Futurama and Red Dwarf

Possible spoiler for both shows: s p o i l e r

w a r n i n g

Since both Red Dwarf and Futurama are based on the premise of someone going into the future by accident, there is bound to be some parallels. I decided to list the ones I can think of and see what else anyone can think of.

Lister and Fry:

FR: Fry helps Bender break his programming to think for himself. RD:Lister helps Kryten break his program to think for himself.

FR: Fry becomes super wealthy because of a small amount of money left in a bank account. But he get's robbed and he ends up broke. RD: Holly tells Lister that he owns almost all the money in the world for the same reason. But it's just a joke and he ends up broke.

FR: Fry is an idiot with a loser job when he get frozen. RD:Lister is an idiot with a loser job when he goes into stasis.

FR: Fry is crazy about Leela, but despite a few close calls, he never gets anywhere with her. RD:Lister is crazy about Chrissy, but despite a few close calls, he never gets anywhere with her.

FR: Fry drops out of an amusement park college. RD:Lister dropped out of art college. ==================== Misc:

FR: Has a creature who appears to have evolved from lobsters. RD:Has a creature who evolved from cats.

FR: They deflect a garbage ball with another garbage ball. It was planned to go straight into the sun. Instead it bounces around several planets and finally falls into the sun. RD:Lister uses a planet as a pool ball to knock another planet into a 'white hole' star. It bounces off of several other planets on the way.

FR: The Professor makes all the calculations to launch the rocket, then makes mistakes counting down. RD:Holly warns than and error in the billions of calculation need to use the 'Holly Hop Drive' could kill them all, then makes mistakes counting down.

FR: Spoiler warnings because Europeans are months behind on episodes. RD:Spoiler warnings because The US is months behind on episodes.

FR: Leela refers to Sir Mix a Lot as classical music. RD:Rimmer refers to Motor Head as classical music.

FR: A religion forms around Oprah RD: A religion forms around Lister.

FR: Robot Heaven / Hell RD:Silicon Heaven / Hell

FR: Baseball evolves into Blernsball RD:Football evolves into Zero-G Football.

FR: Leela was abandon as a baby. RD:Lister was abandon as a baby. ==================== Zapp and Lister:

FR:Zapp sends his men on ill conceived suicide missions and considers them successful. RD:Lister sends his 'army' of wax droids on a daylight charge through a mine field and considers it successful.

=================== Kryten and Bender: FR:Bender is only programmed to bend girders. RD:Kryten is only programmed to clean restrooms.

FR:Benders head and arms come off several times. RD:Kryten has spare heads and arms.

FR: Bender has an inhibition chip. RD:Kryten has an inhibition circuit.

That's all I can think of right now. Comment / additions??

--Larry

In article , [email] (Larry Finkelstein) wrote:

What makes you think that?

That was Rimmer not Lister.

On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 21:50:22 -0800, Sean O'Flaherty wrote:

Not as obsessed as Lister, but he's still got a thing for her. In I, Roommate, she tells him he has to find a new place to live, and he replies "Is that an invitation?". Then in I Second That Emotion:

L:"I love all living things" F:"Even me?" L:"As a friend" F:"oh" (disappointed.)

And of course, he considered his fake relationship with Leela far more meaningful than his fake relationship with Amy.

Perhaps 'crazy about her' overstates it a bit, however the dynamic is similar. He is interested in her, but she really doesn't want him. She still has a soft spot for him which shows up occasionally, but it never works out.

Leela was a 'fate assignment officer', a job I would assume carries some authority. In the second episode, she becomes a captain.

Chrissy was a navigation officer.

Fry is a delivery boy, the lowest job on the ship, and he has almost no chance of advancing.

Lister cleaned out the chicken soup dispenser, the lowest job on the ship, and had almost no chance of advancing.

To stretch things a bit more: When Leela holds Fry's hand in Ep 1, Bender jumps in and spoils the moment. When they 'rescue' Chrissy from the parallel universe, Kryten becomes jealous and acts to keep them apart.

Oops! You're right, I didn't proofread.

Of course the best thing they have in common is they seem to get funnier every time I see them. I've probably watch the first season of Red Dwarf over 20 times and it's still hilarious. I haven't watch Futurama as many time, yet. But then Red Dwarf had an 8 year head start (for me).

--Larry

Actually, Im pretty sure Rimmer's the one who cleans the soup dispenser.

I'm from England, and I had no idea that Red Dwarf was so big in the US. Are there any other English shows you get over there? We get a lot of American.

    Fry is a delivery boy, the lowest job on the ship, and he has almost
    no chance of advancing.

    Lister cleaned out the chicken soup dispenser, the lowest job on the
    ship, and had almost no chance of advancing.

Check out the local PBS station here stateside. I love Are you Being Served? and Keeping Up Appearances.

Paul Turner wrote:

On Tue, 30 Nov 1999 16:30:23 -0000, "Paul Turner" wrote:

True, Rimmer was cleaning it and lister was handing him the tools.

Red Dwarf fans, like myself, tend to be very dedicated. It has been running here at least 8 or 9 years on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). Fortunately, PBS is commercial free, so they don't chop it up. They also were the first to run Monty Python.

We do get some other English shows, mostly on PBS, Are You Being Served?, The Thin Blue Line, Mr. Bean, Fawlty Towers, Goodnight Sweetheart, Sherlock Holmes and some dramas. Comedy Central runs Absolutely Fabulous, Monty Python, Bob and Margaret and Who's Line is it Anyway. They also used to run The Young Ones and a show called London Underground, which was a stand-up comedy club show.

PBS used to run Dr. Who, but they ran it in movie format. They would show an entire adventure as one show. Then the Sci-Fi channel got it and ran about three seasons in the original cliffhanger format. After re-running the same episodes several times, they lost the rights and dropped it.

Those are the shows I can think of, mostly they're the ones I've watched.

--Larry

In article , [email] (Larry Finkelstein) wrote:

ABC or CBS runs new Whose Line is it Anyway, and ABC ran new Who Wants to be a Millionare.

PBS also ran The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but that was quite a while ago.

In article , [email] (Robert Muldoon) wrote:

I could also read alt.fan.douglas-adams and alt.fan.douglas-adams.forty-two and alt.alt.life.the-universe.and-everything like I do to know that.

In article , [email] (Larry Finkelstein) wrote:

The BBC America network runs Black Adder, Are You Being Served? and Fawlty Towers.

Larry Finkelstein wrote:

You forgot to mention "The Black Adder", as well as the next three series.

On Mon, 13 Dec 1999 15:04:53 -0800, Johnny Rhyne wrote:

Yeah, I forgot. Great show though, I was just listing from memory. I have the first series on tape.

--Larry

On Sun, 28 Nov 1999 14:00:00 GMT, [email] (Larry Finkelstein) wrote:

of

You obviously have not seen Red Dwarf series 7 yet then. BLEH!! Do yourself a favour and give it a big miss and go straight on to series 8 which is great.

On Fri, 03 Dec 1999 11:03:42 +0800, Mike Price wrote:

Actually, I have seen season 7. I keep trying to forget it though.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it bad, but it was certainly the weakest in the series. So far I've seen all most of season 8, and it some of the best episodes yet. With all the stuff that happens to Capt. Hollister, it reminds me of the Pink Panther movies.

It was on against such local favorites as Cops (video tape of car chases and people being arrested), America's Funniest Home Movies and The Worlds Blankiest- Blank.

You do need so catch 7 once to keep up with the changes in the show. I haven't re-watched much since the first time.

--Larry

the only comment i have is....damn i need to truck it to suncoast and get some RD videos!!!

"GOD,I'VE GOT TO STOP SNIFFING THIS AJAX!''VYVIAN BASTERD

"I SIN FOR A LIVING!"DUTCH HERCULES ICQ:9485678

On 28 Nov 1999 02:27:16 GMT, [email] (TESCO V666) wrote:

Start at the beginning. Red Dwarf works far better chronologically.

there are no aliens in red dwarf

the lobster guy is an alien who's people came to earth and ate all the anchovies :

: but good job