Red Dwarf: Anniversary Edition - All The Shows [DVD]

The first impression I got upon opening the newly delivered Amazon parcel was "It's big!" Not just big, but A4 big. I guess the fact that it was described as a `photo album style box' should have tipped me off, but you just don't realise quite how big this box set is until you see it up close.

Brushing aside the fact that I would now have to work out how this big box of Dwarf would fit on my DVD shelf, I opened the box to reveal some rather interesting packaging. Inside the box is a package which looks like a proper photo album, pictures taken by all the Red Dwarf crew with comments under each one.

The pages are (as you'd expect) divided in to series, with each page containing a DVD in a special holder. For those fussy about how their DVDs are stored this might come as a shock, but the DVDs for each series come in a glossy card wallet which forms part of the page. On the downside, this means it's fiddly to get them in and out, though it does make the discs easy to find. The last 2 series are split over 2 discs each (hence the whole set being 10 discs for 8 series, no extras here).

I'm sure you're dying to find out whether these hold any extra incentive over the standalone sets (Just the Shows volume 1 and 2) and the answer is: no. Only the fact that this is marked as a 20th Anniversary set and the novelty packaging really set this apart.

So why get this over the 2 separate sets? Simple; it's the cost. At £35 it represents great value for those viewers not worried about extras. I've actually collected series 1 and 3 from the 2 disc sets to get the best extras and then added the Just the Smegs set to get all the Smeg Ups. To me this works out the best value while still getting some of the extras.

So if you find that you have a photo album sized space in your DVD collection and want to watch the whole of Red Dwarf before the new episodes air next year, this is the perfect solution. If you want extras, however, then you're going to need to buy the individual box sets.

Yep, all the episodes from series 1-8.

No smeg-ups. No extras to speak of. But that's not what you are looking for, is it, gentle reader?

The presentation box, in the style of an A4 photo album, is a fine idea though one wonders how practical it is to insert and remove the discs from the pouches over a longer period of time.

There's not a lot one can say about the episodes themselves; you either "get it" or you don't. No amount of explaining what 'Smeg' means, or why "smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast" is so very funny will make the slightest bit of sense if you don't understand the general mood of the show and the dynamic between the wonderful characters. On paper they may be cardboard cutout sterotypes but the actors really do make them feel much more fleshed out.

The writing veers from the slapstick to the profound with amazing regularity and speed. Red Dwarf is actually much cleverer televsion than it is often given credit for (see Tikka To Ride's JFK set-up for a perfect example). And to sneak that sort of cleverness in amongst the great gross-out gags and puerile insults is a great trick.

Fabulous on every level.

At around £30-£40, this COMPLETE COLLECTION of every Red Dwarf episode is fantastic value for money! As for the contents, their isn't any extras, interviews or 'smeg-ups', just all 8 of the classic Red Dwarf series'.

The box though is surprising. At least A4 in size, and with pouches for the DVD's to go in, rather than actual boxes. 10 discs in total, one for each series, with series' 7 and 8 split up into two DVD's each. That's pretty much it, a MUST buy for fans of the series, unless you are really desperate for any additions. Otherwise, Red Dwarf at it's best!