EPISODE
Parallel Universe
Series II
Written By	Rob Grant and Doug Naylor
Director	Ed Bye
Guest Star(s)	Suzanne Bertish as Arlene Rimmer Angela Bruce as Deb Lister Matthew Devitt as Dog Hattie Hayridge as Hilly
Episode Chronology
Episode 206
Previous Episode: Queeg
Next Episode: Backwards

Overview

Red Dwarf jumps into an alternate dimension and encounter a parallel version of themselves.

Summary

Holly claims to have invented a faster than light device called the "Holly Hop Drive" which appears to be nothing more than a red box with a stop and start button on it. The crew try and use it, but it doesn't bring them to Earth, it brings them to a strange parallel universe where women are the dominant sex and each of them has a female analogue. While Rimmer is trying to avoid his opposite's voracious sexual demands, Lister seems to be getting on very well with his. Cat's opposite (unfortunately for him) is a dog, and even Holly has an opposite, Hilly. After partying all night long while Holly and Hilly fix the Hop Drive they wake up to find Lister has accidentally slept with his opposite, who tells him that in their universe, the men give birth to the babies. After returning to their own universe, Lister uses a pregnancy test, and while waiting for the results, Holly realizes that if Lister is pregnant, he could give birth to the two babies seen in Future Echoes. Rimmer then has great news upon seeing the results: He's going to be an uncle!

Notes

• This episode marks the final appearance of Norman Lovett, until Series VII's "Nanarchy"; and also the first appearance of Hattie Hayridge, who will replace Lovett as Holly in Series III-V.

• It is also the final appearance of the original Red Dwarf/JMC uniforms. For Series III, new costumes were designed for Rimmer and Lister. The Red Dwarf crew do wear similar (though not identical) uniforms in Series VIII.

• When Cat says "Lister - Female opposite; Rimmer - Female opposite; where's mine?", it is one of only two times Cat ever says the name 'Lister' on the show. The next time he says it is in Series V's The Inquisitor. Whenever he refers to Lister he calls him "buddy", "dormouse cheeks" or just "Hey, you".

• The "Tongue Tied" musical number evolved from a brief gag, to a full-blown song and dance sequence. Danny John-Jules (credited as "Cat") released his own version of the song in 1993. It reached #17 on the UK charts. It is also the first and only musical number by Howard Goodall to rech the Top 20 of the UK Top 40 Music Charts.

• The "Tongue Tied" routine was choreographed by Charles Augins, who played Queeg in the previous episode.
• This is the first episode that the Cat refers to Rimmer as "Goalpost Head".

• The title of this episode "Parallel Universe" doesn't appear at the start as in others. Instead, we open with the Tongue Tied musical number. The Remastered version has the title appear after the song finishes. This is also the first episode to not include the standard opening sequence, and in fact the title Red Dwarf does not appear on screen until the very end of the closing credits.

• The concept of parallel universes will be revisited in Series VII when a parallel-universe version of Kristine Kochanski joins the crew.

• The Cat breaks the fourth wall when he first discovers The Dog, delivering several of his lines directly to the camera.

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Rimmer: You know -- cats have a very strange attitude toward women if you ask me.
  Cat: Say what, Goalpost Head?
  Rimmer: It's all sex, and no sense of settling down and having a long term relationship.
  Cat: Hey, I want to settle down. And as soon as I find the right small group of girls, the seven or eight women who are right for me, my wandering days are over, buddy.

• Lister: What are you, a man or a munchkin?
  Rimmer: I'm off to see the wizard...

• Holly: No, no, it has gone. The entire Solar System is missing!
  Rimmer: Well, what is actually out there?
  Holly: Nothing. Just space.
  Rimmer: Holly, the thought occurs that we haven't actually reached Earth... The further thought occurs that we haven't actually budged a smegging inch!

Guest Stars

• Angela Bruce as Deb Lister
• Suzanne Bertish as Arlene Rimmer
• Matthew Devitt as The Dog
• Hattie Hayridge as Hilly

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Red Dwarf: Episode List

Series I|Series III|Series IV|Series V|Series VI|Series VII|Series VIII|Back to Earth|Series X

Series II

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