jbow, it is really funny. You don't have to "get" British
humor humour to enjoy it. If you liked Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy you're just a doobie away from being in the proper state of mind for Red Dwarf.
But you do need to see it from the start for it all to make any sense. The early episodes were very low-budget, reminiscent of the original Star Trek sets. But the story lines and gags easily transcend the cardboard backgrounds. It wasn't until the third season (by then it had started being shown in the U.S. and had become a worldwide cult hit) that they got some proper backing and started using computer animation.
Red Dwarf fans are easily as intense as any Trekkie. Most, however, would take issue with comparisons to them smeggin' trekkers.