Red Dwarf – Back To Earth The Director’s Cut DVD – Win Yours Here

More than twenty years after Red Dwarf originally aired, and a decade after the last show of the series, the boys are back with Red Dwarf – Back to Earth. The cult classic returns, and we find our crew pulled through some kind of dimensional gate and into… well, reality. They are transported back to the 21st century, and learn that they are characters in a TV show, and that they are about to get killed off. Their only hope is to find the people who play them, and the creators of the show, and try to avoid destruction.

The show is about an equal mix of fun tribute and legitimate entry into the realm of comedy being honored, which makes it a must-see for fans, but ultimately leaves it not nearly on par with the show’s best efforts. It’s great to see the boys, but the thing is not nearly so packed with laughs and certain parts drag.

On the other hand, any fan of the show is going to want to get their hands on the special features available here.

For a start, the show can be viewed as three episodes, as originally aired in the U.K., or as the feature-length Director’s Cut. The Director’s Cut has a commentary track available with writer/director Doug Naylor, and fans of the show (and hopefully the books) know well that this is a treat. What makes this commentary different, and perhaps a bit more special than most, is that Doug Naylor is not a writer/director with all sorts of other credits. This is really his baby, and the commentary is filled with his love for this work. It’s a largely about this specific show, but it’s from the viewpoint of someone who has worked on the general title for more than twenty years, not someone who has written or directed fifteen other things in that time.

Watching the show in the three-part format gives you another commentary option, this one with the stars of the show – Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, and Robert Llewellyn. Any fan is going to love this option, and the similarly long-term perspective is great fun.

Other special features include -

The Making of Back to Earth – a featurette running about 25 minutes in the usual style of such bonuses. The cast and crew provide interview snippets detailing the show’s creation while we are treated to behind-the-scenes footage. Hilariously, we get a great look at the set of Coronation Street, and the stars talk about it quite a bit. Craig Charles, who plays Lister, has been on Coronation Street for the past four or five years (remember that’s starting five years or so after the last Red Dwarf aired), and part of this show involves Lister trying to find Craig Charles… and that’s where he is… filming Coronation Street.

The Making of Back to Earth Part Two – another featurette, similar in many ways, running about 50 minutes. This effort looks at different sides of behind-the-scenes than we’re used to seeing, and it’s a pretty interesting affair. You might think of this one as heading more in the direction of a production diary, or almost a documentary of the making of the show. This one is a lot of fun, and includes a lot of footage that fans will love being part of, and wouldn’t get from most any feature. Things like watching the problems of shooting on the streets as fans recognize what’s going on, and watching the cast sit around a table for read-throughs.

Smeg Ups – about ten minutes of gag reel/outtakes that are all the more worth watching because of who we have involved.

The SFX of Back to Earth – 20 minutes specifically focused on the creation of the effects.

And there’s much more. Deleted scenes with commentary by Doug Naylor, and several other short featurettes of the premiere, signing sessions, a video press kit, trailers, a photo gallery, and still more and more.

This is a great release, obviously put together by people who really appreciate the fans.

Own it on Blu-Ray and DVD today!

Check out a couple of clips below, and leave a comment below to be entered to win your very own DVD copy. U.S. and Canada only. Winner will be randomly selected Nov. 10th.