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- Episode Guides (3)
- Balance of Power (3)
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Balance of Power (Red Dwarf episode)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Red Dwarf episode | |
| "Balance of Power" | |
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| Episode № | 3 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | February 29, 1988 |
| Writer(s) | Rob Grant & Doug Naylor |
| Director | Ed Bye |
| Guest star(s) | Clare Grogan as Kristine Kochanski |
| Series I February 15 – March 21, 1988 |
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| List of all Red Dwarf episodes... | |
Balance of Power is the third episode of series one, from the science fiction comedy programme Red Dwarf, and premiered on 29 February 1988 in the 9:00pm BBC2 time slot.[1]
Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye. The story revolves around Lister's desire to bring Kochanksi back as a hologram.
Contents |
Lister is fed up of being ordered around by Rimmer, and Rimmer not allowing Lister access to Kochanski's hologram disk. When Lister asks Holly why he had brought Rimmer back as a hologram, the answer was that he was the best person to keep him sane. Lister sits at a table in a room where the crew used to party, and he flashes back to him and his friends who tease Lister about Kochanski. Lister tells Rimmer that he plans to take an exam to be promoted above him. Rimmer is naturally incredulous, as if he couldn't pass the Astronavigation Exam, what chance does Lister have? Turns out that Lister has no intention to pass the Astronavigation Exam, as he plans to take the chef's exam. It's the easiest exam available, but if he passes Lister will be made an officer and can order Rimmer to hand over Kochanski's hologram disk (and Rimmer, who has a strict code of ethics when it comes to obeying superiors, will be forced to comply).
Cat gets a tray of boxes (containing cigarettes, although the Cat merely wants them because they are "shiny things") which Rimmer had hidden from Lister. Rimmer then gives him a deal: if he puts them back he gets all the fish he needs (which Cat equates to five fish). Cat is soon seen eating fish from the food dispenser (he eventually gets overfed and becomes ill). Rimmer enters the room in which Lister is taking the chef's exam, corrupting his image so he looks and sounds like Kochanski. Disguised as Kochanski, Rimmer tries to convince Lister that he is wasting his time because she would never be interested in someone like him. Lister figures out Rimmer's disguise after his un-Kochanski-like (and very Rimmer-like) actions, and Rimmer then tries to convince Lister that he is Kochanski, but is out of sorts at the moment by saying that he is "having a woman's period".
The episode ends with Lister exiting the exam room and Rimmer asking him, "How did you do, Lister?", to which Lister responds, "How did I do, Mr. Lister sir?" — implying that he passed the exam.
The story was written as pure sit-com at the request from the BBC who didn't want the show to be too heavy on science fiction elements. [2]
Returning Red Dwarf crew members, and Lister's drinking buddies, included Paul Bradley as Chen, David Gillespie as Selby and Mark Williams as Peterson. C. P. Grogan also returned as Kochanski.
Balance of Power was considered the weakest episode of the series, coming bottom of a readers' episode league table in the Red Dwarf magazine in 1992, gaining 0.1% of votes. [3]
- ^ BBC Programme Catalogue RED DWARF - BALANCE OF POWER. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Episode Guide: Series 1 episode 2: Balance Of Power, Red Dwarf Smegazine, volume 2 issue 3, July 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603
- ^ Red Dwarf Magazine Episode League Table, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn=0965-5603