A good little companion book ("Red Dwarf" Programme Guide - Chris Howarth)

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	"Red Dwarf" Programme Guide - Chris Howarth
Date:	15/08/09 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Exhaustive, lots of little known information, engagingly written

Disadvantages: Doesnt include series 8

The Red Dwarf Programme Guide is a handy little companion book to the show that makes for interesting reading. It starts off with brief paragraph on the show's initial conception, which is then followed by colourful and detailed descriptions of the main characters as well as detailed backgrounds of the actors who played them, before going on to provide a detailed list of everyone involved in the production of the show throughout its various series, including both production team members and supporting actors.

After this the vast majority of the book is given over to detailed descriptions of each episode, (up to and including those of the god-awful seventh series) with plot synopses, production details and related anecdotes, guest-actor cast lists and various other interesting trivia titbits. Like the rest of the book these sections are engagingly written, and offer an interesting inside look at how the show was made, with regular insights from both cast-members and writers Doug Grant and Rob Naylor.

The book also includes cast photos and an exhaustive dictionary of characters and other features (craft, monsters, planets, techonologies etc) that have featured throughout the years, before ending with a detailed look at the various related spin-offs that have appeared throughout the shows existence, such as detailed descriptions of the various Red Dwarf novels, the Red Dwarf 'Smegazine', the doomed American Red Dwarf Pilot, the BBC's dedicated Red Dwarf Night and so on. A great little book, offering plenty of little-known information that will be of interest to the fans.

Summary: An entertaining and well written companion book