The newly-named planetoid Rimmer is in danger of being blasted by a timewave which is carrying a ship where sarcasm is outlawed.

An episode that pokes fun at criticism – I’ll have to be careful here! In fact, as high concepts go, there’s a lot of material that Doug Naylor could have plundered for this alternate world where people are imprisoned for tutting or backseat driving. If anything, he doesn’t go as far as he might, what with today’s current moral outrage at the slightest suggestion of offence.

Red Dwarf is at its best when it holds up a mirror to society and exaggerates to comic effect. Naylor has received his fair share of critical brickbats over the show’s 12 seasons, but instead of suggesting that criticism is a bad thing, he actually stands in its corner, suggesting that we all need to be big enough to handle it.

Verdict: A lot of the gags are broad, Johnny Vegas’ pink-uniformed policeman is fun but gone all-too-soon, and the final gag is something of a damp squib, but among the frivolity there’s still something of relevance to be heard. 7/10

Nick Joy