The Dream Recorder was a technology aboard Red Dwarf. Self-evidently, it recorded dreams whilst a human or humanoid was asleep. These could then be watched on a screen through view-holes when awake. One such device was present in the sleeping quarters of the regular characters.
Dave Lister once used the Dream Recorder to happily learn that his old crush, First Console Officer Kristine Kochanski, had dreamt about him three times. Arnold Rimmer replied that it meant nothing, since he once had a dream about a baboon, but that doesn't mean that he wants to sleep with it. ("Confidence and Paranoia", Series I)
The Felis sapiens known as Cat once used the Dream Recorder to look for a "sensational" dream he had a month earlier, of "me, three girls and family-sized tub of banana yogurt". He was unable to find it, however, instead finding a recording of himself, Lister and Rimmer singing the song, "Tongue Tied". It is unknown who had this dream, but it was not the one Cat was looking for. ("Parallel Universe", Series II)
Cat used the Dream Recorder again, revisiting a nightmare where an alien boarded Red Dwarf to steal his clothes and use them for the relief effort on his devastated planet. After reviewing the nightmare, Cat deletes the dream, not wanting to live through it again. ("Fashion Victims")
Trivia[]
- As Cat looked for his sexy dream, the machine had "bongo requesting" (or something similar) in text at the top.
- Although the Dream Recorder was not seen again, it may have been the same technology, or at least a similar technology, to the one Lister used to put his memories of Lise Yates into Rimmer's mind ("Thanks for the Memory"), swapping people's consciousness around into different bodies ("Bodyswap") and the Mind Patch ("Holoship"). It was similar to the Mind Probe, which could look deep into someone's mind. ("Justice")
- Kryten later presumably used the Dream Recorder along with Rimmer's diary to gain insight into Rimmer's mind to create The Rimmer Experience.
Behind the Scenes[]
- The "Tongue Tied" music video emerged from what was supposed to be a one-off joke with the Dream Recorder. Danny John-Jules would later release it as a single.