Terrorform

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Red Dwarf episode
"Terrorform"
To escape from the psy-moon, the crew pretend to like Rimmer
Episode № 3
Airdate March 5, 1992
Writer(s) Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
Director Juliet May
Guest star(s) Sara Stockbridge
Francine Walker-Lee
Series V
February 20 – March 26, 1992
  1. Holoship
  2. The Inquisitor
  3. Terrorform
  4. Quarantine
  5. Demons and Angels
  6. Back to Reality
List of all Red Dwarf episodes...

"Terrorform" is the third episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series V[1] and the twenty seventh in the series run.[2] It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 5 March 1992.[3] Written by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor, and directed by Juliet May.[4] The episode's plot has the Red Dwarf crew rescuing Rimmer from a terrorformed moon based on his own psyche.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Kryten and Rimmer go moon-hopping in the Starbug, but run into trouble on one particular moon when Rimmer is abducted and Kryten sustains fearful injuries as the landscape starts to reform itself. Lister and Cat come and rescue Kryten, although Rimmer is nowhere to be seen. Back on board Red Dwarf Kryten is patched up by Lister and tells his story.

Lister, Cat and Kryten return to the moon, and discover it is a psi-moon - an artificial planetoid that can tune into an individual's psyche and adapt its terrain to mimic his mental state. In this instance, it has reconfigured itself using Rimmer's subconscious as a template. Here, all Rimmer's personal demons are given a physical presence - and there are quite a few of them.

A rescue attempt is proven futile as, Rimmer's captor, The Master, is invulnerable to bazookoid fire and his hooded legions - themselves the personifications of Rimmer's negative emotions - are many. However there is one way to defeat the creature and escape, all Lister, Kryten and Cat have to do is boost Rimmer's self confidence by persuading him that they really do like him and think he's one hell of a guy.

[edit] Production

Another episode that was cut in the edit room although this time it was felt that some of the dialogue didn't work. The final scenes with the crew gathering around Rimmer to make him feel wanted was trimmed down.[5]

Other small cuts included the Master who was fully built, but cut down to show only a hand, foot or shadow. This was considered more effective than seeing the character full on.[6]

Some scenes from this episode were incorporated into the second pilot (actually, a promo reel) for the prospective American Red Dwarf series.[7]

Sara Stockbridge and Francine Walker-Lee both appeared as Handmaidens.[4]

[edit] Cultural References

We see Rimmer's 'self respect' and 'self confidence' rise from the dead, looking like two members of The Three Musketeers. The word 'Terrorform' is a play on words introduced on the terraforming in the Aliens films. [8]

[edit] Reception

The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 5 March 1992 in the 9:00pm evening time slot,[3] and despite being considered as one of the weakest episodes from the series,[9] in the USA it was regarded highly.[10] It has been regarded as an episode that "episode starts really well... but tails off".[11]

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

[edit] References

  1. ^ British Sitcom Guide - Red Dwarf - Series 5. www.sitcom.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
  2. ^ TV.com - Terrorform summary. www.tv.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  3. ^ a b BBC - Programme Catalogue - RED DWARF V - TERRORFORM. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  4. ^ a b Terrorform cast and crew. www.imdb.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
  5. ^ Red Dwarf Series V Production. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  6. ^ Red Dwarf Series V Effects. www.reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  7. ^ Red Dwarf Programme Guide. Section 1: The History: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-682-1. 
  8. ^ Series V Preview, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 1, March 1992,Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603
  9. ^ Red Dwarf Smegazine: Survey Results, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603
  10. ^ Grant and Naylor Look Back, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 11, January 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603
  11. ^ Series V review by Gavrielle. www.reviewsbygavrielle.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.