Dreaming of a Red Christmas

Xmas gifts for the Red Dwarf fan in your life.

11 December, 2020

Seasons greetings, my treasures of pulchritude. It's that time of year again when Santa Claus is recruiting his elves, loading his sleigh and getting ready to sneak down your chimneys and steal all the kid's favourite toys.

What a bastard.

We thought it would be a good idea to make sure he had something good to pinch this year, so we've compiled a handy gift guide for the Red Dwarf fan in your life, which, let's be honest, is probably you seeing as you're reading this article. So, make sure you leave this page open in prominent locations around your household and don't forget to send the link to your elderly relatives, so they don't accidentally buy you a load of Star Trek crap again like they did last year.

And, without further ado, here's what no self-respecting Red Dwarf fan should be without this yuletide.

Blu-ray

When it comes to watching the episodes themselves, we're spoiled for choice with the multitude of streaming services that are on offer, but there is something to be said for owning the shows on shiny disc, and thankfully, each and every episode is currently available on both DVD and Blu-ray. First, here's how you can get them in high definition:

All 52 episodes of the first eight series are available on the Complete I-VIII boxset. Each episode was lovingly uprezzed and includes every extra available on the series I-VIII DVD releases, as well as the majority of the extras that were released with the now out-of-print Bodysnatcher Collection. In the UK, you can get the Blu-ray boxset from Amazon, Zavvi, HMV and various other retailers.

Next on the Blu-ray list is 2009's Back to Earth. Featuring both the director's cut and the individual episodes as broadcast, the set remains the definitive way to watch the special, and also includes the comprehensive Making of Red Dwarf documentary alongside commentaries, deleted scenes and smeg ups. In the UK you can get the Blu-ray from Amazon and other retailers.

Featuring all six episodes from 2012's Series X, this set also includes the revealing We're Smegged making of documentary alongside smeg ups and deleted scenes with commentary from Doug Naylor. As the first full series to be made for Dave, this series really did kick start the show's second life. The Series X Blu-ray is available in the UK from Amazon and other retailers.

Continuing our run of the Dave-era, next up is 2016's Series XI. Containing all six episodes, alongside behind the scenes documentaries, smeg ups, deleted scenes and model footage, the set is available in the UK from Amazon, Zavvi, HMV and other retailers.

Recorded just weeks after Series XI, but broadcast a whole year later, the latest complete series available on Blu-ray is 2017's Series XII. Containing extra features such as Lighting Red Dwarf - Then and Now and The 28-Years-Later Affair, this set comes with all six episodes alongside the usual deleted scenes and smeg ups. The Blu-ray is available in the UK from Amazon, Zavvi, HMV and other retailers.

And to complete the Blu-ray collection, last on the list is this year's The Promised Land. Featuring the one-off special itself, alongside The Promised Doc and Through an Audience's Eyes documentaries, smeg ups and deleted scenes, The Promised Land is available on Blu-ray in the UK from Amazon, Zavvi, HMV and other retailers.

DVD

All of the Blu-rays listed above are also available on DVD, complete with all the special features. But perhaps you'd prefer just the episodes themselves, unsaddled from the comprehensive list of extras the sets contain. Well, if that's the case, you're in luck because Series I-VIII are available on the stripped-back Just the Shows boxset, which contains all 52 episodes from the BBC-era and is perfect for a binge over Xmas. You can get Just The Shows on DVD from Amazon, Zavvi, HMV and other retailers.

And as a special note for the completionists amongst you, don't forget that Series X, XI, XII and The Promised Land on DVD each feature reversible covers so that the spines all line up nicely with the individual series I-VIII DVD releases.

Books

All four Red Dwarf novels are still in print and available from all good bookshops. Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and Better Than Life are of course available in the Omnibus edition, while Last Human and Backwards still exist in stand-alone versions. The novels remain a unique and fascinating version of the show's mythos, so if you have somehow never visited this aspect of the show, now may be the time to do so.

Over the years, the novels have been translated and printed into numerous languages so make sure you check out our merchandise section for a really special gift for the collector in your life, including this gorgeous translation from the Czech Republic.

And if you're looking for something from the wider Red Dwarf universe, why not check our Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall's The Quanderhorn Xperimentations, or Robert Llewellyn's The Man in the Rubber Mask, which are also available now.

International

And for our international readers, make sure you check out our merchandise section, which includes, amongst other things, details of how you can get hold of this amazing Japanese Blu-ray collection, or US releases of Series I-VIII, as well as the newly released The Promised Land. And, of course, every episode of Red Dwarf is available digitally on Apple TV, so no matter where you are in the world, you'll always have access. And if you're wondering why we're including this in a Christmas gift list, well, that's because you can make gift purchases to other people's accounts, so we've even got you covered there.

A very merry Christmas to you all!

Grant Naylor Productions is not affiliated with the stores linked to in this article and no commission is paid on purchases via these links.