I managed to obtain a copy of Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, the first original Red Dwarf series (albeit mini-series) in nine years, and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed.

As I mentioned before, it was nice to see the crew back and their usual callow banter. The episode, however, seemed more of an attempt at a relaunch of the franchise than a conclusion to the series. Nothing seems to actually get resolved.

Spoilers follow...

The following promotional video contains a few scene snippets of the upcoming Red Dwarf special/conclusion (called Back to Earth) and is mostly interviews, but simply seeing the conversation between Kryten and Rimmer sets my heart all pitter-pattery.

I wasn't a big fan of Season 8 of Red Dwarf (or the previous few seasons before that, but mostly Season 8) which changed the whole premise and I'm hoping this television special will wrap up the series in a way that is more personally satisfying.

There are spoilers and video after the jump, so if you're not interested in either I recommend to stop reading now.

Robert Llewelyn, best known to Red Dwarf fans as the android Kryten, has confessed on KTSC-TV in Seattle that the BBC has commissioned a one-hour special of Red Dwarf to film in October. For those keeping track, Red Dwarf hasn't been on television since 1999.

This may be a mistake. On one hand, eight seasons of the show was beating a dead horse. It stopped being good after season three. On the other hand, nine years is certainly enough time for creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (or whomever they designate) to write an hour's worth of new quality material.

It's also possible that enough of a nostalgia vibe would exist to make the one-hour special successful. I call it the Star Wars effect. It is where bad entertainment is accepted as good and sells like mad because a certain name is attached to it (see Star Wars Episode IV: The Phantom Menace for a good example. Or better yet, don't).