After a decade away Red Dwarf: Back To Earth was a lukewarm return for the classic sci-fi sitcom. Red Dwarf's creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were heavily inspired by Alien and John Carpenter's Dark Star when it came to creating the show. The series debuted on the BBC in 1988 and follows Dave Lister, a disgusting slob who finds himself the last man alive after spending three million years frozen on the titular spaceship. His only companions include a hologram of his bunkmate/enemy Rimmer (Chris Barrie, Tomb Raider) and a humanoid evolved from Lister's pet cat. Service mech Kryten later joins full time from season 3 onwards.
Sci-fi sitcoms had rarely been attempted before Red Dwarf but its sharp writing and the chemistry between the cast made it work, and it became a cult favorite. The show ran for eight seasons on the BBC with the last episode ending on a cliffhanger. A long period of radio silence followed as Naylor attempted to mount a movie version. After years of failed attempts to secure the budget needed, the series eventually returned with 2009's Red Dwarf: Back To Earth on UK channel Dave. This three-part miniseries was successful enough to ensure three more seasons in the years that followed, and a 2020 movie dubbed Red Dwarf: The Promised Land.
The Red Dwarf fandom patiently waited ten years for the show to return after season 8, but Red Dwarf: Back To Earth was greeted with a decidedly mixed reaction. The miniseries ignores the season 8 cliffhanger and takes it back to basics. The series opens with Rimmer, Cat, Kryton, and Lister are all back in deep space with Holly offline again, but the discovery of a giant squid in their water tank takes them on a journey into another dimension - one where they're fictional characters in a show called Red Dwarf.
The highlight of the series was always the chemistry between the cast, which is still true of Red Dwarf: Back To Earth, with Chris Barrie's snide Rimmer being a standout. The problem comes from the writing, the general rust that comes from such a long break and the lack of a studio audience. The script is very meta and self-reflective, with Blade Runner being a big influence on the main characters rushing to find their creator and beg for more life. While fans might like the many easter eggs and in-jokes, a lot of the actual gags fail to land and - even worst - can just come off as smug.
This is especially true of the extended scene where the crew visits the set of classic British soap Coronation Street, where Lister meets his real-life counterpart in actor Craig Charles. It wasn't particularly funny in 2009 and it hasn't aged well. Red Dwarf: Back To Earth has the odd chuckle and fun concept, but it still stands as one of the show's weakest outings. That said, the series noticeably improved with later seasons, and the miniseries at least deserves credit for bringing the "Boys from the Dwarf" back to life.