Patrick Stewart Claims Fan-Favorite Sci-Fi Series Rips Off Star Trek
Patrick Stewart might be considered an icon in the world of sci-fi, but the actor’s ability to deliver dead-pan humor in the driest way possible makes him a comedy heavyweight as well. In a recently unearthed video from 1998 that features Stewart, the Star Trek: The Next Generation star can be seen introducing a fan-favorite series on BBC while telling a funny story involving a near-lawsuit. Stewart was asked to present a special Red Dwarf night on BBC, but he couldn’t help but notice a few striking similarities that the show had to the Star Trek franchise, going as far as calling the beloved sci-fi comedy a “rip off.”
In the short, minute-and-a-half introduction video, Stewart admits that he was unfamiliar with Red Dwarf while he was living in the United States, where the production of Star Trek: The Next Generation took place. Stewart then recounts the first time that he came across an episode of Red Dwarf while returning to his home country in the early 1990s. He jokes that his first instinct after watching in “horror and outrage” for a minute was to reach for his phone and call his lawyer, claiming that the show was obviously a rip off of his own sci-fi show.
But after continuing to watch Red Dwarf, he began to laugh and understand what the show was about, which was a far cry from any Star Trek series that came before it. Stewart would then go on to explain that Red Dwarf appealed to him because not only did it remind him of his own experience filming Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it managed to do its own thing by poking fun at his show in a lighthearted and fun way. Stewart then admitted that he was slightly envious of Red Dwarf for having the sense of humor that he felt was sometimes missing from his own show.
…Stewart admits that he was unfamiliar with Red Dwarf while he was living in the United States, where the production of Star Trek: The Next Generation took place.
First airing on BBC in 1988, Red Dwarf tells the story of the crew members aboard the mining spacecraft Red Dwarf, which has been slowly drifting in deep space for three million years. David Lister (Craig Charles), who served as the lowest ranking crew member aboard the ship, suddenly wakes up from his slumber in stasis, where he was placed as punishment for smuggling a cat aboard the ship. After wandering around, Lister realizes that he is now the only surviving human on Red Dwarf and as it turns out, the entire galaxy.
Stewart would then go on to explain that Red Dwarf appealed to him because not only did it remind him of his own experience filming Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it managed to do its own thing by poking fun at his show…
In an effort to maintain Lister’s sanity, Holly (Norman Lovett), the onboard computer on Red Dwarf, resurrects Lister’s former bunkmate Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) as a hologram. Together, Lister and Rimmer are joined by Cat (Danny John-Jules), a human-cat hybrid who evolved from the original cat that Lister smuggled aboard. The ragtag group of crew members wander the depths of space together as they hold onto hope of finding a new home and exiting their ship, all while attempting to get along.
…after continuing to watch Red Dwarf, he began to laugh and understand what the show was about, which was a far cry from any Star Trek series that came before it.
Similar to Star Trek, Red Dwarf continues to be a fan-favorite sci-fi series that has managed to survive the test of time. Even after debuting in 1988, Red Dwarf has occasionally churned out new content. In 2020, an 87-minute television special, Red Dwarf: The Promised Land, continued the story of Lister and his deep space adventure.
Source: Redshirts Always Die
