This is one of the best openers for a sitcom ever. We get a brief setup for Lister and Rimmer, enough to let us know that they hate each other. Lister is a man with no real ambitions outside of eating curries and drinking lager. Rimmer is a prat to whom was shown no affection from his parents, whose brothers advanced further than he ever had (until season X or XI, I believe), and who feels that he could be much greater than his status, but fails to accept that he hasn't any true talent and that he is a great coward. The real story begins when Lister is let out of his cryogenic chamber after 3 million years, with only Rimmer's hologram and a lifeform who evolved from his cat's progeny for company. The cast is perfect, and the combination of them and the writing proved to be lightning in a bottle, as proven by the attempted American remake (available to watch on YouTube - but for smeg's sake, don't do it!!!). The ship sets are cheap, even by BBC standards, but it adds to the charm of the show.
I would give this episode 9 cups of chicken soup out of 10.