Queeg (Red Dwarf episode)
Encyclopedia
"Queeg" is the fifth episode of science fiction
sitcom Red Dwarf
series two and the eleventh in the series run. It premiered on the British
television channel BBC2
on 4 October 1988. Written by Rob Grant
and Doug Naylor
, and directed by Ed Bye
, the plot features a backup computer named Queeg that replaces Holly
. The episode was remastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.
(Norman Lovett
) addresses the crew but forgets what he was going to say. Soon after the whole ship shakes under a tremendous impact. Holly now remembers that he had meant to warn the crew that the ship was about to be hit by a meteor. Rimmer
's (Chris Barrie
) legs start going walk abouts on their own and Holly asks Lister
(Craig Charles
) to go down to the Hologram Simulation Suite to repair the damage. However following Holly's advice Lister connects the wrong cables and causes an explosion which makes him fly over the consoles.
Holly's increasing mistakes start to irritate the crew. After all he's supposed to have an IQ of 6,000. Then a mysterious face appears on the monitor screen where Holly's face is usually seen. Rimmer thinks it's aliens, but he introduces himself as Queeg 500, the Red Dwarf back-up computer. According to Queeg he is to replace Holly for gross negligence leading to the endangerment of personnel, and assumes control of the ship demoting Holly to night watchman.
The crew are initially pleased at the intelligence and efficiency of the new computer, however the next morning Queeg forces Rimmer
out of bed early to do exercises. While Lister originally enjoys watching Rimmer getting worked to exhaustion he gets a nasty shock when he and the Cat
are put to work scrubbing the ship, as Queeg refuses to give them any food otherwise. Finally understanding just how lenient Holly was towards them, the crew beg Holly to return and he challenges Queeg to a game of skill (Queeg chooses chess) to determine which of them will run Red Dwarf and which one will be erased. Queeg wins easily, and declares that Holly is to be wiped immediately from the ship's systems. Holly says his goodbyes to Lister, Rimmer, the Cat and slowly disappears from the screen. However moments later, Holly returns, and explains, to the crew's extreme surprise and exasperation, that he was Queeg all the time and it was all merely an elaborate prank, and that they should appreciate what they have.
Quickly earning himself a reputation for doing his own stunts, Craig Charles flew over a console table in the aftermath of a huge explosion. His reasoning behind doing the stunts was that as a Scouse
r he could be dropped on his head with no problems. To achieve the effect of flying up and over the exploding console, Charles bounced off a small trampoline — that was out of shot — and this was matched up to the earlier establishing shot.
Charles Augins
was brought in to choreograph the Tongue Tied sequence for the next episode "Parallel Universe", but the writers were so impressed that they offered him the role of Queeg as well.
as he goes off to face his showdown with Queeg.
Holly references the London football club Tottenham Hotspur, "A load of tottenham, that is. A steaming pile of hotspur", when he replies to Queeg's accusations. Among the game of death choices that Holly proposes are Draughts
, poker
, Subbuteo
, Snakes and Ladders
, Monopoly
, Cluedo
and Noughts and Crosses before finally accepting Queeg's choice of chess
.
Queeg is named after Captain Queeg
from The Caine Mutiny
, but Holly's "This is mutiny, Mr Queeg" quote is from Mutiny on the Bounty
.
special effects of Red Dwarf and many more visual and audio enhancements. Changes made specific to "Queeg" include sound effects on the meteor impact have been enhanced. Video and sound effects have been added to the original live-action footage of Rimmer's hologramatic form malfunctioning.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
series two and the eleventh in the series run. It premiered on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 4 October 1988. Written by Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
and Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
, and directed by Ed Bye
Ed Bye
Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He is best known for his work with Grant Naylor, Harry Enfield and Jasper Carrott, and has worked with many of British TV's best known comedians and comedy actors...
, the plot features a backup computer named Queeg that replaces Holly
Holly (Red Dwarf)
Holly is the ship's computer on the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf.The character is played by Norman Lovett in Series I and II and, following a "head sex change" to look like his parallel universe alter ego "Hilly", played by Hattie Hayridge in the series 3 episode Backwards, is female...
. The episode was remastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.
Plot
HollyHolly (Red Dwarf)
Holly is the ship's computer on the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf.The character is played by Norman Lovett in Series I and II and, following a "head sex change" to look like his parallel universe alter ego "Hilly", played by Hattie Hayridge in the series 3 episode Backwards, is female...
(Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
) addresses the crew but forgets what he was going to say. Soon after the whole ship shakes under a tremendous impact. Holly now remembers that he had meant to warn the crew that the ship was about to be hit by a meteor. Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
's (Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image...
) legs start going walk abouts on their own and Holly asks Lister
Dave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
(Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
) to go down to the Hologram Simulation Suite to repair the damage. However following Holly's advice Lister connects the wrong cables and causes an explosion which makes him fly over the consoles.
Holly's increasing mistakes start to irritate the crew. After all he's supposed to have an IQ of 6,000. Then a mysterious face appears on the monitor screen where Holly's face is usually seen. Rimmer thinks it's aliens, but he introduces himself as Queeg 500, the Red Dwarf back-up computer. According to Queeg he is to replace Holly for gross negligence leading to the endangerment of personnel, and assumes control of the ship demoting Holly to night watchman.
The crew are initially pleased at the intelligence and efficiency of the new computer, however the next morning Queeg forces Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
out of bed early to do exercises. While Lister originally enjoys watching Rimmer getting worked to exhaustion he gets a nasty shock when he and the Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
are put to work scrubbing the ship, as Queeg refuses to give them any food otherwise. Finally understanding just how lenient Holly was towards them, the crew beg Holly to return and he challenges Queeg to a game of skill (Queeg chooses chess) to determine which of them will run Red Dwarf and which one will be erased. Queeg wins easily, and declares that Holly is to be wiped immediately from the ship's systems. Holly says his goodbyes to Lister, Rimmer, the Cat and slowly disappears from the screen. However moments later, Holly returns, and explains, to the crew's extreme surprise and exasperation, that he was Queeg all the time and it was all merely an elaborate prank, and that they should appreciate what they have.
Production
The script was nearing completion when the writers were having problems thinking of a satisfactory ending. Eventually Rob Grant came up with the 2001: A Space Odyssey spoof of Holly singing as he gets erased.Quickly earning himself a reputation for doing his own stunts, Craig Charles flew over a console table in the aftermath of a huge explosion. His reasoning behind doing the stunts was that as a Scouse
Scouse
Scouse is an accent and dialect of English found primarily in the Metropolitan county of Merseyside, and closely associated with the city of Liverpool and the adjoining urban areas such as the boroughs of south Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral...
r he could be dropped on his head with no problems. To achieve the effect of flying up and over the exploding console, Charles bounced off a small trampoline — that was out of shot — and this was matched up to the earlier establishing shot.
Charles Augins
Charles Augins
Charles Augins is an American actor, dancer and choreographer for stage and screen. Born in Virginia he won the Laurence Olivier Theater award in 1991 for Best Choreography in Five Guys Named Moe. He had a small role in Revenge of the Pink Panther as Vic Vancouver. He is best known for playing...
was brought in to choreograph the Tongue Tied sequence for the next episode "Parallel Universe", but the writers were so impressed that they offered him the role of Queeg as well.
Cultural references
Besides the finale 2001: A Space Odyssey parody of Holly singing as he gets erased he also sings the theme tune from High NoonHigh Noon
High Noon is a 1952 American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. The film tells in real time the story of a town marshal forced to face a gang of killers by himself...
as he goes off to face his showdown with Queeg.
Holly references the London football club Tottenham Hotspur, "A load of tottenham, that is. A steaming pile of hotspur", when he replies to Queeg's accusations. Among the game of death choices that Holly proposes are Draughts
Draughts
Draughts is a group of abstract strategy board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque...
, poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, Subbuteo
Subbuteo
Subbuteo is a set of table top games simulating team sports such as association football, cricket, both codes of rugby and hockey. The name is most closely associated with the football game, which for many years was marketed as "the replica of Association Football".The "Subbuteo" name is derived...
, Snakes and Ladders
Snakes and ladders
Snakes and Ladders is an ancient Indian board game regarded today as a worldwide classic. It is played between two or more players on a game board having numbered, gridded squares. A number of "ladders" and "snakes" are pictured on the board, each connecting two specific board squares...
, Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
, Cluedo
Cluedo
Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery-themed deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...
and Noughts and Crosses before finally accepting Queeg's choice of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
.
Queeg is named after Captain Queeg
Captain Queeg
Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg, USN, is a fictional character in Herman Wouk's 1951 novel The Caine Mutiny. He is also a character in the identically titled 1954 film adaptation of the novel and in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, the Broadway theatre adaptation of the novel that opened...
from The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny is a 1952 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II and deals with, among other things, the moral and ethical decisions made at sea by the captains of ships...
, but Holly's "This is mutiny, Mr Queeg" quote is from Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
.
Reception
The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on the 4 October 1988 in the 9:00 pm evening slot. The Series II review by Gavrielle mentioned that "the script's great, and none of the cast put a foot wrong in extracting the maximum from it." Norman Lovett, who played Holly, stated, in the Series II documentary "It's Cold Outside", that the episode was one of his favourites. It also came 9th place in a Red Dwarf Smegazine readers' poll with 4.4% of the overall votes.Remastering
The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s. Changes throughout the series included replacement of the opening credits, giving the picture a colour grade and filmising, computer generatedComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects of Red Dwarf and many more visual and audio enhancements. Changes made specific to "Queeg" include sound effects on the meteor impact have been enhanced. Video and sound effects have been added to the original live-action footage of Rimmer's hologramatic form malfunctioning.