Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the story is about Lister and Rimmer being marooned together on a bleak ice planet.
While Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) and Cat (Danny John-Jules) take a Blue Midget to escape, Dave Lister (Craig Charles) and Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) make their getaway in a Starbug.
As Lister is made to listen to Rimmer's regaling of his military interests, including how he found put that In a previous incarnation, he was Alexander the Great's chief eunuch, their ship is struck by a meteor and crash lands on an icy planet.
Lister is forced to do his best to survive until the pair can be found, making do with what food and supplies he has aboard Starbug, and talking with Rimmer, whose existence as a hologram means his life is not in danger.
Shortly afterwards, Kryten and Cat arrive, having searched for the pair for the past two days, revealing that Holly mistook grit on the ship's scanner-scope for black holes.
[5] Scenes that were cut included the crew playing strip poker at the beginning (as seen in the Smeg Outs video released later) and the Cat's 'Mush Mush!'
Among the few edible items found aboard Starbug are a Pot Noodle, half a bag of soggy smoky bacon crisps, a tin of mustard powder, three water biscuits, a brown lemon, 2 bottles of vinegar, and a tube of Bonjela gum ointment.
As an alternative to the "Mayday" distress call, which he mistakenly believes is named for a bank holiday, Rimmer comes up with "Shrove Tuesday", "Ascension Sunday" and "The fifteenth Wednesday after Pentecost".
In a continuity error in that scene, Rimmer is shown operating Starbug's distress call system, when as a hologram he should not be able to interact with the ship's controls.
[10] In its review, DVD Talk stated that "the dialogue is witty and hilarious", and said that "there are tons of memorable lines and scenes from this episode, and is consequently a fan favorite as well.
[13] Upon its release on VHS the new re-mastered episodes were generally received poorly by fans of the show, although it has been stated by critics that they are "actually an invigorating new take on a classic series".