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Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf episode)
Encyclopedia
"Parallel Universe" is the sixth and last episode of science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
series two, and the twelfth in the series run. It premiered on the British
television channel BBC2
on 11 October 1988. Written by Rob Grant
and Doug Naylor
, and directed by Ed Bye
, the plot involves the Red Dwarf crew travelling to a parallel universe
where they meet alternative versions of themselves. This marked the final appearance of Norman Lovett
as Holly, until his return as the character in Series VIII some ten years later. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.
(Norman Lovett
) invents the Holly Hop Drive (a box with 'Start' and 'Stop' buttons on it), which is theoretically capable of taking Red Dwarf back to Earth immediately. However, instead of taking Red Dwarf instantaneously back to Earth as intended, it takes the ship into a parallel universe. Rimmer
(Chris Barrie
), Lister
(Craig Charles
) and Holly all have female counterparts here; Arlene Rimmer, Deb Lister and Hilly (Hattie Hayridge
). The Cat
(Danny John-Jules
) is eager to meet his female counterpart but is dismayed that rather than being a woman version of him, instead his counterpart is a dog (named, appropriately enough, the Dog). Here, women are the masters and superior gender, and the men are fighting for equal rights. Nelly Armstrong was the first person on the moon and Wilma Shakespeare the greatest playwright in history.
As Holly and Hilly need a day to repair and recharge the Hop Drive, the two crews decide to head to the disco for the night only for both Rimmer and Lister to be quickly turned off by their female counterparts. Rimmer fights off aggressive sexual advances from his parallel equivalent (despite the fact that he uses these same advances on women himself), the Cat shows the Dog how to dance properly, while Lister thinks Deb is gross - at least when he belches "Yankee Doodle Dandy
", it's stylish.
Despite this, Dave and Deb end up having sex and are discovered the next morning by the two disgusted Rimmers. Unfortunately, it soon turns out that in this universe its the men who get pregnant... and no precautions were used. Holly and Hilly confirm that as Dave is in this universe he is affected by its rules meaning he could indeed be 'in the club' much to his horror. With the Hop Drive repaired, Red Dwarf returns to its normal universe and Lister quickly takes a pregnancy test. While waiting for the results, Rimmer reminds Lister of the future echo
which showed him with twins, causing Dave to become even more worried. Eventually, the test comes back... and it's positive.
), but a summary of events occurring in the time elapsed between series two and three is included in the opening sequence of the first episode of series three; Backwards
. The summary states how Lister successfully gave birth to two baby boys who he named Jim and Bexley, but since they were conceived in a parallel universe with different physical laws, they suffered from an accelerated growth rate and both reach eighteen years of age within three days of being born. In order to save their lives, Lister returns them to the universe of their origin, where they are reunited with their "father" (a woman) and are able to live (relatively) normal lives.
. The dance sequence which was choreographed by Queeg's Charles Augins also had to be trimmed down. It proved very popular and later spawned a single release, reaching #17 in the UK Singles Chart
in 1993.
To keep costs down existing shots of the Red Dwarf ship were matted together to give the appearance of two of them. This enabled the crew to use the finances on other model shots. The scenes would later be recreated for the remastered version using CGI.
This was to be Norman Lovett's last appearance as Holly until his brief return as the character in Seires VII and full return in Series VIII some ten years later. After the end of Series 2, Lovett decided to leave the show. Having recently married and settled in Edinburgh
he felt the travelling from Edinburgh to production locations in London and Manchester would prove problematic, so Lovett decided not to come to rehearsals any more - there was a conflict with the producers, and Lovett was let go. Plus there was the promise of Lovett's own TV show, I, Lovett, taking off at the time. Hattie Hayridge
had appeared as Hilly, Holly's female counterpart, in this episode. Producer Paul Jackson had seen her on Saturday Night Live and suggested her as a replacement for Lovett.
Angela Bruce
played Deb Lister, Suzanne Bertish
played Arlene Rimmer and Matthew Devitt played the Dog.
and Plato
inventing the plate. He also referenced Hitler, the Second World War
and Ringo Starr
when stating possible differences in a parallel universe. Dave and Deb Lister discuss the parallel differences. Neil Armstrong
's parallel is Nellie, William Shakespeare
's is Wilma, and that "The Male Eunuch" (as opposed to The Female Eunuch
) was written by "Jeremy" Greer (compare with Germaine Greer
). Lister says to Rimmer "are you a man or a munchkin?" to which Rimmer replies "I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz
!"
Suzanne Bertish
is a Royal Shakespeare Company
actor, fitting to give a list of Wilma Shakespeares alternative plays in her first discussion with Rimmer.
on the 4 October 1988 in the 9:00 pm evening slot, and is generally remembered for the "Tongue Tied" song as mentioned by one reviewer "any episode that contained "Tongue Tied" would automatically get a great rating", but also went on to state the episode's other qualities - "The script's great, and none of the cast put a foot wrong in extracting the maximum from it." The episode was considered the best from Series II according to a readers' poll in Red Dwarf magazine, with 5.6% rating. Series II was met with great critical success, even if this wasn't viewed as such in the average viewing figures of around 3 million, so a third series was very likely.
The song "Tongue Tied", which features in the Cat's opening dream sequence, was received so well that it was later released as a single. It was re-arranged and re-recorded by Danny John Jules (under the name 'The Cat') and released in October 1993. It reached number 17 in the UK charts. A video to accompany the release which starred Danny John-Jules as some of his Red Dwarf alter-egos, including Duane Dibbley, was also produced. It was based around a storyline written by Danny John-Jules and featured music videos for some of the remixes, with guest appearances from the rest of the Red Dwarf cast, along with Clayton Mark
("Elvis" in "Meltdown") and Charles Augins (Queeg 500 in "Queeg").
special effects of Red Dwarf and many more visual and audio enhancements. Changes made specific to "Parallel Universe" include video and sound effects of Red Dwarf jumping into the parallel universe has been added. The shots of the twin Red Dwarf ships side by side has been replaced with the new CGI versions. Video and sound effects of Red Dwarf jumping back into their own parallel universe added.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
series two, and the twelfth in the series run. It premiered on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 11 October 1988. Written by Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
and Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, and directed by Ed Bye
Ed Bye
Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He is best known for his work with Grant Naylor, Harry Enfield and Jasper Carrott, and has worked with many of British TV's best known comedians and comedy actors...
, the plot involves the Red Dwarf crew travelling to a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
where they meet alternative versions of themselves. This marked the final appearance of Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
as Holly, until his return as the character in Series VIII some ten years later. The episode was re-mastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.
Plot
HollyHolly (Red Dwarf)
Holly is the ship's computer on the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf.The character is played by Norman Lovett in Series I and II and, following a "head sex change" to look like his parallel universe alter ego "Hilly", played by Hattie Hayridge in the series 3 episode Backwards, is female...
(Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
) invents the Holly Hop Drive (a box with 'Start' and 'Stop' buttons on it), which is theoretically capable of taking Red Dwarf back to Earth immediately. However, instead of taking Red Dwarf instantaneously back to Earth as intended, it takes the ship into a parallel universe. Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
(Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image...
), Lister
Dave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
(Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
) and Holly all have female counterparts here; Arlene Rimmer, Deb Lister and Hilly (Hattie Hayridge
Hattie Hayridge
Hattie Hayridge is a British stand-up comedienne and actress, best known for the role of the female version of Holly in Red Dwarf during the third, fourth and fifth series, along with the role of Hilly in Parallel Universe, the final episode of the second series.After graduating from the...
). The Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
(Danny John-Jules
Danny John-Jules
Daniel "Danny" John-Jules is a British actor, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat in the television programme Red Dwarf.-Dance and song:John-Jules is a baritone...
) is eager to meet his female counterpart but is dismayed that rather than being a woman version of him, instead his counterpart is a dog (named, appropriately enough, the Dog). Here, women are the masters and superior gender, and the men are fighting for equal rights. Nelly Armstrong was the first person on the moon and Wilma Shakespeare the greatest playwright in history.
As Holly and Hilly need a day to repair and recharge the Hop Drive, the two crews decide to head to the disco for the night only for both Rimmer and Lister to be quickly turned off by their female counterparts. Rimmer fights off aggressive sexual advances from his parallel equivalent (despite the fact that he uses these same advances on women himself), the Cat shows the Dog how to dance properly, while Lister thinks Deb is gross - at least when he belches "Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owns Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp and Jeanne Cagney.The movie was written by...
", it's stylish.
Despite this, Dave and Deb end up having sex and are discovered the next morning by the two disgusted Rimmers. Unfortunately, it soon turns out that in this universe its the men who get pregnant... and no precautions were used. Holly and Hilly confirm that as Dave is in this universe he is affected by its rules meaning he could indeed be 'in the club' much to his horror. With the Hop Drive repaired, Red Dwarf returns to its normal universe and Lister quickly takes a pregnancy test. While waiting for the results, Rimmer reminds Lister of the future echo
Future Echoes
"Future Echoes" is the second episode of the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series one, and was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 22 February 1988...
which showed him with twins, causing Dave to become even more worried. Eventually, the test comes back... and it's positive.
Aftermath
Lister's pregnancy is not mentioned in any subsequent episodes (except briefly in the Series V episode Demons and AngelsDemons and Angels
"Demons and Angels" is the fifth episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series V and the twenty ninth in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 19 March 1992. Written by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor, the episode was the first to be filmed with new director...
), but a summary of events occurring in the time elapsed between series two and three is included in the opening sequence of the first episode of series three; Backwards
Backwards (Red Dwarf episode)
"Backwards" is the first episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf Series III, and the thirteenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 14 November 1989...
. The summary states how Lister successfully gave birth to two baby boys who he named Jim and Bexley, but since they were conceived in a parallel universe with different physical laws, they suffered from an accelerated growth rate and both reach eighteen years of age within three days of being born. In order to save their lives, Lister returns them to the universe of their origin, where they are reunited with their "father" (a woman) and are able to live (relatively) normal lives.
Production
For time reasons, "Parallel Universe" was shown without its opening credit sequence, and was originally shown with no episode titles at all, although the introduction sequence would later be added in the remastered version. Instead the viewer was led straight into the Cat's song dream scene, where the Cat performs the "Tongue Tied" song, with Rimmer and Lister in backing vocals. The "Tongue Tied" lyrics were written by Grant and Naylor and the music was produced by Howard GoodallHoward Goodall
210px|thumb|Howard Goodall at St. John the Baptist Church in Devon, United Kingdom, May 2009Howard Lindsay Goodall CBE is a British composer of musicals, choral music and music for television...
. The dance sequence which was choreographed by Queeg's Charles Augins also had to be trimmed down. It proved very popular and later spawned a single release, reaching #17 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1993.
To keep costs down existing shots of the Red Dwarf ship were matted together to give the appearance of two of them. This enabled the crew to use the finances on other model shots. The scenes would later be recreated for the remastered version using CGI.
This was to be Norman Lovett's last appearance as Holly until his brief return as the character in Seires VII and full return in Series VIII some ten years later. After the end of Series 2, Lovett decided to leave the show. Having recently married and settled in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
he felt the travelling from Edinburgh to production locations in London and Manchester would prove problematic, so Lovett decided not to come to rehearsals any more - there was a conflict with the producers, and Lovett was let go. Plus there was the promise of Lovett's own TV show, I, Lovett, taking off at the time. Hattie Hayridge
Hattie Hayridge
Hattie Hayridge is a British stand-up comedienne and actress, best known for the role of the female version of Holly in Red Dwarf during the third, fourth and fifth series, along with the role of Hilly in Parallel Universe, the final episode of the second series.After graduating from the...
had appeared as Hilly, Holly's female counterpart, in this episode. Producer Paul Jackson had seen her on Saturday Night Live and suggested her as a replacement for Lovett.
Angela Bruce
Angela Bruce
Angela Bruce is an English actress, noted for her television work.Bruce was born in Leeds, Yorkshire and raised in Craghead, County Durham...
played Deb Lister, Suzanne Bertish
Suzanne Bertish
Suzanne C. Bertish is an English actress.A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bertish has appeared in many productions with them, including their marathon eight-and-a-half hour version of Charles Dickens's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, in which she played three roles...
played Arlene Rimmer and Matthew Devitt played the Dog.
Cultural references
Holly compared his Holly Hop Drive invention to the The Earl of Sandwich inventing the sandwich, Samuel Morse inventing the Morse CodeMorse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
and Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
inventing the plate. He also referenced Hitler, the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
when stating possible differences in a parallel universe. Dave and Deb Lister discuss the parallel differences. Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
's parallel is Nellie, William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's is Wilma, and that "The Male Eunuch" (as opposed to The Female Eunuch
The Female Eunuch
The Female Eunuch is a book first published in 1970 that became an international bestseller and an important text in the feminist movement. The author, Germaine Greer, became well known in broadcast media of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and her home of Australia...
) was written by "Jeremy" Greer (compare with Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
). Lister says to Rimmer "are you a man or a munchkin?" to which Rimmer replies "I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz
Wizard (Oz)
The Wizard of Oz, known during his reign as The Great and Powerful Oz, is the epithet of Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L...
!"
Suzanne Bertish
Suzanne Bertish
Suzanne C. Bertish is an English actress.A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bertish has appeared in many productions with them, including their marathon eight-and-a-half hour version of Charles Dickens's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, in which she played three roles...
is a Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
actor, fitting to give a list of Wilma Shakespeares alternative plays in her first discussion with Rimmer.
Reception
The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on the 4 October 1988 in the 9:00 pm evening slot, and is generally remembered for the "Tongue Tied" song as mentioned by one reviewer "any episode that contained "Tongue Tied" would automatically get a great rating", but also went on to state the episode's other qualities - "The script's great, and none of the cast put a foot wrong in extracting the maximum from it." The episode was considered the best from Series II according to a readers' poll in Red Dwarf magazine, with 5.6% rating. Series II was met with great critical success, even if this wasn't viewed as such in the average viewing figures of around 3 million, so a third series was very likely.
The song "Tongue Tied", which features in the Cat's opening dream sequence, was received so well that it was later released as a single. It was re-arranged and re-recorded by Danny John Jules (under the name 'The Cat') and released in October 1993. It reached number 17 in the UK charts. A video to accompany the release which starred Danny John-Jules as some of his Red Dwarf alter-egos, including Duane Dibbley, was also produced. It was based around a storyline written by Danny John-Jules and featured music videos for some of the remixes, with guest appearances from the rest of the Red Dwarf cast, along with Clayton Mark
Clayton Mark
Clayton Mark , one of the pioneer makers of steel pipe in the United States, was an industrialist in the Chicagoland area who founded the Mark Manufacturing Company in 1888, a firm for the fabrication and sale of water-well supplies. Mark founded Marktown, a planned worker community in Northwest...
("Elvis" in "Meltdown") and Charles Augins (Queeg 500 in "Queeg").
Remastering
The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s. Changes throughout the series included replacement of the opening credits, giving the picture a colour grade and filmising, computer generatedComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf and many more visual and audio enhancements. Changes made specific to "Parallel Universe" include video and sound effects of Red Dwarf jumping into the parallel universe has been added. The shots of the twin Red Dwarf ships side by side has been replaced with the new CGI versions. Video and sound effects of Red Dwarf jumping back into their own parallel universe added.