10 Brilliant TV Bottle Episodes

7) Red Dwarf – Marooned

A low-budget British comedy set in space has no right to work, but Red Dwarf has defied all the odds, continuing to churn out new episodes since the show first debuted in 1988.

While the program is fairly unique within the BBC’s oeuvre, the cult success of Red Dwarf is undoubtedly due to the well rounded characters, some of whom may seem ridiculous on the surface, but actually possess far more personality than the majority of America’s more celebrated comedies.

For this particular bottle episode, the writers behind Red Dwarf marooned Lister and Rimmer in a crashed Starbug where the two opened up about their pasts and ate dog food to survive, because… space. While the other characters appear briefly at the beginning and end of “Marooned,” the focus is kept almost entirely on Lister and Rimmer as they somehow bond, despite the constant bickering.

Focusing on the show’s two strongest characters was a no-brainer, but even fans were impressed by the writing on display here, shedding new light on a dynamic that has been a foundation of the show since day one. “Marooned” doesn’t work as a starting point for fans new to Red Dwarf, but those dedicated to the show since its inception were rewarded with intricate characterization and hilarious season highlights.