Red Dwarf is returning to television next year for three new episodes. Here are the details of what’s coming up.
According to British Comedy Guide, cult sci-fi comedy show Red Dwarf, which has been going for an incredible 36 years and counting, will return for three half-hour episodes. It’s said these will cover a single story. Filming is set to begin in October and it will be broadcast next year, although it is unclear exactly which channel it will be on. Charles, Barrie, John-Jules and Llewellyn will reprise their roles.
Writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor reconciled last year, releasing a statement that confirmed that while they had put their differences behind them, they would not be writing together. Each writer will work on separate iterations of the show, with Naylor continuing to write the television series, while Grant is writing a prequel series with 2point4Children writer Andrew Marshall.
It took Grant and Naylor several years to get Red Dwarf on television, due to a combination of bad timing and UK television’s aversion to science fiction at the time. When it did finally appear in 1988, it was soon clear that the chemistry between the core cast of Craig Charles, Chris Barrie as uptight hologram Arnold J Rimmer and Danny John-Jules as the charismatic Cat was a winner. When they were joined by Robert Llewellyn as android Kryten in series three (replacing original actor David Ross, who played the character in series two), the show began to fly.
Grant and Naylor stopped writing together after series six. Chloe Annett joined the crew from series seven as Kristine Kochanski. The show went on hiatus in 1999 after eight series, as Naylor tried to raise funding for a feature film that ultimately never happened.
The show returned in 2009 for three part special Back To Earth, which saw the crew visit the set of Coronation Street.
Three series and 2020 feature length special The Promised Land were produced for UKTV.
We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
