the fifth episode from series one of the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 14 March 1988. The plot involves Lister's mutated pneumonia which manifests solid hallucinations.

"Kryten" is the seventh episode from science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf, the first from series two, and was first broadcast on BBC2 on 6 September 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, this episode introduced the mechanoid character Kryten. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Me2" (pronounced "me, squared") is the sixth and final episode from series one of the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf, which was first broadcast on BBC2 on 21 March 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye. The script was written as a late addition to the series following an electricians' strike at the BBC. The episode follows on from the cliffhanger set by "Confidence and Paranoia"—there are now two Rimmers on board Red Dwarf. The episode was remastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998, to bring it up to a standard suitable for international broadcast.

"Better Than Life" is the second episode from Red Dwarf series two, and the eighth in the series run. It was first broadcast on BBC2 on 13 September 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, this episode introduces the total immersion video game "Better Than Life", which features in both the first and second Red Dwarf novels.

"Thanks for the Memory" is the third episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series two and the ninth in the series run. It premiered on BBC2 on 20 September 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the episode has the Red Dwarf crew investigating how, and why, they lost four days from their memory. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Stasis Leak" is the fourth episode of the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series two and tenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 27 September 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the crew travelling back in time, before the accident had wiped out the crew of Red Dwarf. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Queeg" is the fifth episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series two and the eleventh in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 4 October 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the plot features a backup computer named Queeg that replaces Holly. The episode was remastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Parallel Universe" is the sixth episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series two, and the twelfth in the show's run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 11 October 1988. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the plot involves the Red Dwarf crew travelling to a parallel universe where they meet alternative versions of themselves. This marked the final appearance of Norman Lovett as Holly, although he would return years later at the end of Series VII and then for the whole of Series VIII. The episode was remastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Marooned" is the second episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series III, and the fourteenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 November 1989. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the story is about Lister and Rimmer being marooned together on a bleak ice planet. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

Polymorph (<i>Red Dwarf</i>) 3rd episode of the 3rd series of Red Dwarf

"Polymorph" is the third episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series III, and the fifteenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 28 November 1989. It is considered by some to be the series' best. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the episode has the crew fighting a shapeshifting, emotion-stealing creature. It is the only Red Dwarf episode to feature a pre-credits warning about the content. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Bodyswap" is the fourth episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series III, and the sixteenth overall. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 5 December 1989. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye. This was the first episode to be recorded without a live studio audience. The plot has Rimmer suggesting that the perfect way to help Lister get "healthy" is swapping bodies. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"The Last Day" is the sixth, and last, episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series III, and the eighteenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 19 December 1989. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the story is about Kryten's expiry date and how Lister decides to give him a last day to remember. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

"Dimension Jump" is the fifth episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series IV and the twenty-third episode in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 14 March 1991, written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye. The episode, featuring the first appearance of Ace Rimmer, was intended to end the series; but Meltdown was rescheduled and broadcast last due to the Gulf War.

"Meltdown" is the sixth, and final, episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series IV and the twenty-fourth episode in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 March 1991. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the episode, featuring Wax-Droids of famous historical figures involved in a war of good versus evil, was originally supposed to open the series but was postponed due to the Gulf War conflict.

"Back to Reality" is the sixth and final episode of the fifth series of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf, and the 30th in the series' run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 26 March 1992, written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor and directed by Juliet May and Grant Naylor. The plot features the crew waking up after a crash to discover that the last four years of their lives has been spent in a "Total Immersion Video Game" called Red Dwarf. This episode marks the final appearance of Hattie Hayridge as Holly. The episode often tops polls and surveys as the best episode in the entire series.

"Backwards" is the first episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series III, and the thirteenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 14 November 1989. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the episode has the crew travel to an alternate Earth where time runs backwards.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.