Continuity mistake: When Holly interrupts Rimmer learning Esperanto saying "The menu looks interesting", he appears on the TV screen, with his chin blocked by the edge of the frame. The shot then cuts to a view of the screen, and his entire face is suddenly fully in the frame. (00:05:00)
Continuity mistake: When Lister is getting ready, he pulls his trousers off the table, causing the boot on the table to wobble. In the next shot, the boot is entirely still. (00:10:35)
Factual error: While it is true that lithium carbonate can be used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders, it cannot be administered in gaseous form. It is a very stable salt and only starts to form vapour at 1,310 degress Celcius. Spraying it about as a 'mood stabliser' at that temperature, as Kryten does, is going to kill everyone on the spot.
Quarantine - S5-E4
Kryten: What a smee... What a smee... What a smee - hee.
Trivia: It was rumored that Alfred Molina and Alan Rickman wanted the part of Rimmer. Lee Cornes also auditioned for this role (he later guest starred on the show), as did Hugh Laurie. Robert Bathurst, Norman Lovett and David Baddiel auditioned for the role of Lister.
Chosen answer: In-universe, after leaving Red Dwarf after his first appearance, Kryten managed to crash Lister's space-bike into an asteroid. Lister found his remains and decided to rebuild him, however, due to the high level of damage and Lister's questionable repair skills, he was unable to recreate Kryten exactly, leading to changes in appearance, personality and accent. In reality, the original actor wasn't available, coupled with presumably practical concerns about one-off makeup as opposed to makeup for a regular cast member, so some visual changes were made.
Tailkinker ★