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Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf)

episode of Red Dwarf

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 26, 2026
Entity authorityQ3206021 ↗
Source-derived summary

"Parallel Universe" is the sixth episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series two, and the twelfth in the show's run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 11 October 1988 and was written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye.

The plot involves the Red Dwarf crew travelling to a parallel universe where they meet alternative versions of themselves. This marked the final appearance of Norman Lovett as Holly until 1997.

The episode was remastered, along with the rest of the first three series, in 1998.

Plot

The ship's computer Holly (Norman Lovett) invents a new drive system called the "Holly Hop Drive", declaring that it can theoretically get Red Dwarf back to Earth in an instant. When Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Dave Lister (Craig Charles) and Cat (Danny John-Jules) decide to use the new system, it transports the ship into a parallel universe, and near a parallel version of Red Dwarf. On board, Rimmer, Lister and Holly encounter their female counterparts—Arlene Rimmer (Suzanne Bertish), Deb Lister (Angela Bruce) and Hilly (Hattie Hayridge)—discovering that in this universe, women hold a dominant position in society, while men fought for equal rights. Cat, expecting to encounter his female counterpart, is shocked to find it to be actually a male dog-like humanoid named Dog (Matthew Devitt).

Holly and Hilly reveal that they need a day to repair the drive, leaving the two groups to socialise in the disco for the night.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf)” as episode of Red Dwarf. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1988, 1997, 1998—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Parallel, Universe and Dwarf can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as episode of Red Dwarf. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3206021. The first chronological checks are 1988, 1997 and 1998.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

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Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf) primary sources, Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf) archive and Parallel research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Parallel Universe (Red Dwarf)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.