Red Dwarf XII
''Red Dwarf'' is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises twelve series and a feature-length special of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1993 and from 1997 to 1999, and on Dave in 2009 and 2012 ...
'' and the 68th in the series run. Originally broadcast on the British television channel
Dave Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
on 12 October 2017, it was made available early on 5 October 2017 on UKTV Play.
The crew happen upon an abandoned research facility where several infamous figures from history reside, supposedly "cured" of their evil.
Synopsis
The crew play a game of
poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
, with Lister attempting to teach Cat how to have a proper poker face, but Cat failing to understand. Kryten interrupts to report on a resource-rich station to scavenge, which the crew head off towards onboard ''Starbug'', which requires an elaborate start-up sequence to work due to its state of disrepair. A powerful sandstorm leaves them temporarily stranded there.
The crew venture through the base, encountering "cyrobooths" bearing the names of
Messalina
Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputation ...
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
, and
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. They are then greeted by Professor Shaul Telford, who reveals that the occupants were in stasis and their arrival has triggered their release, but that they have been cured of their formerly psychopathic ways. They are introduced to these infamous figures over dinner. Surprisingly, they prove to be kind and pleasant, and claim to be completely reformed. Lister gets to know Hitler, and the pair perform "
The Happy Wanderer
"The Happy Wanderer" ("''Der fröhliche Wanderer''" or "''Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann''") is a popular song. The original text was written by Florenz Friedrich Sigismund (1791–1877).
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
" by Toto was going to be used in place of "The Happy Wanderer" during their guitar performance, but the rights were denied because Lister would be playing it alongside Hitler. Early drafts of the script originally had Professor Telford be revealed as the real Hitler, though that was scrapped in subsequent rewrites.
Reception
"Cured" was met with positive reviews from critics and fans.