After Lister and Cat accidentally download a virus into the ship’s systems, a political race ensues, with some bitter smear campaigns.

This is more like it. I might sound like a stuck record, but the best Red Dwarf is not the one with the high concept but where the four mismatched smegheads act to type… and no-one knows the crew better than Doug Naylor. Essentially an excuse to pit Cat and Lister against Rimmer and Kryten, everyone of them plays to their character strengths and flaws, and part of the joy is anticipating how they will accordingly mess things up, rather than responding like a normal human (or mech, feline or hologram).

Chris Barrie feels like he’s stepped back to his Spitting Image roots, playing a smarmy politician who’s equal parts Alan B’stard and David Cameron. Cat and Lister are clueless about how to play the game but ultimately succeed by being better people. And what about the return of the annoying Talkie Toaster from 1991’s White Hole? You have to admire a show that has the balls to reintroduce an annoying 26-year-old domestic appliance!

Verdict: The strongest episode of this year’s series, it just goes to show that you don’t need the big guest stars or tech to deliver vintage Red Dwarf. 9/10

Nick Joy