Red Dwarf

Show generally

Other mistake: Unfortunately the whole basis of the show is one big factual error. Throughout the series we see that Red Dwarf sustains damage from collisions, explosions, and so on. Most important of all, the rocket engine nozzle - surely made from the strongest materials available - has been punctured by some kind of impact. The systems require constant maintenance by humans (painting, repairs, etc), so skutters are not enough by themselves. So, we know that Red Dwarf is not made of some sort of fictional, indestructible materials, it is made of the kind of metals, plastics and other construction materials we build space shuttles and the like out of nowadays. So, after three thousand - never mind three million! - years the whole ship would be a clump of useless, corroded junk. The rubber and plastics in seals, electronic components and furniture would have crumbled to powder. The electronics themselves would have failed after a few hundred years at most. Metals in contact with liquids in pipes or reservoirs would have oxidized, and even the oxygen in the air would have been corrosive after that amount of time. Red Dwarf is not immune from the effects of long term decay and deterioration - if it were when Lister was released from stasis he would have found rooms full of relatively intact dead bodies instead of piles of crumbled dust. After three million years in space Red Dwarf would have been a pile of scrap, fatal to anyone going near it; subject to slow, subtle but constant radioactivity in space, after three million years it would be hotter than the inside of a working reactor.

Show generally

Other mistake: Holograms are often seen passing through physical objects, walls, furniture, and other people. Yet, they have a physical object generating the hologram: their light-bee. This would not be able to pass through other solid objects.

The End - S1-E1

Other mistake: When Rimmer unclogs the chicken soup dispenser nozzle, he works on the back of the opening in the wall. When he orders chicken soup, the shelf drops down from above where Rimmer was working, thus above where the nozzle is located. (00:03:00)

Dwarf

The End - S1-E1

Other mistake: At the start of Rimmer's exam, the invigilator orders the students to "turn over their papers and start". Rimmer reads one side of the paper, then turns it over to read another question. The back of the paper should have been blank as otherwise there would be no point asking the students to keep the papers face down before reading the questions. (00:15:30)

Moose

Future Echoes - S1-E2

Other mistake: When the Cat says there better be no dogs on the ship, there are only about two or three stars visible out the window. Far too few given the amount of stars shown in exterior space shots of the ship. (00:05:15)

Casual Person

Future Echoes - S1-E2

Other mistake: When Rimmer is doing Lister's memo, there there are only about a few stars visible out the window, which is far too few given the amount of stars shown in exterior space shots of the ship. Additionally, a star suddenly appears in the window. (00:23:15)

Casual Person

Me2 - S1-E6

Other mistake: When Lister reads Rimmer's diary, he reads the first entry, then his aunt's birthday in July and then the entry for Gazpacho Soup Day in November. Each time he looks for the next entry he flicks though the pages, yet every time he reads, it is from the start of the diary. (00:15:25)

Padzter

Season 2 generally

Other mistake: The shots of Blue Midget driving back to Red Dwarf that are shown from behind are visibly the exact same shots used each time. This is evident as the driving movements of Blue Midget, its position in the frame, and Red Dwarf's position in the background are all identical each time.

Casual Person

Better Than Life - S2-E2

Other mistake: The tax letter and Rimmer's mother's letter are both already opened before Lister takes the letters out. As there is no one else aboard Red Dwarf, the letters would not have been checked by anyone so they should still be sealed. Also, not all of the letters are already open, just the two that Rimmer receives.

Padzter

Red Dwarf mistake picture

Backwards - S3-E1

Other mistake: At the start of the episode, there is a spoof Star Wars-type caption, which spools up the screen very quickly. Too quickly to be read, in fact... which may explain why few people have noticed that the last line of the caption, "And now the Saga Continuums...", is written twice. (00:00:20)

Backwards - S3-E1

Other mistake: When Rimmer is testing Kryten on a book of space traffic signs, Kryten stops on one page and is tested, which he says the sign is a binary star. Without turning the page, Rimmer points to a second sign on the same page asking what it is, which he points out is a blue giant about to supernova. After pointing to the time hole, Rimmer turns back to the book, saying "Right. What's this?" whilst still on the same page, pointing to a another sign. The page that is being used has one sign shown on the right hand side page, and the left hand side page is completely blank, equalling one sign on both sides of the page, but two or three signs are made mention to when on the page. (00:05:20)

Casual Person

Backwards - S3-E1

Other mistake: It is established in the backwards version of Earth, that all writing is reversed and is spelled backwards. However, there are some inconsistencies, as in some instances the writing has been mirrored to appear reversed, whilst in some instances the writing has just been spelled out backwards. For example, car number plates and signs on display in the background have been mirrored to appear reversed, but the newspaper that Kryten reads, the Nodnol sign and the Sensational Reverse Brothers poster appear normally typed out, and not as the mirror image that other aspects of this world have.

Casual Person

Bodyswap - S3-E4

Other mistake: The milkshake and toffee crisp come out of a different vending machine to where they were ordered. (00:01:50 - 00:06:55)

Dwarf

Bodyswap - S3-E4

Other mistake: When Lister inadvertently sets off the Auto Destruct sequence, the computer voice says the ship will detonate in 15 minutes. The computer then says "the ship will detonate" every five seconds followed by how much time until detonation, but the time in which the computer says this is inconsistent. Two seconds after the computer says 15 minutes, the computer says the ship will detonate in 14 minutes 55 seconds. Ten seconds after saying that, the computer says the ship will detonate in 14 minutes 50 seconds. (00:01:50)

Casual Person

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: He keeps hitting it to cancel the self destruct, which then speeds up the countdown.

The mistake occurred before Lister touched anything and isn't about the obvious jump in the time left. 5 seconds taking 2 seconds and then 10 seconds is the mistake.

Bishop73

Bodyswap - S3-E4

Other mistake: When the group are discussing if they can override the Auto Destruct, the computer voice says 8 minutes 20 seconds until detonation. About 20 seconds after saying this, the computer voice then says 8 minutes 10 seconds until detonation. (00:02:35)

Casual Person

Back To Reality - S5-E6

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.

More mistakes in Red Dwarf

White Hole - S4-E4

Rimmer: The thing about Captain Oates... The thing you have to remember about Captain Oates... Captain Oates... Captain Oates was a prat.

More quotes from Red Dwarf

Meltdown - S4-E6

Trivia: "Meltdown" was originally planned to be the first episode of Series IV of Red Dwarf. However, the militaristic tone of this episode - and in particular Dave Lister's strident anti-war speech near The End of the episode - meant it fell foul of the BBC censors. The original planned transmission date (Feb 14 1991) coincided with the outbreak of "Operation Desert Storm" - the Gulf War...and the BBC felt that an "anti-war" episode of Red Dwarf would be inappropriate for a country at war with Iraq.

More trivia for Red Dwarf

Meltdown - S4-E6

Question: When Kryten and Rimmer were doing the roster of their ranks, Why did Kryten skip the old woman in the black dress with the white shoulder sash between Dali Lama and Mr. Noel Coward?

Answer: It's Queen Victoria, someone any Englishman would recognize, and needed no introduction.

More questions & answers from Red Dwarf

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