Red Dwarf
Hacker ApprovedRanked 2 of 8 sitcoms by recommenders
People recommend it for its British humour, sci-fi premise and nostalgia, with the early seasons' practical effects praised. Critics say the later seasons are uneven and it is harder to watch now.
People recommend it for its British humour, sci-fi premise and nostalgia, with the early seasons' practical effects praised. Critics say the later seasons are uneven and it is harder to watch now.
22 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 20
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 91%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 20 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 10 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Fond nostalgia and memories of the show
“When I was a teenager, I was a big fan of the show (and books), Red Dwarf”
Comment from 30 Jul 2026 in “The Productivity Mirage” “I used to devour those and laughed and laughed and laughed.”
Comment from 22 Jul 2026 in “John C Dvorak – Legendary Tech Columnist and host of No Agenda has passed” “Loved the show back in its heyday”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died” - Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died”
Strong later seasons and episodes
“there are more than a few bangers in the later seasons”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died” “The concept also made a great Red Dwarf episode.”
Comment from 3 Jun 2026 in “Mathematicians issue warning as AI rapidly gains ground” “Season 12 is particularly good though.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died” - Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died”
Practical effects and industrial look
“The practical effects in the early seasons were truly fantastic. It was never quite the same after they switched to cgi.”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died” “the genius was in having the ship be an ugly industrial environment”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died” Blend of British humor and sci-fi
“created a deep appreciation both for British humor and funny sci-fi”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died” “a compelling and thought-provoking sci-fi action-adventure all at the same time”
Comment from 27 Feb 2026 in “Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died”
Other sitcoms people recommend
The four most recommended other sitcoms, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Office | 23 | 14 | 62% | 7 | — | — |
| Red DwarfThis page | 20 | 2 | 91% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Utopia (Australian comedy TV series) | 14 | 1 | 93% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Yes Minister | 9 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | — |
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | 9 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
20 of the 23 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“When I was a teenager, I was a big fan of the show (and books), Red Dwarf”
“I used to devour those and laughed and laughed and laughed.”
“The concept also made a great Red Dwarf episode.”
“you just need good writers and actors”
“I find it a little hard to watch now. Some parts are still great though.”
“the genius was in having the ship be an ugly industrial environment”
“the episode more than justifies itself”
“The practical effects in the early seasons were truly fantastic. It was never quite the same after they switched to cgi.”
“the lack of his influence was immediately apparent, a lot of the depth was lost”
“Season 12 is particularly good though.”
“there are more than a few bangers in the later seasons”
“his outtakes from Red Dwarf are delightful”
“The later series/seasons are very uneven, which surprised me.”
“a compelling and thought-provoking sci-fi action-adventure all at the same time”
“Fab show, great memories!”
“Loved the show back in its heyday”
“Red Dwarf is an absolute classic”
“the American version was better off cancelled”
“created a deep appreciation both for British humor and funny sci-fi”
“That Red Dwarf pilot was actually fine except for the bizarre choice of making Lister a hunk.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.