Chicken soup machine repairman and intergalactic loser Dave Lister awakes from suspended animation to discover he is the lone survivor of a radiation leak and is now three million years into deep space and the last surviving member of the human race. Dave is soon joined by a hologram of his dead bunkmate a life-form who s evolved from his pet cat and a neurotic sanitation mechanoid. Together this unlikely bunch of heroes attempt to find their way back to Earth under the guidance of Holly the ship s senile computer encountering a whole heap of smeg on the way.